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The surge in demand for airline pilots during recent years has propelled the profession into the spotlight. The path to becoming an airline pilot, however, is just as dynamic as the industry itself, undergoing continuous evolution. This journey varies not only from country to country but also from airline to airline.
As an airline captain and instructor based in the UK, my aim here is to provide you with an up-to-date guide on how to get into the industry. Although the focus will mainly be on the UK and Europe, the insights shared in this article are also relevant to those in other regions, including the US and Canada.
Quick summary: Becoming an airline pilot in 2026 typically takes 18–24 months and costs £80k–£120k. Most pilots train via an integrated or modular course, using either an MPL or frozen ATPL. This updated article breaks down the process, but for a much more detailed, step-by-step guide to becoming an Airline Pilot – Grab our Amazon bestselling book “How To Become An Airline Pilot In 2026” here!
The more traditional way to become an airline pilot was to slowly work your way up through various types of licenses and ratings over the course of many years. You’d start by gaining a Private Pilots Licence (PPL), then a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL), potentially followed by a Flight Instructor rating (FI) and so on. You’d likely accumulate hundreds of hours on light aircraft before moving up to turboprops, then finally onto jets. It also required you to land different jobs at each stage of your career, which, by the nature of flying, often meant having to relocate geographically to accept employment.
Whilst this path provided a vast variety of flying experiences, in comparison to the options available now, it’s a very long-winded way to get into the front seat of a jet airliner if that’s your goal.
The most common path into the airlines is now to enrol with an airline pilot training flight school. Over 95% of the First Officers I fly with have taken this route. These schools are not to be confused with your local flying club. These are big multimillion-pound pilot training organisations that will take you from zero flight hours all the way through to the right-hand seat of a jet, often in under 2 years. In fact, some of them won’t let you enrol if you already have a PPL!
There are different types of courses available and various ways to fund the training, which we’ll move on to shortly. For now, understand that these schools share a common goal: to get you the qualifications you need to become an airline pilot in the shortest time possible.
The leading airline pilot training schools in Europe that offer this type of training are:
Another route into the airline industry is via the military. If you have a burning desire only to fly airliners, this may not be the path for you. If, however, you’re open to learning a variety of skills and life in the military is something that appeals to you, it’s definitely a path to consider, one that brings with it many unique benefits.
Not only will you forge great bonds and enjoy epic adventures on this path, but the camaraderie you’ll find there will be incomparable to anything else. Another benefit that shouldn’t be underestimated is that you don’t have to fork out a penny for flight training. The military will pay you to learn to fly!
There are a few things to consider with this route, however. There will be a ‘minimum term of service’ that you’ll need to complete; this usually ranges from eight to twelve years for a short commission. This requirement is essentially to prevent the military from investing a lot of money in you only for you to leave. In the UK, it costs the RAF an estimated £5 million to train a fast jet pilot, so the requirement to serve your commission with them is understandable.
Another thing to consider is that life in the military may not be for everyone. You’ll be away from home a lot, and could be sent into hostile environments and potentially to war, which brings with it obvious risks.
Once you do leave the military, you likely won’t have the correct type ratings to jump straight into the front seat of a commercial airliner. However, moving from the military into the airlines is a well-trodden path, so many airlines offer specialised military conversion courses.
It’s worth noting that you won’t necessarily have control over which type of aircraft you fly in the military. After basic training on light fixed-wing aircraft, you’ll be ‘streamed’ onto the category of aircraft that the military wants you to fly. You can select a preference here, but it ultimately depends on operational requirements at the time, as well as your performance throughout training. This means you may end up flying helicopters when you wanted to fly fast jets!
If the military is a path you’d consider, my advice would be to go on base visits. Speak to your local military recruitment office and explain that you’d like to go and speak to pilots on the base of your choice. As well as showing that you’re serious about the career, it will be unbelievably insightful. I did this when I was considering it, and travelled the UK, staying with fast jet and helicopter pilots. It gave me a first-hand look at what life in the military consists of, and the opportunity to ask all the questions I wanted. It actually sold me on applying, but unfortunately, a badly timed temporary medical issue prevented my application from moving forward.
It’s worth noting that, currently, the UK is experiencing severe delays in RAF pilot training due to a lack of resources. Officers are joining the RAF as ‘Pilots’, but due to a training backlog, they are finding themselves waiting multiple years before they can actually start pilot training. During this time, they’re given office-based roles. Whilst this backlog is being cleared as I write, it remains. It’s worth asking your local military careers office about it for the most up-to-date news on these delays.
