A college degree in flight training can be earned from flying schools that have been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Many commercial pilots also come from the military to fly helicopters and airplanes.
Related Commercial Pilot Programs
What does a commercial pilot do?
Pilots are highly trained. Commercial pilots that work for major airlines, typically have around 4,000 hours of flight experience.
Flying is just a part of what commercial pilots do. A large part of their responsibilities involve planning for the flight. They check their aircraft to make sure all of the controls, instruments and other systems are functioning properly. They also check the engine.
Pilots make sure the baggage and/or other cargo has been loaded properly. They review with weather forecasters to find out what the weather conditions will be like on their flight. Based on this information, they select the appropriate flight route, altitude and speed that will provide the best experience for the passengers and the airline.
While in the air, commercial pilots constantly check their instrument panel to monitor the fuel gauge, hydraulic and other systems. They make adjustments if necessary, by conferring with flight controllers to see if other altitudes and routes are having better weather.
What kind of education does a commercial pilot need?
Most airlines prefer to hire college graduates. In fact, many employers are making a college degree a requirement. Courses that you may take in preparation to becoming an airline pilot are English, mathematics, physics, and aeronautical engineering.
In addition to that, a license will not be issued to you without the appropriate amount of flight experience. This is obtained at flight schools where about 25 hours of initial operating experience is gained. However, to qualify for an FAA license, you must have 250 hours of flight time and meet other qualifications as well.
How much does a commercial pilot earn?
Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that median annual salaries for commercial pilots are at around $111,680.
Where can a commercial pilot work?
You tend to think of pilots as flying for commercial airlines. However, about a third of pilots are involved in other flying specialties such as:
• Crop dusting
• Seeding forests
• Directing firefighters
• Tracking criminals
• Rescuing and evacuating injured people
• Cargo flights