Pilot Licences Explained
What Licences You Need to Become a First Officer with an Airline
Understanding the various stages of flight training and what licences you need to become a First Officer with an airline can be a bit confusing initially. In short, to operate as a commercial airline pilot you need to hold either a frozen Air Transport Pilots Licence (fATPL) or a Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL). However, these licences are actually made up of a number of other licences and courses. These various sub-licences and credentials all combine to form a fATPL. We’ve provided a simple breakdown of each of these flying licences and then outline the training you subsequently need complete with an airline in order to become a First Officer.
The Route to Become a First Officer with an Airline
*Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT) is now also a requirement to hold a frozen ATPL
A Breakdown of the Various Licences Required to Become a First Officer
As our route map to become a First Officer shows, if you go to an integrated flight training school, you complete all of the licences together in full time training. If you complete your flight training via the modular route, you will need to understand all the individual elements in order to understand what order to complete what training and what the training requirements are.
Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL)
Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) Explained
An MPL allows you to operate as a First Officer / Co-pilot on a commercial passenger aircraft. This licence is a relatively new concept which has been introduced alongside the traditional frozen ATPL licence.
The biggest difference between an MPL and fATPL licence is that you can only complete MPL training with an approved training organisation having already been selected to join an airline specific training course (such as the easyJet or British Airways MPL Cadet programs). You can’t complete an MPL course unless you have been specifically selected to complete the course by an airline.
The practical difference between an MPL and a fATPL is the training syllabus. MPL training puts greater emphasis on airline specific, multi-crew training, with less time spent training the more traditional single pilot flying skills in light aircraft. As a result, do you do less real flying and spend more time in the simulator. You still learn the core flying skills, but more quickly progress towards the concept of multi-crew operations and instrument flying.
As a result, you don’t ever obtain a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) or a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) which is needed to operate commercially in a single pilot role.
You hold an MPL licence until you achieve 1,500 hours of flight time, at which point you can upgrade your licence to a full ATPL.
Holding an MPL can make changing piloting jobs difficult until you have upgraded to a full ATPL. An MPL holder must continue working for their sponsored airline and it is not easily transferable. It will typically take you about 2-3 years to acquire the 1,500 hours required to ‘unfreeze’ your ATPL. This isn’t a problem during normal times as you will have been bonded to the airline who’s training program you were accepted onto. However, it could be an issue if the worst happens such as redundancy occurring due to an event like the Covid-19 pandemic.
Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL)
Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL)
The more traditional route to becoming a Co-pilot / First Officer is to obtain a frozen Air Transport Pilots Licence (fATPL).
The fATPL isn’t a standalone licence, rather it’s a widely accepted summary that you have all the individual licences you need to operate as a First Officer on a commercial transport jet with an airline.
The fATPL consists of a number of individual licences and endorsements, all of which must be obtained in order to have a fATPL. This consists of
- 13 ground school examinations (ATPL Theoretical Exams)
- Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL)
- Multi Engine Instrument Rating (MEIR)
- Multi Crew Co-operation Course (MCC)
- Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT)
An ATPL is not as restrictive as an MPL in that you can free move between airlines (although you may require a new type rating as described later) and you can operate smaller passenger aircraft (8 seats or less) as a single pilot should you wish.
The frozen ATPL becomes “unfrozen” i.e., a full ATPL, when you have completed a total of 1500 hours total flying time, of which 500 hours must be multi crew environment i.e. flown in an aircraft which requires both a captain and first officer. You must be aged 21 or over for the licence to be unfrozen. You must hold a full ATPL to operate as a Captain of a commercial aircraft.
You can obtain all the licences and exams required to hold a fATPL at a flight school through either integrated or modular training.
Some airlines will also require you to have a type rating as a minimum requirement. This is a stand-alone endorsement to add to your fATPL which allows you to operate a specific type of jet transport category aircraft. This is described in more detail later.
Private Pilots Licence (PPL)
Private Pilots Licence (PPL)
The entry level piloting licence is called a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL). This licence entitles the holder to exercise privileges as pilot in command of a light single piston aircraft (this basically means you can fly a small aircraft by yourself). The minimum age to hold a PPL is 17 years old. To obtain this, you need to complete a minimum of 45 flying hours, 10 of which must be solo hours, and 5 of which can be in a certified flight simulator.
There are also 6 ground school exams which must be passed, of which the pass mark is 75%. Once your instructor deems you are ready and have met the minimum requirements, you will sit a flying test with a regulatory examiner (its a bit like a driving test but in an aircraft). Although 45 hours is the minimum requirement, most people will generally need about 60-70 hours to reach the sufficient standard, some people needing more and some less. Again, depending on the person, the aim is to fly your first solo flight after just 15 hours of tuition.
It is not a requirement that you hold a PPL before obtaining a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL), although many would argue that it is a good idea to do so in order to assess whether you have the aptitude for flying and more importantly whether you actually enjoy flying as much as you thought you would.
Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL)
Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL)
The CPL is basically a more advanced PPL, requiring enhanced flying accuracy and a higher standard of airmanship. The holder of a CPL is able to act as pilot in command of a small piston engine aircraft that holds less than 9 passengers, for commercial purposes such as revenue flights in visual conditions (VMC). The minimum age to hold a CPL is 18 years old.
The CPL is valid for multi engine aircraft only if the CPL skills test is passed in a multi engine aircraft, otherwise the licence privileges are restricted to single engine aircraft. A CPL holder may only operate the aircraft in what is referred to as visual meteorological conditions (VMC – this basically means clear of cloud with the ground always in sight in good visibility). In order to be eligible to sit the CPL skills test with an examiner, the student must have completed 70 hours as pilot in command (or pilot in command under supervision) and flown the cross-country qualifier which involves a solo flight over 300 nautical miles, landing at two other airfields in addition to the one you departed from. You obtain a CPL by passing a CPL skills test with an authorised examiner.
ATPL Theoretical Examinations (Theory)
ATPL Theoretical Examinations (Theory)
You must have also of passed the following 13 ATPL theoretical examinations with a pass mark of 75% or greater. The ATPL theory subjects consist of the following:
- Mass and Balance
- Performance
- Flight Planning
- Air Law
- Aircraft General Knowledge
- Instrumentation
- Human Performance
- Meteorology
- General Navigation
- Radio Navigation
- Operational Procedures
- Principles of Flight
- Communications
Some airlines stipulate that applicants should have achieved more than an 85% average pass mark and have passed all the examinations at the first attempt.
Instrument Rating (IR)
Instrument Rating (IR)
Flying an aircraft in conditions where you can’t see the ground, such as in or above cloud, is referred to as Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). In these conditions, you can’t fly the plane by looking out the window so you have to fly solely with reference to the aircraft’s instruments. Flying the aircraft with only reference to the instruments is called Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). In order to be qualified to operate under IFR, you must hold an Instrument Rating (IR). You can complete the instrument rating on either a single or multi-engine aircraft, but to operate for an airline, you specifically need to hold a Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (MEIR).
When training for the instrument rating, the instructor will place special screens up on the windshield of the aircraft, or the student will wear special goggles to ensure they can’t see outside. The screens or goggles go up at about 400 feet above ground level and are removed when coming into land at about the same height. After take-off, the student must navigate using only the aircraft instruments and radio beacons. A typical flight involves navigating to another airfield, making an instrument approach followed by carrying out a missed approach before navigating back to the departure aerodrome to land.