TOP TIP: If you’re still in school, college, or university, and interested in the idea of the military, I’d urge you to join the Air Cadets or University Air Squadron. You’ll get a real feel for military life without having to fully immerse yourself, and you’ll also get some free flying experience!
I’m yet to meet an ex-military pilot who didn’t thoroughly enjoy their time there!
To find out which forces are currently recruiting for pilots, and for more information, see the links below for the military pilot recruitment pages in the UK:
If you’re pursuing the training school route, there are several types of training courses available. Although they eventually lead to the same end goal, they do so in different ways, and it’s essential that you understand the differences so you can make the most informed decision about which is best for you.
Most big flight schools offer two different ways to tackle your training to become an airline pilot:
Integrated courses are intensive programs designed to help you complete the process as quickly as possible. As such, they’re full-time, Monday to Friday. You’ll likely be living on a campus or very close to the training school with other cadets. Various parts of the course may take place in different countries. For example, many UK-based schools run ground school in the UK, but flight training is often conducted abroad. Everything is included in the initial training fee, and you won’t be required to get any flying jobs during your training. You’ll finish the course ready to step into the front seat of an airliner.
Modular courses, on the other hand, are more akin to the traditional pilot training route. The content of the course can be similar to that of the integrated course, but modular breaks it down into stages, or ‘modules’, hence the name. Students can complete each module at their own pace, providing them with significant flexibility. This is ideal for those who may not be able to commit to an intensive course of 18 months or more. The modular route can end up taking much longer and may be more expensive in the long run, but it remains a popular path into the industry.
This is to do with the type of licence you’ll leave flight school with. There are actually a few different types of licences that’ll allow you to fly an airliner. You may have heard terms like Frozen ATPL, MPL, and Full ATPL. It can be a confusing topic, so I’ve done my best to simplify it for you.
Traditionally, holding a full Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) was the only way to operate in the right-hand seat of a Jet. To obtain a full ATPL, also known as ATP in the USA/Canada, you’ll need 1,500 hours of flight time. So, how are people fresh out of flight school securing jobs as first officers in the airlines with only 250 hours of flight time?
Put simply, there are two licences that are precursors to a full ATPL: Frozen ATPL (fATPL) and Multi-Crew Pilot License (MPL). Both of these allow you to operate an airliner as a first officer before you get 1,500 hours. They both require you to pass all 13 ATPL theory exams, but the concept behind the flight training, and how it’s undertaken, is totally different. Let’s break down the differences:
Frozen ATPL (fATPL): To gain a fATPL, you must hold a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) along with an Instrument Rating (IR), and of course, have passed all of your ATPL theory exams. These combine together to give you a fATPL and allow you to apply for airline jobs.
‘Frozen’ refers to the restriction that you’re only allowed to operate as a first officer from the right-hand seat. You cannot act as a commander until you’ve got over 1,500 hours and a full ATPL. Due to the nature of the licence requirements, the flight training for a Frozen ATPL tends to follow a more traditional path. You’ll have to gain your PPL before gaining your CPL and IR. Training courses for a Frozen ATPL licence can be completed as either integrated or modular.
MPL: This is a relatively new licence in the industry, and it achieves the same end goal of getting you a fully unrestricted ATPL, but in a slightly different way. The MPL is a more modern way of training airline pilots, and it’s entirely geared towards airline flying. As such, MPL students spend a lot less time in light aircraft and more time in the simulators of the airliner they’ll eventually be flying.
With an MPL course, students don’t go through the process of gaining a PPL, CPL etc. Instead, they just follow a training syllabus specific to the MPL course they’re on. It usually consists of around 80 hours in light aircraft, followed by over 200 hours in large simulators.
An MPL is technically more restrictive than a frozen ATPL as it only allows you to operate in multi-crew environments, meaning you can’t, for example, go and rent a light aircraft using an MPL licence without undertaking further training. It will, however, get you to the front seat of a jet much faster.
MPL courses are integrated only, and are often ‘tagged’ by an airline (more on this later) meaning you know which airline you’re going to be employed by before you start the course. This is because they’ll need to know which Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and aircraft type to train you on in the simulator phase.
Once you hit 1,500 flight hours, both the MPL and fATPL can be converted into a full, unrestricted ATPL by undertaking a skills test in the simulator. Most reputable airlines will cover the cost of this and do it during a biannual simulator check.
