Airline pilots, while maneuvering their aircraft, also navigate individual and unique career pathways. At AirlinePilot.life, the online forum’s creator, Chris Carey, and fellow airline pilot mentors get many questions from aspiring professional pilots and trainees about charting this flight plan. How do new hires go from reserve duty to flying a wide-body airliner on international routes, for example? The key to succeeding is gaining seniority and using it wisely, Carey says, because seniority yields opportunities. “The longest serving pilot is the most senior, and the most recently hired is last on the list,” he explains. “Throughout your career, as pilots retire before you and new pilots are hired after you, you move up.”
Succeeding as an Airline Pilot — How it Works
