How To Become A Pilot

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Find your local airport and visit several flight schools

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Meet/interview multiple flight instructors and ask questions

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Start your first flight lesson

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Study BEFORE you start flying

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Get a 3rd Class Medical. If your goal is to become a airline pilot then it is recommend to get a 1st class medical. It's important to note that the majority of non-airline piloting positions only require a 2nd class medical. It's better to know if you can pass at least a second class medical if you want to fly for commercial purposes before you investing time and money into your future career.

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Take your Private Pilot written exam

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(Optional for future commercial pilots) Take your Commercial written exam just after your Private Pilot written since the majority of the questions are the same questions from the Private Pilot Written.

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Take your first solo flight

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Meet the requirements to take practical exam.

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Take the practical exam. After passing you are now A PILOT!

The final 3 steps to get a Commercial Pilots License

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Study and take the commercial written exam. (If you haven't already)

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Fly and meet requirements for commercial practical.

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Take commercial practical.

How to Become an Airline Pilot

To become an airline pilot now requires more than the standard commercial certificate. New regulations state that all pilots must have or qualify to have an ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) certificate. Depending on most circumstances this requires a pilot to have 1500 hours of flight time. There are ways around the 1500 hour rule that depend on a pilots background and education.

Military pilots (only 750 hours required)

750 total hours
100 hours can be simulator time
250 hours needs to be PIC in an airplane
Graduated from a US Armed Forces undergraduate pilot training school and received a rating qualification as a military pilot
At least 21 years old
200 hours of cross country (100 hours of which needs to be PIC cross country in an airplane)
100 hours of night (25 hours of which needs to be PIC night in an airplane)
75 hours of instrument
25 hours of actual multi-engine
Current ATP written, with at least 4 months until expiration

FAA accredited school with a bachelor's degree in aviation major (only 1000 hours required)

1000 total hours
100 hours can be simulator time
250 hours needs to be PIC in an airplane
Graduated from an FAA accredited school with a bachelor degree in aviation major
At least 21 years old
200 hours of cross country (100 hours of which needs to be PIC cross country in an airplane)
100 hours of night (25 hours of which needs to be PIC night in an airplane)
75 hours of instrument
25 hours of actual multi-engine
Current ATP written, with at least 4 months until expiration

FAA accredited school with an associate degree in aviation major (only 1250 hours required)

1250 total hours
100 hours can be simulator time
250 hours needs to be PIC in an airplane
Graduated from an FAA accredited school with a associate degree in aviation major
At least 21 years old
200 hours of cross country (100 hours of which needs to be PIC cross country in an airplane)
100 hours of night (25 hours of which needs to be PIC night in an airplane)
75 hours of instrument
25 hours of actual multi-engine
Current ATP written, with at least 4 months until expiration

How to Become a Pilot

10 Basic Steps to Become a Private Pilot

Only 3 additional steps to earn an Instrument Certificate

The final 3 steps to get a Commercial Pilots License

Realistic First Piloting Jobs

How to Become an Airline Pilot