During this phase of training, much emphasis is placed on the student’s pilot in command capabilities, with a lot of training being conducted as Pilot in Command Under Supervision (PICUS). This basically means that whilst the instructor has the overall legal responsibility of the flight, the student is encouraged to act though they are the Pilot in Command (Captain).
To obtain an IR you must have completed a minimum of 50 hours cross country flying under instrument flight rules (IFR) as pilot in command. When the candidate is deemed ready, he/she must complete a mock instrument rating skills test (called a 170A) followed by an official skills test with an approved instrument rating examiner. The test requires you to fly a number of exercises with reference only to the aircraft instrumentation, including the routing as described as above.
Multi-Crew Cooperation Course (MCC)
Multi-Crew Cooperation Course (MCC)
The MCC phase of your training is designed to help make the transition from single pilot operation to multi-pilot operation. All commercial aircraft with more than 9 seats are operated with a minimum of two flight crew, a Captain and a First Officer, and have to work together effectively to ensure the safety of the operation.
The MCC course comprises of both theoretical training and practical simulator training. The simulator used is typically a widely operated commercial aircraft such as a Boeing 737 or Airbus 320.
The course places significant emphasis on ‘non-technical’ and Crew Resource Management (CRM) skills such as decision making, teamwork and communication. It is the first time you are introduced to multi-crew standard operating procedures (SOPs) in an airline environment. The course usually consists of around 20-40 simulator hours and is very intense.
Some training organisations also include a Jet Orientation Course (JOC) as part of the MCC course. This shorter course is used to help develop the manual flight and automation managed skills needed to operate a large commercial jet aircraft.
APS MCC
Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation Course (APS MCC)
Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation Course (APS MCC) was introduced in 2017 in order to enhance the traditional MCC courses. In addition to the requirements of the standard MCC, the APS MCC focuses on swept wing jet handling and airline operation scenarios. There is also a pass/fail assessment at the end of the course. The APS MCC requires a minimum of 40 flight simulator hours to be completed.
The APS MCC also includes the elements which were traditionally included in the unregulated and optional Jet Orientation Course (JOC).
Some airlines state that preference will be given to applicants to have an APS MCC rather than a basic MCC.
In order to hold a frozen ATPL and commence a type rating, trainees can have completed either a traditional MCC or an APS MCC.
Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT)
Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT)
UPRT stands for aeroplane ‘Upset Prevention and Recovery Training’ and is a short course designed to provide a combination of theoretical knowledge and flying training with the aim of providing flight crew with the required competencies to prevent and recover from aeroplane upsets (typically referred to by airlines as ‘Loss of Control in Flight’ or LOC-I).
Pilots who are undergoing their initial ATPL training are required to complete the ‘Advanced UPRT’ which comprises of at least 5 hours of theoretical instruction as well as at least 3 hours of dual flight instruction in an aeroplane.
Type Rating (TR)
Type Rating (TR)
A type rating is a licence endorsement which is needed to operate a specific commercial aircraft type like a Boeing 737 or an A320. So by way of example, a B737, A320, B777 or Embraer 190 all require separate type rating qualifications. A type rating comprises of both technical ground school training and then around 40 hours simulator training. This then culminates in ‘Base Training’ which comprises of 6 take offs and landings in the real aircraft, which equates to approximately 1 hour of flight time.
A type rating is required to operate a specific aircraft that meets any of these requirements:
- Carries more than 9 passengers
- Has a maximum take-off weight of more than 5,900 kilograms
- Is a jet aircraft
To commence a type rating the candidate must have a frozen ATPL or MPL.
The type rating has traditionally been provided by an airline once offered a job with that airline (which might be paid for by either the airline or individual, depending on the airline) but you can choose to pay for the type rating yourself after completing flight training. Some people do this as they believe it will make them more employable.
Some airlines require candidates to be type rated when applying for a role as a First Officer but they will also typically require some flying experience on that aircraft type. When recruiting type rated pilots, flying time on type requirements are usually anywhere between 250 to 3000 flying hours.
One person can hold a maximum of two type ratings at any one time. There are some generic type ratings, for example a type rating on the Airbus A320 allows the holder to operate the A318, A319, A320 and A321. Similarly, completing a type rating on the Boeing 737 NG allows the holder to operate any of the B737 series, both classic and next generation (300-900). Equally the B777 & B787 are dual type ratings.
How Much Does a Type Rating Cost?
A type rating on an aircraft like a Boeing 737 or A320 typically costs between £18,000 – £30,000.
Should I Pay for a Type Rating?
This question can be split into two elements:
Should I pay for a type rating if i’ve been offered a job with an airline but they require me to pay for a type rating?
Whilst it’s obviously far more preferable for the airline to pay for your type rating, some airlines will offer you a job as a First Officer without a type rating, but will require you to pay a type rating which they will provide. If you are going to pay for a type rating, it is far more preferable to do so if you have received a firm job offer.
Should I pay for a type rating without a job offer, just to try and boost my chances of employment?
It’s rare for an airline to advertise for First Officers who have no commercial flying experience but are already type rated. It does happen occasionally and some people feel it will improve their employment prospects. It’s not something we would recommend as when type rated on a specific aircraft, you narrow your employment options. For example, if you’ve paid £20k for a B737 type rating, but then receive a job offer to fly an A320 but with a self funded type rating requirement, you’ll have wasted £20k on a B737 rating.
Base Training
Base Training
Base Training is completed at the end of the Type Rating and before commencing your Line Training. It’s without doubt one of the most exciting and memorable days of your flying career as this is the first time you get your hands on a commercial jet aircraft after years of training. It consists of completing a minimum of 6 take offs and landings in an empty aircraft. You complete the take-off and landings by doing ‘touch and go’s’ where you touchdown then immediately take off again without stopping.
Base Training is conducted with a Line Training Captain (LTC) who will have received specific training which allows them to conduct the Base Training. A Line Training Captain is a pilot who is specifically certified to conduct training on the aircraft. The LTC will be on hand to provide instruction, demonstration and can intervene if required. The flying is all done completely manually, the autopilot, autothrottle and flight directors are not used.
Once you’ve gained some experience flying a commercial jet aircraft, if you complete a type rating again for another aircraft, you will likely be ‘zero flight time’ eligible which is where you don’t need to carry out base training and can go straight from the simulator during the type rating stage, to line training, with your first landing being with passengers onboard. For example, if you are experienced on the B737, you won’t need to do base training as part of a B777 type rating (which is a shame for the pilots but it saves the airline a lot of money).
Line Training
Line Training
Just when you think all the hard work is done, having completed your type rating and base training, you start one of the most intensive periods of your flight training, the ‘Line Training’ phase. During Line Training, you operate the aircraft as a Second or First Officer as part of a normal crew in normal airline operations (i.e. with passengers onboard). You will be under the watchful eye of a Line Training Captain (LTC) who is there to provide training, supervision and mentorship.
The first few sectors will focus on your take off and landing technique, seeking to build some consistency in these areas. You will be expected to continuously improve your ability to apply company SOPs and will be quizzed on your technical and procedural knowledge.
