Airline Pilot

Airline pilots fly aircraft on long-haul and short-haul flights. They direct the crew and are responsible for the safety of everyone on board.

The Work

You could be:

• studying the flight plan, altitude details and weather conditions before take-off


• checking the instruments


• supervising the refuelling and loading of the aircraft


• operating the controls, particularly during take-off and landing


• using computers to control and monitor the plane's performance


• keeping radio contact with air traffic controllers


• calculating time-distance-speed ratios


• informing passengers over the tannoy about flight conditions
• keeping on the alert for possible threats to security.

• circling at the destination while awaiting the call to land
• keeping to procedure to control noise and pollution


• writing a flight report after landing.

Conditions

As a short haul pilot you would:

• usually work the same shift pattern over long periods


• usually spend nights at home, unless delayed for some reason.

• work long, irregular and unpredictable hours


• often spend nights in hotels abroad


• have to constantly adjust to different time zones and perhaps suffer from jet-lag.

• have to undergo regular tests
• must live near an airport so that can go to work at short notice
• spend long periods sitting in a locked enclosed space


• work in a team of two
• wear a uniform.

Getting In

There are 3 main routes to becoming an airline pilot:

• integrated training for a Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL) with Instrument Rating (IR)


• training for a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL) followed by modular training for the CPL and IR


• training to become a pilot in the armed services followed by a civil aviation conversion course for the CPL and IR.

• Entrants either have to finance themselves through training or obtain full or partial sponsorship from an airline. There are also some bursaries and loans available - see the leaflet "How to become a Commercial Pilot" downloadable from the BALPA site, for suggestions. Courses last between 9 and 36 months.
  
• The availability of sponsorships from airlines may depend on the national and international economic conditions at the time.


• Entry to a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved training school normally requires a minimum of 5 Standard grades, including English, maths and a physical science. However, entry to training sponsored by an airline normally requires at least 3 Highers, preferably including maths and physics, together with 5 Standard grades, including English, maths and a science subject.


• Many entrants to these training routes are graduates. Any degree subject is acceptable, but mathematics, physics, computing and engineering may be particularly useful.


• Entry to a degree course requires a minimum of 3 Highers and 2 Standard grades, normally including a pass in English. Many courses ask for qualifications well above the minimum.


• The CAA publishes a list of approved pilot training courses on its website.


• Students who finance themselves should expect to pay around £50,000 or more for their training. The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) advise against paying for the whole training in advance in case the provider becomes bankrupt. Better to pay in small chunks.
• Sometimes an airline will demand a specific customised form of training which can cost another £25,000.

• If you are over 16 years of age, you can take private flying lessons. Once you are over 17 and have completed the training, you can have your Private Pilot's Licence (PPL).


• The PPL does not allow you to fly commercially or become an airline pilot. However, you can go on to take separate training modules for the CPL, the IR, followed by the ATPL.


• This modular route takes longer but is less expensive, costing around £30,000.

• You can enter the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines or Royal Air Force as a trainee pilot.


• There is a limited number of vacancies each year and competition is intense.


• On leaving the armed services, qualified pilots can take civil aviation conversion courses to allow them to gain their CPL, IR and ATPL.


• Further information on careers in the armed services can be gained from the Armed Services pages of this database and from Armed Forces Careers Offices throughout the country.

• be physically fit and able to pass a CAA Class One Medical examination, including general and colour vision requirements


• meet the height requirements of the particular airline - for example, British Airways specifies between 1.58m (5'2'')and 1.91m (6'3'').

What Does It Take?

You need to be:

• reliable and responsible


• able to absorb, remember and apply a lot of technical information


• aware of safety issues


• confident, pleasant and reassuring


• practical and analytical


• alert


• decisive.

• concentrate on more than one thing at a time


• react quickly


• take charge


• stay calm in a crisis.

Training

• Pilots who have gained the Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL) are likely to wish to proceed to the Instrument Rating (IR) and eventually to the full Airline Transport Pilot's Licence (ATPL) in order to become a captain in due course.


• At regular intervals throughout their career, pilots undertake refresher training and tests. They also are given training as new aircraft and instrumentation are introduced.

Getting On

• Airline pilots start as co-pilots or "first officers" and eventually become fully qualified senior first officers.


• After about five years' experience, they can become the co-pilot on a long-haul flight.


• Promotion to captain can take between seven and ten years.


• There are opportunities for working abroad. Pilots can also transfer to other flying work, such as flying instruction or agricultural flying in remote areas.


• There are also opportunities in management, leading to senior positions.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:

• where you work


• the size of the company you work for


• the demand for the job.

More Information

The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN) provides an aptitude test and assessment scheme for people with little or no flying experience. This could help you decide whether you are suited to this career, before you make a financial commitment to training.

Addresses

The following organisation(s) may be able to provide further information.