My personal thoughts on MPL vs fATPL;
I was on one of the first MPL pilot training courses, back when it was considered risky and slightly uncharted territory. However, times have now changed, and the MPL is now widely recognised and hugely popular amongst training schools and airlines alike.
As well as being shorter and often cheaper than a fATPL course, MPL students will be more comfortable operating in an airline environment, once they get there, since so much of their training is focused on this. They’ll have spent over 200 hours practising SOPs, failures and other bits in the simulator, which means they’ll be much better prepared and have more capacity when they finally start flying on the line.
Two criticisms the MPL faced were that cadets lacked sufficient ‘real-life’ flying experience, and that they would be left in a precarious position if their sponsor airline went bankrupt or had to make redundancies. Their cadets would effectively be left with an ‘MPL’ that was specific to an airline that no longer existed.
To counter these points, almost all large airlines are now offering MPL courses as they’ve seen the heavier focus on sim work actually outweighs the lack of light aircraft flying. Regarding airlines going bankrupt, I’ve known many pilots whose airline unfortunately dropped them or went bankrupt during their training course. They were immediately picked up by another airline. I’m currently unaware of anyone who’s got ‘stuck’ with a half-completed MPL license. I believe MPL is likely to be the future of pilot training.
***In the USA/Canada, due to a specific rule known as the 1,500-hour rule, which prohibits anyone from flying an airliner until they reach that flight time, the MPL hasn’t really taken off (pardon the pun), although some schools do offer it. Either way, students will need to get 1500 flight hours before they can take the step into a jet, so even MPL courses will likely involve them gaining a CFI rating and therefore being able to earn whilst they build hours.***
We’ll keep this section super simple. Each nation has its own licence issuing authority, and which authority issues your licence can have a huge impact on which countries you’ll be allowed to operate from, and therefore which airlines you’ll be able to operate for.
If you’re looking to be based in the UK or looking to fly aircraft that are UK-registered, you’ll need your licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is the UK’s aviation regulatory body. If you’re looking to operate European-registered aircraft or be based in the EU, you’ll need your licence issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). For those looking to be based in the US, you’ll need the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to issue yours.
Before Brexit, CAA licence holders and EASA licence holders were free to exercise the privileges of their licences in the other authority’s nations; however, now there are heavy restrictions on which aircraft these pilots can fly, and where.
This change not only caused havoc for airlines with bases across different nations, but it also means it’s something else for students to consider when choosing which flight school to enrol in, and which authority to take the exams under.
Some flight schools now will offer the opportunity to get dual-rated, which means you’ll come out of training with both an EASA license and a CAA one. If you get this chance and being dual-rated is something you want to do, super! You may have to sit some written exams and skills tests twice, but you’ll save yourself having to do lots of the flying hours twice.
Whilst being dual-rated opens up your job opportunities and enhances your employability, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t gain it. The vast majority of airline pilots I know aren’t. As long as the licence you’re working on is the same one required by your eventual airline, then you’re fine. You can always have another licence issued under a different authority at a later date, but it will likely mean retaking many written exams at a time when you may have forgotten much of the theory you learnt years prior!
If getting dual-rated is something you’re interested in, or you can’t decide which licence you should go for, this article by Bristol Groundschool is really helpful.
It’s no big secret that pilot training can be expensive. The cost of a fully integrated airline pilot course in 2026 currently sits at over £100,000/$110,000. Whilst this package includes everything, accommodation, training, exam fees, etc., it’s still an enormous sum of money. The modular route can result in a lower financial outlay, as you’re not paying for everything that’s included in the integrated course, but it’s still not pocket money.
Most people don’t have that sort of money sitting around, so how do people finance their flight training?
For the fortunate people who do have that sort of money readily available, self-funding is an option. There are also specialist banks that will loan students the money to undertake pilot training for those who don’t have immediate access to the required money. Unfortunately, these banks are few and far between, and will often require the loan to be backed against a house or something of similar value.
For younger students, this typically means taking out a loan secured against their family’s home, meaning that if they are unable to repay the loan, the house will be at risk of being repossessed. Nothing like a bit more pressure on what’s already an intense flight training journey eh!
What’s very common is for students to self-fund with family loans. Parents or grandparents can sometimes scoop together the majority of the cost for flight training, and the student is then able to repay them as they progress through their career.
For self-funded courses, you’ll still have to pass a selection process to be offered a place at a flight training school. However, the selection process will generally be less rigorous and easier than the ones we’re about to look at, and self-funded courses come without any guarantee of a job at the end of them. This approach is also known as being a whitetail student, because you don’t know which airline you’ll be working for. Job offers typically emerge toward the end of your training or later, depending on the market.