How Long Does Line Training Last?
The length of line training depends upon your flying experience and the airline. As a cadet entry pilot, you can expect the line training to be between 40-70 sectors (a sector is one flight from a to b). Some pilots may progress very quickly whilst others take a bit longer, but extra support will be provided if you need it. Once the line training captain believes you are up to ‘line standard’ (i.e. are proficient enough to fly with a normal Captain in normal line operations), you will be put forward for a ‘Line Check’. This is a bit like a driving test, but in the aircraft. During the line check, the Captain will assess your non-technical skills and proficiency at operating the aircraft in accordance with company Standard Operating Procedures.
When transitioning onto a long haul aircraft, your line training may be as little as 8 sectors.
Once you pass your line check, you are ‘released to the line’ and start flying as a normal Second or First Officer alongside a normal Captain. It’s a big day when you pass your initial line check – you’ll likely have been training for well over 2 years to get to this point.
The learning really starts when you are released to the line for regular operations. You’ll quickly find yourself operating to new challenging destinations, dealing with new technical defects and weather issues that you didn’t see during your line training. You may well be flying with a different Captain every day, all with different styles and expectations. The reality is that you never stop learning throughout your entire career – the day you don’t learn something from a flight should be the day you retire.
Pilot Medical Certification
Pilot Medical Certification
If you want to become a commercial airline pilot, the first thing you should do is book a medical assessment with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) in order to obtain a Class One Medical certificate. This certification is a mandatory requirement for all flight crew in order to operate commercial aircraft. At the initial assessment, your overall health is reviewed through medical examination, a review of previous medical history and a number of tests are conducted. Your examiner will seek to identify any conditions which may impact your ability to hold a Class One medical certificate.
Unfortunately for some, this occasion may highlight an underlying medical condition which has not before been detected, and the medical certificate will not be issued. Some conditions are not necessarily disqualifying but may require further investigation and testing.
After the initial issue, you are required to attend a medical assessment on an annual basis until the age of 60 and then every six months until the age of 65 which is the age at which class one medical privileges are revoked. Items such as ECG and audiograms are retested at periodic intervals, increasing in frequency with age.
For those unlucky enough not to be able to obtain a class one medical, you may still be able to hold a class two medical which allows you to operate light aircraft with a Private Pilots Licence (PPL). A class two medical is effectively a less stringent class one medical, with test renewals initially taking place every two years.
A commercial pilot is in complete reliance of maintaining his or her class one medical. The regulatory body (such as EASA in Europe, the CAA in the UK and the FAA in the USA) may revoke it at any time, consequently grounding the pilot. This may be untimely, and can often cut a career short. For this reason, maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle will support you prolonging your career.
Easy Mental Arithmetic for Pilots
When flying an aircraft, whether it’s a Cessna 152 or an A380, pilots need to be able to do fairly basic but quite quick mental arithmetic. Of course, there are occasions where complete accuracy is critical, but the vast majority of the time, you don’t need to be ‘bang on’, but rather work to rough ‘ballpark’ figures. Whether it be calculating required descent rates or speed/distance/time calculations, general rules of thumb can help you make these calculations quickly and reasonably accurately. These rules of thumb also work very well when completing pilot numerical reasoning aptitude tests as part of airline pilot assessments. Such tests often require you to work quickly, but with a number of multiple-choice answers, you often just need to reach a rough figure rather than an exact one. Quickly being able to calculate a good estimate in test conditions can prove to be invaluable in passing an airline pilot selection process. Some of the most important rules of thumb involve using the 3 times table, the 1 in 60 rule and being able to divide or multiply by 10. Here’s some examples.Easy Mental Arithmetic for Pilots
Most aircraft plan to descend at an angle of approximately 3 degrees. To calculate how much distance an aircraft needs to fly to achieve a given reduction in altitude, based on a 3-degree angle of descent, a basic rule of thumb can be used: Distance Required to Reduce Altitude = Total Altitude to Lose / 1,000 x 3. For example, if you are at 40,000ft and you need to be at 10,000ft at 30NM before the airfield, you need to lose a total of 30,000ft. Divide 30,000ft by 1,000 (simply take away the last 3 numbers when dividing by 1,000), which gives you 30 and multiply this by 3 gives you 90. It will therefore take you about 90NM to reduce altitude by 30,000ft. If you need to be at 10,000ft by 30NM before the airfield, then add this to the 90NM which gives you a start of descent point of 120NM. This assumes still air conditions at a constant speed. Whilst it depends on aircraft types, for commercial aircraft, adding an extra mile for every 10kts of airspeed you need to lose is a good ballpark figure. So, in the above example, if you start the descent at 300kts IAS, and need to be at 200kts IAS by the time you reach 10,000ft, you would add 10NM to the distance required to lose the altitude (so 90NM becomes 100NM). Having a headwind or tailwind also needs to be factored when calculating the distance required to descend. As a rough guide, add 1 NM to the distance required to descend for every 10kts of tailwind and reduce the distance by 1 NM for every 10kts of headwind.Distance Required to Descend for Aircraft Calculations
So, you’ve calculated the distance required to descend to a given altitude using the above method. Using the above example, you will be descending at a 3-degree angle over 90NM. But if you are descending at 3 degrees, what descent rate do you need to achieve? An easy way to calculate this is using this basic formula. 3 Degree Descent Rate = 5 x Ground Speed For example, if you are flying at a ground speed of 300kts, multiply 300 by 5 and this tells you that you would need to descend at 1,500fpm to achieve a 3-degree descent profile. Some people prefer to multiply the ground speed by 10 then divide by 2. Clearly your ground speed will change with altitude as the True Airspeed and Head/Tailwind changes so you will need to periodically review your rate of descent throughout the manoeuvre.Descent Rate Required to Achieve a 3 Degree Descent Angle when Flying
ATC will sometimes require an aircraft to descend to a given altitude within a specific time period. For example, “FDF123 descend to Flight Level 320 to be level within 4 minutes”. In this type of scenario, you need to calculate how many feet per minute you need to descend in order to achieve this restriction. This can be calculated using the following method: Feet Per Minute Required = Total Altitude to Lose / Number of Minutes For example, if flight FDF123 is maintaining FL360 (36,000ft) and has been told to descend to FL320 (32,000ft) within 4 minutes, the total altitude required to lose is 4,000ft. 4,000 divided by 4 is 1,000, so the aircraft needs to descend at 1,000ft per minute to meet the restriction. In such a scenario, you don’t necessarily need to be exact, sometimes you can simplify and be conservative with your calculations since the request is usually ‘within 4 minutes’ not ‘exactly 4 minutes’. For example, if you are flying at 25,000ft and are told to descent to 17,000ft to be level within 9 minutes, we know the calculation is 8,000 / 9 (which equals 888 fpm). However, we can turn these into round numbers to make the calculations easier, just remember to do it in a conservative way to ensure the restriction can be made. For example, we can hopefully quite quickly work out that if we descended at 1,000 fpm, we would descend 8,000ft in 8 minutes. Yes, we’d be levelling off one minute earlier than the restriction required, but we have achieved ATCs request.Descend to an Altitude within a Fixed Time Period
