Pilot

What's in Store for You!

Airline pilot have to be very courageous. There decisions are very important in the lives of many people on the plane. I f the pilot makes a bad call, many persons lives can be affected in a very negative way. Therefore pilots are almost constantly under a lot of stress. However there are also many benefits from being an airline pilot.

How Much Will You Be Getting!

An airline pilot are on the average well paid. A first officer on domestic flights is about $5,500/ month for a small airline. A major airline, however, pays approximately $10,000 or more a month. Captains can make anywhere from $7,500 to over 14,000 per month. But the average salary for Commercial Airline pilots is $70,000 to $80,000 a year.

Working Conditions

As mentioned earlier, pilots are under a great deal of stress. This can sometimes make them unhealthy. They can often be nervous because they are handling multimillion-dollar equipment. there is also the possibility of having an accident. Pilots spends a lot of time away from home in flying time and also because of layovers.

How Many Hours You Will Be Getting!

Air taxi pilots flying alone are only allowed 8 hours a day. If there are two it can be up to ten hours. On the average it is usually a 75 to 80 hour work month.

Education and Training

A pilot must be a least a high school graduate. They usually prefer 2 or even 4 years of college, though. To receive a pilots' license you must be 18 years old, have 190 hrs. of flying in training school or 250 hours of flying on your own. Also between 40 and 50 hours of instrument flying is required. You also must pass a physical and an exam of rules. Pilots must have good coordination of hands and mind and good reflexes. They have to have average manual dexterity and normal vision and hearing. A pilot must be emotionally stable, cooperative, excellent leader. They must have a good public appearance and act quickly and calmly.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Because of all of the pressure, a pilot can undergo a lot of mental as well as physical pain. The high altitude can also cause exhaustion. The worst factor is the many hours away from home.

Future of A Pilot

The future for a pilot is looking fairly good. More and more people are traveling on airplanes today. And in the near future the demand for more pilots will probably increase.

Ways to Become A Pilot

To become a commercial pilot many hours of practice is necessary. So in order to get hired, one would need to fly as much as possible.

This page was created by Erin Stinson and was last updated on August 15, 1996.