Some airlines will ‘sponsor’ you on certain courses. Be aware, there is a big difference between ‘sponsored’ and ‘fully funded’ in the airline world. ‘Sponsored’ still usually means you’ll be expected to stump up the training money, but some airlines will now underwrite these loans for you, meaning it’s much easier to sort the financing side of things.
With a sponsored course, you’ll be ‘tagged’ by an airline from the very start of your training, meaning they will oversee your training, and you’ll have a conditional offer of employment with them waiting for you as soon as you finish.
Many airlines claim that as part of these ‘sponsored’ courses, they’ll pay you back the cost of your flight training over a set number of years, once you’re employed with them. However, what the majority of airlines do is place you on a reduced salary for your first few years of employment, and then bring it up to a normal first officer’s salary using these ‘loan repayments’. Although there are tax benefits to this, it’s worth noting that your overall package, including loan repayments, won’t be any more than that of first officers who weren’t on the sponsored scheme.
These courses are great because you have a guarantee of a job from the start of your training (or as guaranteed as you can get in the industry), and the airline will be on hand to support you throughout your training, however, you won’t necessarily end up any better off financially than those who self-funded.
Another thing to consider is that with a sponsored course, you may also be ‘bonded’ to the sponsor company for a set number of years. If you choose to leave during this time, there might be financial penalties for you. Each contract will be different, so be sure to read the fine print. Hopefully, the above gives you a general overview and an idea of what questions to ask each employer when considering a sponsored scheme.
Having to pay for one’s own airline pilot training is a relatively new concept, and with the current pilot shortage, it’s hopefully on its way out. Previously, airlines would cover the cost of training and, in return, expect pilots to work for the company once qualified. Somewhere along the line, this dynamic changed, and airlines realised they’d still have a queue of qualified pilots knocking on their door looking for jobs, regardless of whether they’d had to pay for their own training or not.
Thankfully, airlines are starting to cover the cost of flight training again. Known as fully-funded courses, they’re now making their way back into fashion, but at the moment, they’re few and far between, and incredibly competitive to get onto.
These fully-funded courses are exactly as they sound; the student isn’t required to stump up any money for flight training.
It’s worth noting, however, that the airline will recoup its financial investment in you. You’ll likely be on a reduced salary for several years once you start flying for the airline, as well as being bonded to them for a similar period. This means that if you leave before the bond is fulfilled (usually five years), you’ll be expected to repay a portion of the costs of your flight training to the airline.
Still, these courses are a great way to overcome the significant initial financial hurdle for many and open the door to the industry for those who couldn’t previously afford it. I’m delighted they’re making a re-appearance and that the industry is starting to head in this direction.
Airlines that currently run fully-funded schemes in the UK are:
TUI – Fully Funded MPL Scheme – Re-opening for applications on TBC
British Airways – Speedbird Academy Fully Funded Future Pilot Scheme – Expected to re-open in 2026. Dates TBC
Jet2 – Flight Path: Fully Funded Pilot Scheme – Expected to re-open in 2026. Dates TBC. For a detailed breakdown of the Jet2 scheme, check out my deep dive article here – Jet2FlightPath Pilot Training Scheme Analysed.
These airlines use large training organisations such as those listed earlier in the article (CAE, Skybourne, Leading Edge etc) to deliver their pilot training, so it’s completed to a very high standard. My recommendation would be to apply for the fully funded pilot training courses if you’re seriously considering this as a career. You don’t have anything to lose by applying, and even if you don’t get through, each application will help you learn how best to approach the next one.
There are also small scale sponsorship schemes out there that can help you with gaining certain ratings or aspects of flight training. They’re often provided by a small company or individual, and are definitely worth keeping an eye out for. Do some google searches to find them, and check places like Flight Training News, who each month include a list of live scholarships up for grabs.
As mentioned previously, if you go down the military route, not only will your flight training not cost you anything, but you’ll actually get paid as you learn to fly. Although the salary whilst you train won’t be huge, many of your expenses (gym, living, food) will be subsidised by the military. The quality of the flight training itself will be top-notch, and you’ll get to experience a vast range of aircraft.
For more information on financing flight training, see our post below.
Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the main requirements you’ll need to become an airline pilot.
You do not need a degree to become an airline pilot. This is a common misconception. Whilst the educational requirements to enrol in a flight school vary based on a number of factors, gone are the days when a degree is necessary.