We are probably all aware of the relationship between variables from school and have heard of the Speed, Distance & Time triangle. When flying, we should always be aware of our speed so calculating distance and time is more relevant. There is a ‘magic triangle’ which can help us quickly remember how to calculate speed, distance, and time. You simply cover up the entity you are trying to find and the reveals how to calculate it. For example, if you cover the ‘S’ you can see that the calculation for speed is distance divided by time.Speed, Distance and Time Calculations for Pilots
Speed is the distance you travel over a specific time period, so they are intrinsically related. It’s worth understanding some rules of thumb which can help you make quick calculations about distance and time calculations. Remember that there are 60 minutes in an hour. Well therefore, if we divide any speed by 10, this will tell us what distance the aircraft is travelling in 6 minutes at its current speed. For example, if an aircraft is flying at 150kts, this tells us that it is travelling 15NMs every 6 minutes (150 divided by 10 = 15). Another example is that if the aircraft is travelling at 370kts it is covering 37NM every 6 minutes. You could then halve this number to see how far the aircraft travel in 3 minutes, 1.5 minutes etc. Put another way, if asked ‘how many miles will you travel in 20 minutes at a speed of 180kts?’. 180 divided by 10 is 18, so 18 miles every 6 minutes. So, if we multiply this number by 3, we know how many miles are covered in 18 minutes (3 x 18 miles = 54NMs). If we cover 18 miles every 6 minutes, we know we cover 9 miles every 3 minutes (it’s then easy to see that it’s actually a mile a minute in this example!). So therefore, we are covering 63 miles every 21 minutes. Knock 3 miles off and we get to 60 NM.Easy Speed / Distance / Time Calculations for Pilots
Here’s a few example questions. We’ve got lots more pilot numerical reasoning test example questions over on our dedicated page. The BBC GCSE Bitesize website is also a great resource to help you practice your mental arithmetic. If an aircraft is flying at an intermediate altitude of 25,000ft and is instructed by ATC to achieve an altitude of 13,000ft by a fix on the arrival, what distance before the fix should the pilots initiate the descent, assuming a planned 3-degree descent profile at a constant speed and still wind? 25,000ft minus 13,000ft = 12,000ft to lose. 12,000 divided by 1000 = 12, multiplied by 3 = 36. ATC have told you to self-position to a 10NM extended centreline from the landing runway. There are no restrictions other than needing to achieve an altitude of 3,000ft and at a speed of 180kts at the 10NM point. You are currently level at 8,000ft at 250kts and anticipate an average tailwind of 10kts. In order to achieve the restriction, at what point before the 10NM fix should you commence the descent? 8,000ft – 3,000ft = 5,000ft. 5,000 divided by 1,000 = 5, multiplied by 3 = 15 NM. 250kts – 180kts = 70kts = add on an extra 7NM (1NM per 10kts of airspeed to lose). Add 1NM per knot of tailwind. 15 NM (distance required) + 7 NM (to account for deceleration) + 1 NM (to allow for tailwind) = 23NM.Example Distance to Descend Questions for Pilots
With a 280kts ground speed, what rate of descent do you need to achieve in order to maintain a 3-degree descent angle? 5 x 280 = 1,400. Or 280 x 10 = 2,800 / 10 = 1,400. With a 420kts ground speed, what rate of descent do you need to achieve in order to maintain a 3-degree descent angle? 5 x 420 = 2,100 fpm. Or 420 x 10 = 4,200 / 10 = 2,100.Example Descent Rate Required Questions
If an aircraft is maintaining 27,000ft and has been told by ATC to descend to 13,000ft within 10 minutes, what rate of descent is required? 27,000 – 13,000 = 14,000. 14,000 divided by 10 minutes = 1,400 fpm If an aircraft is maintaining 35,000ft and has been told by ATC to descend to 30,000ft within 3 minutes, what rate of descent is required to the nearest 100fpm? 35,000 – 30,000 = 5,000 fpm divided by 3 minutes = 1,666 fpm.Descend to an Altitude within a Fixed Time Period Questions
TUI Fully Funded Cadet Pilot Programme
TUI UK have launched a fully funded cadet pilot programme. This is an exceptional opportunity to complete your commercial pilot training and going onto join the airline as a First Officer without the huge financial outlay that is usually required. The following information has been taken from the TUI Careers website. Embarking upon the 19 month TUI Airline Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) Cadet Programme is an exciting opportunity for those with little, or no, flying experience. You’ll complete your training and eventually join TUI as a Cadet Pilot flying the Boeing 737. We’re looking for candidates to be committed, resilient and hard-working, and will be rewarded with a dynamic and exciting career where each day is different. Together with your colleagues, you’ll make sure that TUI customers have the best experience whilst travelling to and from their holiday helping them to ‘Live Happy’. We’re looking for people with great communication and leadership skills, the ability to remain calm under pressure, resilience to work hard throughout a challenging course, motivation to learn and ultimately develop into highly skilled professional pilots. In order to apply for our MPL Cadet Programme, there are a few requirements that need to be met: • Be at least 18 years of age on or before 1st September 2023 The MPL Cadet Programme includes the following: • All course and training costs Cadets will be liable for: • Initial Class 1 medical and subsequent renewals Upon completion of training and joining TUI as a Cadet Pilot, you’ll be paid a Cadet Pilot salary for four years, which will include repayment of training costs to TUI via salary sacrifice. This salary is currently £32,867 (post deduction) and will increase in line with pilot pay scheduling agreements.TUI Fully Funded Cadet Pilot Programme
The Program
Eligibility
• Have at least five GCSEs including Maths, English and a Science at grade C/4 or above
• Be fluent in English (verbal and written) with ICAO Level 4
• Be eligible to live and work indefinitely in the UK without additional approvals
• Hold a valid passport which permits unrestricted worldwide travel
• Be at least 1.58cm (5ft 2in) tall
• Able to swim 25m
• Able to obtain a CAA issued Class 1 medical prior to commencing training (at your own cost) – click here for more information
• Before commencing training, complete referencing and pre-employment checksFunding
• All training and licence fees
• Accommodation from phase 2 onwards
• Uniform
• ATPL theory exam fees
• All required equipment such as manuals, iPad etc.
• Personal travel
• Food and personal living expenses
Airline Pilot Salary
Updated: October 2022 Disclaimer: The pilot salary figures provided on this page are generalisations and for guidance purposes only. There will always be exceptions both above and below the figures stated. It should also be noted that over the last two years, thousands of pilots have taken a significant pay cut, or worse, lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Whilst top end pilot salaries can be very lucrative, it can be an extremely volatile industry in terms of job security. A commercial airline pilot salary can vary considerably between airlines, region and experience. At some of the ‘major’ airlines or Flag Carriers like Emirates, Delta, United Airlines or Qantas, Long Haul Captains may receive a salary of up to $350,000 (USD) / £200,000 a year. The First Officers (or co-pilots) at these major airlines can earn a salary of up to $170,000 / £120,000 a year. However, junior First Officers who are just starting out in their career might only get paid $25,000 (£20,000) a year. Less experienced Captains or those working at some low cost or regional airlines may start on about £60,000 a year. In general, the more experience the pilot has and the bigger the aircraft they fly, the higher the pilot’s salary will be. Long Haul pilots are typically paid more than short haul pilots and Captains are paid more than First Officers. First Officers are often referred to as co-pilots. Pay can also be affected by the amount of variable pay achieved (based on the amount of flying you do and allowances you receive), the amount overtime accepted (which can be very lucrative) and the bonuses on offer.How much do airline pilots earn?
