How to become a commercial Pilot–What all it takes to become one?

Preparing for this profession requires you to have thousands of hours of practice along with the significant investment of money for flight school. So, if you are wondering – how to become a commercial pilot - you might find reading further interesting.

There are two main paths or ways to gain the licenses and training that is mandatory to become a pilot eligible to fly commercial planes – civilian flight training school or the military. For either ways, you would typically require earning a bachelor’s degree first, though it is often said that this degree can be of any field, candidates from Science and Mathematics background are the preferred ones. If you have studied subjects such as science, Mathematics and communication then you have an additional advantage as you know certain things important to start career as a commercial pilot.

Becoming a commercial airline pilot is one of the best professions that can help you achieve new milestones in life. As far as scope for commercial pilots is concerned, it is immense. The time required to become a pilot is minimum of two years of training as there are different milestones and levels to cross. To start with, you need to have a private pilot certificate. You have to pass a written exam, medical exam and a minimum of forty-hours of flight time. During this training phase, you will be able to learn the basics of flying a single-engine plane.

After this, you have to earn an instrument rating that makes it possible for you to fly in all weather conditions using the instrument flight rules. In addition, you will also need a multi-engine rating for flying larger planes. Once you complete at least 250 hours of flight time, you would become entitled to earn a commercial pilot license. From that specific point, you can pursue single-engine, instrument flight instructor and multi-engine certificates. Once you become a flight instructor, you would be able to earn money and can also gain experience as a pilot. If you want to earn an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate then you require a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight. This will let you work as a commercial airline pilot. The overall cost of this training can vary between $60,000 and$70,000.

When applying for the post of commercial airline pilot, you have to undergo computer testing to assess your problem solving, critical thinking and personality abilities. Those who pass this test will then be scheduled for the interviews for situation-based situations. Once you are hired for this role, you will then go through skills and training checks throughout your career. Pilots also have to undergo physical tests from time to time to ensure they are fit for flying commercial planes.