You will require some sort of secondary education: Basic requirements in the UK to apply to large flight schools are usually 5-6 GCSEs, or equivalent, grade A-C (5-9). If you’re enrolling on a sponsored or fully-funded scheme, the requirements can be more specific. British Airways, for example, specifies the subjects that those grades must be in (Mathematics, English and Science).
Major airlines in the US used to require a bachelor’s degree, but with the current pilot shortage, this is no longer the case for many. While a degree may help your application, please note that it’s currently not a necessity.
If you don’t have the required educational grades, I’d absolutely recommend a chat to the airline or flight school anyway to let them know where you’re at with things (they may be able to help). These requirements do change from time to time, so check the flight school website.
For those interested in gaining a degree and unsure whether to do that before flight school, we have an entire blog post on that topic here. Most flight schools now offer courses where you can study for a degree alongside your flight training, which is a great way to kill two birds with one stone. More info is also available in our book.
There is no lower age requirement for starting private flying lessons, but 17 is the youngest age at which you can gain a Private Pilot’s License. It’s also the minimum age to apply to large training schools for an airline training course. Most flight schools won’t allow you actually to start training until your 18th birthday.
This is because you must be 18 to obtain a CPL & IR, and therefore a Frozen ATPL. 21 is the minimum age to gain a full ATPL or unfreeze a fATPL.
The current retirement age for airline pilots is 65, and flight schools tend to avoid recruiting anyone over the age of 55.
This is an important one! You’ll be required to hold a ‘Class 1’ medical certificate before you get anywhere near the front seat of a jet. It’s the highest level of medical certificate you can get in aviation, and therefore the most stringent.
It’s a high cost to get your initial class one medical done (currently £700/$800). After this, you’ll be required to renew your medical certificate at a minimum of once a year throughout your career. The cost for renewal each year sits at around £250/$300, but most airlines will reimburse you for this renewal cost each year once you’re employed.
The examination will include the following:
I’d strongly recommend you invest in an initial class 1 medical before you go much further. Booking one in as soon as you’ve passed selection day (or even before) would be a smart idea. Doing this early gives you lots of time to explore any issues that crop up in depth. It could bring up something that may temporarily prevent you from getting a medical certificate; therefore, until the problem is sorted out. Worst case, it may highlight something that will preclude you from ever gaining a Class 1 and, therefore, a career as an airline pilot. As disheartening as that could be, it’s best to know this before investing too much time or money into things.
This link takes you to the CAA website, where you can book to get your initial Class 1’s in the UK.
Most large flight schools won’t require you to have any flight experience before you enrol in a course, and some schemes even stipulate that they won’t let anyone who already has a PPL apply. I’d strongly suggest, however, that you at least have a trial lesson in a light aircraft at your local airfield before applying to any courses. It shows willingness on the selection day, but more importantly, it gives you an idea of whether you actually enjoy flying!
This actually comes before choosing your flight school. Often, airlines will have contracts with flight schools, so when they need to recruit first officers, they will always take cadets from that flight school’s holding pool. Therefore, if you have a specific airline in mind that you’d like to fly for eventually, you’ll want to try to train at a school that they take pilots from.
The geographical location of a flight school is a big one to consider. Each flight school will typically base its ground school, basic, and advanced flight training in different locations. You’ll need to ensure that these locations work for you, i.e you’re happy being that far away from home, etc.
You should also consider the opportunities each location could offer you. For example, during my flight training, one UK-based flight school conducted its basic training in New Zealand, another in Spain, and another in America. The opportunity to go and live in New Zealand greatly appealed to me and played a part in my decision.
As previously discussed, the financial barrier to entry for flight training is extremely high. It’s therefore important to consider the different ways each school can support you financially, either through the schemes they offer (sponsored, fully funded, etc.) or through other means.
If you can apply to a fully funded airline scheme, even if it’s not with the airline of your choice, I’d seriously urge you to go for it. You can always do the minimum term required at that airline, then move to the airline you originally had in mind. It may mean a few years working at an airline that wasn’t your end goal, but you’ll be financially better off, and the variety of experience will be good for you. The only thing to consider here is that you may need a type rating if the airline you want to move to operates a different type than you already fly, which you might have to fund yourself (Circa £20-30k / $25-38k).
After choosing your desired flight school and training course, the next step is to apply. After the initial application, you’ll have to go through a multi-stage selection process to secure your place on a course.