In the United States, the large ‘major’ airlines pay their pilots very good salaries. Carriers like Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines pay their long haul Captains up to $350,000 a year when you take into account allowances and bonuses. Regional pilots just starting off their career will typically earn a salary of $20,000 – $40,000 a year. Pilots normally start out flying at regional carriers before moving across to major airlines where they fly bigger aircraft and earn more money. However, not all pilots go on to achieve this. In the UK and Europe, senior long-haul Captains flying at airlines like Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia & KLM can be expected to earn between £150,000 – £250,000 a year. This varies depending on length of service, training qualifications, as well as bonuses, allowances and flight pay. First Officers at short haul low cost airlines can expect to earn between about £40,000 to £80,000 a year (although cadet pilots may start on less) whilst a short haul Captain pay can be between £90,000 and £150,000 a year. Some Regional or small low cost airline First Officers might start on as little as £20,000 a year for the first few years of their career, with Captains potentially earning between £40,000 – 80,000. In countries across Asia, such as China, airline pilots were in significant demand before the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, some companies were offering pilots a salary as high as $500,000 a year for experienced long haul Captains. First Officer pay can also extend upwards of $100,000 a year. Whether these huge salaries continue to be offered as world travel demand starts to recover is yet to be seen. The average salary for a commercial pilot in India is around ₹4,687,90o, with Captains earning up to ₹6,610,000 a year. Commercial pilots are typically paid a base salary which makes up the majority of their pay. They are then usually given allowances for overnight stays to cover expenses as well as earning flight pay for every flight they operate. Some airlines also pay the pilot for every hour they are away from their home base. For example, if you fly from Frankfurt to Las Vegas, you will be paid for every hour from when you arrive at Frankfurt to start your duty, to when you return to Frankfurt after completing the return flight. This can be quite lucrative if it is an extended long-haul trip that goes on for 7 days. Many airlines also pay bonuses to their pilots if the company is profitable. Airline pilot pensions tend to be quite generous with airlines often paying an extra 15-25% of your salary into your pension. Airlines used to offer final salary pensions but this is now less common due to the high cost to the company. Whilst the pay for Long Haul Captains at major & legacy airlines is a large sum, it can take many years to be promoted to such a position. Regional, low cost and short haul generally steadily lose pilots to the major & legacy airlines due to the lure of bigger pay checks and bigger aircraft. Once at a major carrier, pilots don’t tend to leave until they retire. With little in the way of company expansion, Captain positions only become available when another pilot retires. This is referred to in the industry as ‘dead mans shoes’. Promotion is based on seniority so it doesn’t matter if you are the best pilot in the airline; you will only be promoted from co-pilot to pilot (First Officer to Captain) when there is a gap to fill and this can take as long as ten to twenty years. Given that most pilots will have had to have completed a few years at smaller regional carriers before joining a major, they might not hit the top pay scales until well into their fifties. If you enjoyed reading this article, check out our page which describes a typical day for a long haul pilot.How much do pilots in the USA get paid?
UK & Europe Airline Pilot Salary
Asia Commercial Pilot Pay
Commercial Pilot Salary Breakdown…
Commercial Pilot Pension…
Top Level Captain Pay – it doesn’t come quick!
Check out our YouTube video on how much commercial pilots get paid…
Do I Need to be Good at Maths to be a Pilot?
You need to be reasonably good at Maths in order to be an airline pilot, but you don’t need to excel at it. Being able to complete mental arithmetic quite quickly is important as you are often required to make relatively easy calculations in your head whilst flying. The most commonly used mental arithmetic calculations are simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. If you are good at these types of calculations, you can quickly work out things like how much fuel you need for a flight or are burning an hour, speed distance and time calculations, and the rate of climb or descent needed. To get an Air Transport Pilots Licence (ATPL), you need to pass a number of theory examinations. Some of these exams, like General Navigation, requires you to understand and apply Maths concepts like Trigonometry and Pythagoras theorem. However, in reality you don’t tend to make calculations relating to these concepts on a daily basis when flying a commercial jet. Essentially, if you have achieved a good grade in Maths at GCSE level or the Secondary/High School examinations, you should be fine. If you haven’t achieved this then don’t worry, it takes some people a bit longer to grasp Maths and you may find that you get much better at it as you get a bit older. Most airlines and flight schools will want to see that you achieved an equivalent of grade C or level 4 or above in Maths, but if you get good A-Level grades or a University degree, then your GCSE / Secondary grades become less important. The single most used calculation applied to every flight is the application of the 3 times table to calculate, using a rule of thumb, if you are too high or low when descending. This is simple calculation of removing the last three digits of the altitude and multiplying the remaining number by 3, to calculate roughly how many miles you need to descent. For example, at 30,000 feet, you would multiply 30 by 3 which gives 90. This means at 30,000ft, you need roughly ninety nautical miles to descend, assuming a constant 3-degree glide path. You don’t have time to use a calculator to work these calculations out, so you need to be able to do them quickly in your head. Many flight schools and some airlines require you to complete a Maths test as part of the selection process. These tend to be mental arithmetic based tests where you can’t use a calculator. Examples of the type of calculations you have to make when piloting a commercial aircraft include:Do I need to be good at Maths to be a pilot?
What grade do I need in Maths?
Flight School & Airline Entrance Exams
Examples of Pilot Maths Calculations
How to Become an easyJet Pilot
easyJet has traditionally recruited pilots through their ‘Generation easyJet’ cadet program and also accept applications from experienced pilots. If you don’t have any flying experience but would like to become an easyJet pilot, then applying to their pilot cadet program which they call ‘Generation easyJet’ is your best bet. If you are invited to join their cadet pilot program, you will complete your flight training with their partner called CAE. During the flight training you will obtain all the licences required to become an A320 First Officer with easyJet. Cadet pilots are typically required to finance their flight training through CAE themselves, although on a limited number of occasions easyJet has provided financial assistance to some pilots who were unable to fund it themselves through the ‘Amy Johnson’ initiative. The cost of the flight training course is typically a little over £100,000. If you were unable to enrol on the Generation easyJet cadet pilot program, then you may still have the opportunity to join easyJet as a pilot in the future. You can complete your flight training and gain experience at another airline before applying to join easyJet as a direct entry First Officer. In the past, easyJet have also recruited direct entry Captains. It is anticipated that easyJet will continue to need cadet level pilots over the next few years and they typically open their cadet pilot program for applications a few times during the year. FlightDeckFriend.com will post when the Generation easyJet cadet pilot program next opens on our Cadet Pilot Programs page.How to Become an easyJet Pilot
Generation easyJet
Direct Entry Pilot
Outlook
Becoming an easyJet Pilot FAQs
How long does it take to train as an easyJet pilot?
If you join the Generation easyJet cadet pilot program, it normally takes between about 18-24 months to complete your flight training.
How much do easyJet pilots get paid?
First Officers with easyJet can expect to earn between about £50,000 – £70,000 a year.
easyJet Captains can expect to earn between about £120,000 – £150,0000 a year.
