Pro Track: Finding Your Way to an Airline Pilot Career

If you can picture yourself in the left seat of an Airbus, or Embraer, then you have the first step necessary to becoming a professional pilot.

Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 08:34 AM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

With diligence, preparation, and making connections, Pia Bergqvist says the path to the left seat at a major airline opens up to you. [Courtesy: Pia Bergqvist]

Key Takeaways:

Becoming a professional airline pilot requires developing strong leadership and complementary skills beyond just flying proficiency.
Success in interviews and initial training, especially at the regional level, hinges on rigorous preparation, mastering standard operating procedures through constant repetition, strategic networking, and utilizing professional interview coaching.
Aspiring pilots must cultivate professionalism, continuously update their aviation knowledge, build diverse and relevant flight time, and actively engage with the aviation community to advance to major airlines.

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If you can picture yourself in the left seat of an Airbus, Boeing, or Embraer—or whatever transport category jet technology comes up with next—then you have the first necessary step complete on your way to becoming a professional pilot. However, the path you take—as we noted in the first feature in this section—requires more of you than simply obtaining a pilot certificate. While many focus on that narrow goal at first, it soon becomes clear that in order to successfully secure an airline pilot position with a regional, and then a major, you need to develop other skills to complement the fact you’re a decent stick.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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