Do you have a love of flying? Do you feel depressed when you have to work in a land-based job? And would you like to travel the world? If so, the idea of becoming a commercial airline pilot may have crossed your mind. Yes, on first reflection it appears to be a demanding and highly responsible job.
Would you like to learn more about whether becoming a commercial airline pilot is the right career move for you? Keep reading to gain an insight into this fascinating line of work!
Pilot certification in the United States is typically required for an individual to act as a pilot of an aircraft. It is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a branch of the Department of Transportation (DOT). (Source Wikipedia)
Know more about licences and certifications here.
Expectations (and requirement in many cases) from this job are:
- Recommended courses include: courses in advanced Math, English and Science as well as Aeronautical Engineering
- Aware and competent skills in navigation systems and communications equipment
- Thorough grasp of mathematics, aeronautics, navigation, and meteorology
- Exhibit clear thinking in times of stress with a strong ability to communicate accurately and concisely while performing other duties.
- Pilots of all ages must meet FAA requirements to prove they are maintaining their proficiency.
Here’s a cool video where a commercial airline pilot talks about a day in the life of a commercial pilot:
Salary in the US via BLS.gov:
Some advantages and perks:
You get to see the world – for free!
An obvious takeaway from such a job is that you are one of the privileged few that gets to see the world as part of their work! Sure, most of your time will get spent at airports around the globe. But when you have downtime, you can go and explore the countries you land at.
To carry out such a task and pay for your flights and accommodation would set you back six-figure sums. And that’s a conservative estimate! But when you work as a pilot, you fly yourself to the destinations. Your plane is your “company car” and your employers cover your accommodation and food expenses!
You stay at some nice places
When you’ve finished exploring, you can go and relax for the evening at your employer’s expense. Commercial airline pilots get to stay at places like five-star hotels and corporate apartments. Of course, if you have relatives and friends where you visit, you can always stay with them and save your company some cash!
Your family can visit you at “work”
There aren’t many jobs where your family is welcome to spend time with you at work. As an airline pilot, one of the perks of the job is that you can get discounted or even free tickets for your family.
Some pilots fly themselves and their family to vacation hotspots. It’s one of those rare cases where you can mix work and vacation time without it being weird!
You get to see a sunrise and sunset like no other
When you’re traveling at 37,000 feet, you fly above the clouds. That means you have an amazing view of the sun when it rises and sets each day. Even if the weather beneath you is cloudy and raining!
Not many people can boast that they have such brilliant views from their “office windows”! But, you can if you’re an airline pilot.
How safe is the work?
To be honest, the safety of your workplace is in your hands once you’re up in the sky. You have to rely on your skills and experience to ensure that each flight is successful and without issue.
Planes have regular maintenance checks to ensure that you’re good to go before you fly. And, even if problems were to occur when you’re in the air, you’ve got a plethora of safety systems to help you resolve them.