What aircraft to easyJet fly?
easyJet operate the A320 aircraft across a short-haul network around Europe.
Integrated vs Modular Flight Training
There are distinct differences between integrated and modular flight training routes but neither flight training footprint is necessarily better than the other. Deciding on which method of training to complete very much depends on your own personal circumstances. As a general overview, integrated flight training is more expensive but takes a shorter amount of time to complete, which makes it more intensive and this appeals to the airlines. On the other hand, modular flight training is normally substantially cheaper, may take more time to complete and offers much greater flexibility as to how and when you complete your training.Integrated vs Modular Flight Training – Which is Better?
Integrated training is defined as carrying out all of your commercial pilot training on a full-time course at an approved flight training school. It takes you from having zero hours flying time to holding a frozen ATPL in around 14-18 months. The training is intensive, requiring complete commitment from start to finish. Although the course is designed for zero-hour flight time students, it does not preclude those with previous flying experience from applying. In fact, a few hours of previous instruction may be beneficial. Many students enrol on an integrated flight training course having already obtained their Private Pilots Licence (PPL). In the UK integrated training is specifically approved and regulated by the CAA and in Europe by EASA. There used to be the three “big” flight schools that offer this type of flight training; CAE (formerly Oxford Aviation Academy), Flight Training Europe Jerez (FTEJerez), and L3 Aviation Academy, however in recent years, this list has grown into a more comprehensive list of training providers. All the integrated schools require that you pass a selection process involving typically comprising of aptitude testing, Maths and English tests, group exercises and a competency interview. Many airlines have historically stated that say they prefer graduates from integrated flight schools, the logic being that if you can keep up with the fast-paced training and very steep learning curve associated with integrated training, then the airline can be fairly confident that you will pass the subsequent type rating and line training. Some airlines have typically only recruited low hour cadets from the four CAA approved integrated flight schools, however it is now becoming increasingly common for the larger airlines to seek low hour pilots from more diverse modular training backgrounds. Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, TUI, Emirates and Qatar Airways all run airline mentored schemes through integrated flight schools. Integrated commercial flight training is designed to prepare you for a job as a commercial airline pilot from day one. You are required to wear uniform, and taught to operate the aircraft with an ethos similar (as far as practicable) to that of a commercial airliner. This involves becoming familiar with SOPs and being receiving training on your ‘non-technical skills’, something which airlines place a significant emphasis on. Because these are regulated courses, integrated flight training is well structured and the standard is regarded as very high. The structure of the courses varies from school to school but all consist of taught ground school theory subjects, single engine elementary flight training before moving onto the more advanced instrument flight rules training on the multi-engine. You then go onto complete the Multi Crew Cooperation course in a simulator (typically of a Boeing 737 or The best way to choose which school is right for you is to go and visit them. Each offers a different training environment and facilities, and the layout of the syllabus tend to have some differences. For example, at Flight Training Europe (FTEJerez) the students have their accommodation and catering on campus. This can be very useful in terms of practicality and convenience. Not having to worry about cooking dinner after a long day of ground school, or not hanging around flight operations all day having to wait for the weather to clear up can be very handy! You also have benefits of an onsite swimming pool and bar making relaxing on your days off pretty easy. Others may find this to be a bit claustrophobic as during the fourteen months of training you get very little time off and so much time living and working in one place, especially abroad, can be daunting. If you are interested in Integrated Flight Training, you can check out our specific Integrated Flight Training Organisation List. This will help you decide which pilot training school is right for you.Integrated Flight Training Overview
What Airlines Want…
What Flight Training School is Right for You?
Integrated Flight Training Advantages
Integrated Flight Training Disadvantages
Modular flight training is traditionally significantly cheaper than an integrated flight training course. You can choose where and when you complete your training which gives you the benefit of being able to budget appropriately, paying for you training as you go, rather than spending a large upfront sum that is required for integrated courses. You can complete the various grounds school and flight training elements as quickly or slowly as you like, which gives you the opportunity to work and earn an income whilst working towards the various licences. Additionally, the flight time hour building required to obtain a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) can be completed in other countries, with many people choosing to do this in the United States because of the cheaper cost of flying. The typical route for modular flight training is as follows: So why doesn’t everyone go through the modular route if it’s cheaper?Modular Flight Training Overview
Modular Flight Training Advantages
Modular Flight Training Disadvantages
FlightDeckFriend.com recommends a mentored airline cadetship as the best way to secure a job with an airline as a pilot. A mentored cadetship is where an airline pre-selects a number of cadets to complete their flight training at an integrated flight training school. The competition for such schemes is incredibly fierce and often attracts thousands of applicants for a small number of places. Assuming the selected cadets pass the flight training to the standard required, they will then join the airline as a Second or First Officer. In some cases (such as the British Airways Future Pilots Program), the airline will pay for the cadets training. More commonly, the cadet will be required to fund their flight training but will have a high degree of security that, assuming their performance throughout the training meets the standards required by the airline, they will walk into a flying job after completing the course. Whilst it’s obviously highly desirable to have the airline pay for your pilot training in full, you will normally start on a significantly reduced salary and your salary will remain comparatively low (compared to those who paid for their own training) for a number of years. Cadets who paid for their own training typically start on a higher salary to reflect their significant financial outlay. You would typically start being paid once you have started with the airline after your training, On such courses, the performance of the cadet is closely monitored throughout their flight training. Cadets must reach the high performance required by the airline and flight training school to remain on the program.Mentored Airline Cadetship
Up until the global economic downturn in 2008, if like most people, you didn’t have a spare eighty thousand pounds sitting in your bank account, the finances to fund your commercial flight training could typically be acquired though an unsecured loan from several different banks. Unfortunately, banks now require security for such a loan in the form of an asset(s) such as property. In such cases, younger people tend to turn to their parents in order to use the family home as the security. However, for many people who are looking to commence their flight training, such assets are not easily, if at all accessible. This has made the industry somewhat elitist, as it precludes those from a less privileged background from obtaining the resources to commence the training. Some people are fortunate enough to have parents that may be willing to provide security for the loan in terms of the family home, but this in itself is a hugely risky commitment. Following the covid pandemic, this situation is starting to improve, with a number of airlines, such as British Airways and TUI offering fully funded pilot cadetships. If you have taken out a loan or mortgage to pay for your flight training, the loan repayments will typically be between £700 – £1500 a month. You should keep in mind that assuming you have taken a payment holiday for the duration of your training, the repayment requirements mays start immediately after flight training. If you walk straight into a well paid flying job, the repayments are unlikely to be a problem. However, if it takes you some time to secure a job, you will still need to commence repayments in order to avoid defaulting on the loan or having the property repossessed. In the worst cases, some people are never successful in breaking into the industry, despite completing their training. It’s therefore important to have a backup plan incase the worst happens. There have been many events throughout history which have severely impacted the demand of airline pilots and resulted in many years where there are far more fresh frozen ATPL holders than there are airline jobs. Examples include the Iraq war, the terrorist attacks of September the 11th 2001, the global recession in 2008, and the Covid outbreak. All of these events had a very significant impact on the airline industry and pilot recruitment for many years. Unfortunately, history tells us the next significant event is never far away – you just have to be lucky with your timing.The Risks Associated with Flight Training
Finance
Before committing to your commercial flight training, we strongly recommend you have a read of our “Employment Prospects After Flight Training” article.