The selection process will usually consist of the following across multiple days;
With thousands of applicants for each place on some courses, these selection processes can be highly challenging and competitive. It’s imperative that any applicant prepare thoroughly. To learn more about exactly what each stage of the selection process consists of, and how to ace both your application and the selection day to give you the best possible chance of a course offer, grab our book, which will give you in-depth guidance.
I will be doing a general post on how to pass your selection day, which I’ll link here once it’s completed. Until then, take a look at my article here to help applicants pass the Jet2 selection process. Each selection process will differ slightly, but the tools in that Jet2 post will help you regardless of which process you’re going through.
Flight school itself also consists of multiple different stages:
Ground School – This is where you’ll learn the theory behind flying, and all the knowledge that you’ll need to pass your 13 ATPL written exams, which you’ll have to take at the end of this phase. Ground school takes around six months if completed full-time, and you must get 75% or more in each written exam in order to pass and progress to the flying stage.
Basic Flying – In this phase, you’ll learn the fundamentals of flying a light aircraft. Across the space of another six months or so, you’ll build hours and confidence in the aircraft, eventually flying solo without the need for an instructor accompanying you. This part of flight school is arguably the most fun; flying light aircraft around by yourself, usually with your friends sharing the same piece of airspace.
Advanced Flying – This is where things get a little more complex. This phase is designed to expose you to different types of aircraft and manoeuvres. You’ll move from single-engine aircraft to twin-engine aircraft. These bring more power, speed, and the requirement to think and plan further ahead. You’ll also undergo a UPRT course (Upset Recovery Training) during which you’ll learn how to handle the aircraft in undesirable states (inverted, spins etc).
Simulator – This is where the MPL and ATPL courses differ the most. MPL trainees will spend around 200 hours in the simulator of their specific aircraft. ATPL trainees will spend a fraction of this time in the simulator, getting used to multi-crew environments and operating a generic jet.
For MPL trainees and cadets who already have a job lined up with an airline, once the simulator phase is complete, they’ll move straight into the airline induction phase as outlined in the next section. ‘Whitetail’ trainees (those not tagged by an airline) will have to apply to airlines and wait until they know which aircraft type they’ll be operating before returning to the simulator to complete the required type rating. Flight schools often have ‘hold pools’ of cadets who have completed their training but are waiting for a job, so airlines take pilots from these pools.
So, you’ve finished flight school and have signed a contract with an airline. What’s next?
Airline Induction – Usually consisting of a few days in a classroom and a tour of the airline’s departments and facilities, this is a chance for you to learn more about the company and for them to learn more about you. It’s usually very relaxed and informal, and a chance to meet other pilots joining the company at the same time as you. You’ll also get to pick up your new uniform!
Base Training – This is a very exciting day. To complete your type rating, you’ll need to do 6 takeoffs and landings on the real aircraft. This usually only happens once you’ve had your induction with the airline. It’s a superb day out, consisting of taking an empty airliner with a few other new entrant pilots to a quiet airfield somewhere to complete your touch-and-goes. You’ll each take turns completing circuits while being judged by your course mates in the back, before switching round and being able to judge the others!
Supernumerary Flights – Before you get let loose at the controls of a jet full of passengers, you’ll be given a number of supernumerary flights. You’ll be sitting on the flight deck jumpseat, observing a crew operating on a normal day. This gives you a chance to see how the operation runs before being thrown straight in.
Line Training – Now it’s your turn. You’ll now operate your first passenger flight from the pilot seat. During your first few flights, you’ll be flying with a training captain next to you, and another pilot on the jump seat behind you. They’re there to act as an extra pair of eyes and ears, and to take over from either you or the captain if needs be.
At some stage, this third pilot won’t be required, and you’ll be flying with just a training captain in the flight deck with you for around two months, until you’re ready to pass your final line check. After passing this, you’ll be ‘released to the line’ and allowed to fly with captains who don’t hold a training qualification. You’ll be a fully fledged first officer!
Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of the process of becoming an airline pilot. For an in-depth look at each stage and tips on how to get through it, our bestselling book ‘How To Become An Airline Pilot’ is a great tool.
For those wanting to get a better idea of exactly what it’s like to be an airline pilot, check out our range of books that walk you through the work and the lifestyle.
PilotBible Book – How To Become an Airline Pilot
Helpful page for EasyJet Pilot Recruitment
Job Search – Aviation Job Search
Our A Day In the Life Of blog will give you an insight into what each job can really be like
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