Airline pilot
It is nothing like studying a handbook, going on a test run with a licensing official and getting a driver’s license. After all, you may be several thousands of feet off the ground with several hundred people depending on you for their lives and driving a multi-million dollar vehicle owned by company stockholders. As an airline pilot, you also answer to the US government’s Federal Aviation Administration.

It would be extremely rare for a person to walk in off the street and be hired as an airline pilot as it takes years of lessons, not only in flying an airplane, but also in learning all the rules and regulations of public air transportation. Most beginners will start with single-engine planes and once certified as an airline pilot, can then continue their education to learn to fly bigger planes. Perhaps working an airline pilot job at a small regional carrier and then, with more training to be becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Most airline pilots do not become pilots for the money as an airline pilot salary probably will not allow anyone to get rich, but their love of flying and getting airline pilot pay to fly is icing on their career cake. With the new security safeguards in place by the government and the airlines, airline pilot background checks have become more thorough and time-consuming with the new requirements of a federal investigation as well as the airline company’s background check for employment.

To become a commercial airline pilot, you would first need to complete flight training and log a set number of hours as a private pilot before being considered to test for a commercial pilot license. Many start with private lessons, some available through online resources, to earn their classroom time before going to a flight school for instructor training. Once you have satisfied the flight school’s curriculum you can test for your private license. All persons who want to get paid for flying must be licensed by the FAA.

Becoming a commercial airline pilot a person has to have a private pilot license, be at least 23-years-old and have at least 1,500 hours of flight time or attended a special school for pilots. A physical exam is also necessary to determine they can hear and see and are healthy enough to fly. Many learn to fly in the military and almost all commercial pilots have a college degree.