Integrated Flight Training Organisations
If you’ve decided to go down the integrated flight training route as a “white tail” (which is the phrase to describe a cadet not mentored or sponsored by a specific airline), choosing the most suitable flight school can be a difficult decision. We’ve provided a comparison of the big integrated flight training schools to help you get started, but ultimately we’d strongly recommend visiting and talking to the various flight schools and their current students to see which best suits you. Integrated flight schools, which are EASA/CAA regulated ‘Approved Training Organisations’ (ATOs), have the advantage of having close links with airlines, which can lead to a job on completion of training. Airlines which offer cadet pilot mentored programs will typically place their cadets on one of these integrated courses. We would recommend applying for an airline mentored place at one of these integrated flight schools before applying as a “white tail” as this offers the most secure way of becoming a First Officer. The latest cadet pilot programs can be found here. Whilst the flight schools provide a set course price, the establishments tend to differ with what’s included in this price. For example some include accommodation, whilst others don’t. It is important to take such variables into account when considering which is the best option for you. We’ve written out a checklist to help you choose the right flight training organisation. Before you make your decision on which flight school to attend, we’d recommend you consider the following:Integrated Flight Training Organisation Comparison
Integrated Flight School Checklist
As well as the individual entry requirements stated for each flight training organisation, the following are applicable to all flight schools: Unless specifically stated, the course price excludes accommodation and living expenses.Integrated Flight School Comparison
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L3Harris |  | £94,500 | Orlando (USA), Cranfield (UK), London (UK) | 70 Weeks | – A minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including Mathematics, Science and English Language |
| Airways Aviation |  | €95,000 | Montpellier, France | 71 Weeks | – At least a high school graduate |
| CAE Oxford Aviation Academy |  | £99,900 | Gatwick, UK & ‘Fair weather flying location’ | 94 Weeks | – Must have successfully completed secondary education |
| Baltic Aviation Academy |  | €75,000 | Latvia | 70 Weeks | – Secondary education or higher |
| Flyby |  | €79,500 | Burgos, Spain | 61 Weeks | – Includes accommodation and meals– Secondary education or higher |
| FTEJerez |  | €124,000 | Jerez, Spain | 62 Weeks | – Includes accommodation and meals
Hold either one of the following: Two A-Levels at grades C, 4 or above (or equivalent). A University Degree (or Higher Degree) at 2:2 or above. |
| Skyborne |  | £105,500 | Gloucstershire, UK & Florida, USA | 67 Weeks | – 5 GCSEs, Grade 4 or above including Maths, English & Science |
| Leading Edge Aviation |  | £92,750 | Oxford, UK & Alhama, Spain | 78 Weeks | – Accommodation is included
– 5 GCSEs, Grade 4 or above including Maths, English & Science |
| TAE Aviation Academy |  | €62,000 | Athens, Greece | 65 – 74 Weeks | – Graduated from High School with passes in English, Maths and Physics. |
| Global Aviation SA |  | €62,000 | Athens, Greece | 78 Weeks | – No additional requirements above standard |
| airBaltic Pilot Academy |  | €79,000 | Lativa | 104 Weeks | – Start as a First Officer with Air Baltic on graduation |
| Quality Fly |  | €71,750 | Madrid Spain | 87 Weeks | – High School certificate equivalent to A Level (UK), Bachillerato (Spain), or 12th grade (in some Arab countries). |
| European Flight Training |  | $55,150 | Florida, USA | 55 Weeks | Not Stated |
| Stapleford Flight Center |  | Not Stated | Stapleford, UK | 78 Weeks | Not Stated |
| Airbus Flight Academy |  | Not Stated | Angoulême, France | 71 Weeks | Not Stated |
| Barcelona Flight School |  | Not Stated | Barcelona, Spain | 78-104 Weeks | Not Stated |
| Flying Academy |  | Not Stated | Various across Europe | Not Stated | – Good knowledge of Maths and Physics |
Is there a Pilot Shortage?
Prior to Covid-19, the answer was yes there was a global pilot shortage but the situation was a bit more complex than the straight forward answer might suggest. However, at present in 2021, there is no pilot shortage due to the impact on aviation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Whenever you hear reports of ‘pilot shortage’ it is usually referring to a world-wide shortage, not necessarily a shortage in Europe or the UK. The shortage is always specific to a region, type of operation and pilot experience. The impact on of the Covid-19 pandemic on commercial aviation has been catastrophic. With huge portions of fleets being grounded for almost a year, tens of thousands of pilots around the world have found themselves out of work. IATA do not anticipate airlines recovering to pre-Covid levels of operation until 2024 and beyond. However, flight training provider CAE have stated that due to natural attrition (such as retirements), the world will require 260,000 pilots over the next 10 years. This suggests that whilst the immediate outlook is bleak, when the industry recovers, employment opportunities will start to open up. The remainder of this article was first published prior to the Covid-19 pandemic but address the age-old questions that come up when this topic is discussed. First of all, let’s get the statistics out the way. In 2016, Boeing have forecast that the aviation industry will require 679,000 new pilots between now and 2035. Airbus have said that between 2016 and 2035, there will be a requirement for in excess of 500,000 new pilots. Keep in mind though, that this is a worldwide forecast. It’s a general point, and I don’t want to tarnish all flight schools with the same brush, but if you are considering starting your flight training, be aware that lots of Flight Training Schools will always tell you there is a looming pilot shortage regardless of the market state. To them, ultimately you are profit, and to make profit, they need people to train with them. It’s not going to be good for business if they tell prospective students that there is no point training as there are no jobs! It’s not the case at the moment, as the market for freshly graduated low hour pilots is better than it’s been in a long time, but keep it in mind. Secondly, the airlines want to avoid a pilot shortage from occurring, in fact they want the exact opposite; lots of pilots on the job market. It’s simple economics. Pilots cost a lot of money to airlines. They get paid a lot and have lower productivity than other personal due to flight time limitations. If you have lots of unemployed pilots, it puts a downwards pressure on wages as you have lots of applicants for one position. The opposite occurs when there’s a shortage; airlines have to put up terms and conditions to attract the best candidates. Lots of pilots looking for employment suits airlines. In 2008, we saw a recession across Europe and other parts of the world. This put a lot of airlines out of business and left a lot of pilots unemployed. As a result, the last 10 years have seen pilot wages stagnate in many regions as pilot supply has outstripped demand. This pressure on terms and conditions wasn’t helped by an increase in the retirement age in Europe from 60 to 65 being introduced. This meant that pilot who were planning to retire, could stay on for an additional five years if they wanted to. More recently, airlines have again been expanding, and the major carriers have been recruiting heavily. When the major carriers recruit, it tends to shake up the employment market as people move up the next step of the ladder. As a result, there are less pilots to choose from and we are now slowly starting to see terms and conditions improve at mainly airlines, as they look to generate interest from the most capable crews. As airline financial performance has started to improve, their pilots have started to demand a share in the profit through increased wages. Lufthansa pilots have been striking throughout 2016 to fight for a better increase in their salaries as they haven’t had a pay rise since 2012. Delta Airlines pilots recently secured a whopping 30% increase in their pay. The pilot shortage is more notable across the Middle East and Asia. Airlines in this part of the world are expanding rapidly and don’t have enough established and experienced local pilots to fill the seats. Therefore, they need to recruit pilots from parts of the world where aviation has been established for a longer period, such as Europe, America and Australasia. They are offering huge sums of money to attract crew, in some cases in excess of $20,000 a month. However, whilst there is clearly a pilot shortage in these parts of the world, it isn’t for inexperienced cadet pilots straight out of flight school, it’s for experienced First Officers and Captains. An experienced Captain takes years to train and build up the required experience whereas a cadet pilot can be ‘on the line’ in as little as 18 months. In general, a pilot shortage would usually hit the regional carriers first, as they are unable to offer the terms and conditions found at the charter, low cost and legacy airlines. Naturally, most people aspire to improve their living standards throughout their career, and this means moving up the ladder to the next job. Once working for a legacy carrier, there isn’t a step up, and therefore pilot retention at these companies is very high and generally only recruit when they expand and to replace retired or medically unfit crews. The pilot shortage is particularly notable at regional airlines in the United States. In the US, the FAA introduced a requirement for pilots to have 1500 hours total flight time before operating for a commercial transport operator. You graduate from flight school with around 250 hours, but you now need to build those hours up through instruction, banner towing, general aviation etc. The regional carriers have traditionally recruited the cadet level entry pilots, and this has significantly stemmed the flow of available candidates. The European market is currently doing pretty well with recruitment for pilots of all experience levels from legacy carriers through to the regional operators. It’s debatable whether you could call it a shortage, rather than just a good employee’s market for the moment. Flybe did however suggest last month that a shortage of pilots was holding back growth. To assess if or how bad any pilot shortage in Europe will get, you need to look at potential expansion opportunities and how saturated the market currently is. Much of Europe is well connected to Europe and millions of people now have access to air transport thanks to the success of low-cost carriers over the past ten years. How much more room is there for airlines to expand in order to offer services to new destinations and untapped markets? That’s yet to be seen but it’s certainly nothing like those opportunities in developing counties with huge populations like India and China. That being said, some airlines like have impressive numbers of aircraft on order, and many of these frames are for expansion rather than fleet replacement. Looking at it independently, now is a good a time as any to start your flight training. You must however, consider this. Just because you have a licence, you don’t have the right to secure employment as a professional pilot. The airlines want more than just a licence, they need a competent commercially minded operator and a frozen ATPL doesn’t guarantee this. Just because there is a job opening, meeting the minimum requirements doesn’t mean you’ll get it, even if you’re the only applicant. Yes, there is a pilot shortage across many parts of the world but this isn’t a job guarantee. Choose your training route and flight school carefully, and be aware of the qualities that airlines are looking for in their pilots. It’s much more than just stick and rudder skills.Is There a Pilot Shortage?
Covid-19 Pandemic & Aviation
Pilot Shortage Pre-Covid
Flight Schools
Airlines
Terms and Conditions
Airline Finances
Middle East & Asia
Who does the pilot shortage affect first?
Regional Airlines in the United States
Europe
Can there be more expansion?
Conclusion
Airline Pilot Medical Requirements
What are the medical requirements to become a pilot…
To exercise the privileges of a Commercial Pilots Licence, you must be in possession of a valid Class 1 Medical certificate. This is something you should seek to obtain before you start your flight training just in case a medical condition (which on occasions people aren’t already aware of), prohibits you from being awarded a Class One Medical certification. The requirements are not particularly stringent, and a normal healthy person should have no problem being awarded one. The medical examiners are generally concerned with if you have the ability to do the job of a commercial pilot without difficulty or impedance, such as due to reduced mobility, poor hearing or eyesight and that the potential for you to suffer from acute incapacitation (such as due to a seizure, collapse, heart attack or stroke etc.) is negligible.
The very first recommendation to any aspiring pilot is to obtain a Pilot Class One Medical certificate. This is a mandatory requirement for all airline flight crew in order to operate a jet commercially. For a UK or European issued medical certificate, the initial assessment can take place with a specifically authorised CAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) listed on their website. Unfortunately people invest significant amounts of money in obtaining a Private Pilot’s Licence (requiring only a class two medical), with the view to continue training towards a commercial licence. They can then find out that they were ineligible for a class one medical, and are therefore unable to pursue a commercial piloting career. So make sure you can pass the medical requirements before commencing your pilot training. During the initial Class One medical assessment you are tested and checked for a general level of good health and any specific disqualifying conditions are identified. Unfortunately for some, this occasion may highlight an underlying medical condition which has not before been detected, and the medical certificate will not be issued. Some conditions are not necessarily disqualifying but may require further investigation and testing. The following is assessed at the initial examination: Disclaimer: The information below has been taken from the UK CAA website. We have provided the information for use as a guide only. Any medical enquiries should be directed to the regulatory authority for your country. This guidance was correct at the time of posting but may since have changed. The list is non-exhaustive. All content in the quotation marks has been referenced from the UK CAA medical website. The award of Class One Medical certifications seems to be more lenient as science and studies have evolved. For example, it is now permissible to hold a Class One Medical if you have either Type 1 or 2 diabetes as long as you demonstrate you can effectively manage your blood sugar levels. If there are any doubts as to your fitness to hold a medical, you may be required to demonstrate your competency in the simulator (for example a practical hearing observation). Some conditions (such as diabetes), whilst not immediately disqualifying, my require a restriction to be placed on your authority to operate a commercial aircraft. This is referred to as an Operational Multi-crew Limitation or OML. This allows you to exercise your class one medical privileges only as part of a multi-crew environment. Crew who have an OML restriction may not fly together as part of a 2 crew flight, and an OML holder may not fly with another pilot over the age of 60. After the medical initial issue, you are required to attend a medical assessment on an annual basis until the age of 60, then every six months until you reach 65 which is the age at which class one medical privileges are revoked. Items such as ECG and audiograms are retested at periodic intervals, increasing in frequency with age. For example, ECGs are carried out every 2 years between the ages of 30-39 then yearly until 59, then every 6 months until retirement. For those unlucky enough not to be able to obtain a class one medical, you may still be able to hold a class two medical which allows you to operate light aircraft with a private pilot’s licence (PPL). A class two medical is effectively a less stringent class one medical, with test renewals initially taking place every two years. A commercial pilot is reliant on maintaining his or her class one medical in order to exercise their flying privileges. The regulatory authority may revoke the medical at any time, consequently grounding the pilot either temporarily or permanently. Some pilots find themselves in a position where there medical is revoked due to a medical condition occurring. With continual developments in scientific knowledge and medical treatment, coupled with the regulatory authorities occasionally reviewing the disqualifying conditions, some people have managed to get back into flying commercially after fearing their career was over due to a lost medical. What may have previously been a disqualifying condition, is now often assessed on an individual basis. It’s worth considering having some additional loss of income insurance (or loss of medical insurance) in place to ensure you are financially secure if you do lose your medical. Trying to find another job which offers a similar level of remuneration as a pilot’s salary is not easy.Airline Pilot Medical Requirements
Initial Class One Pilot Medical Assessment
What’s included in a Pilot Class One Medical Assessment?
How strict is the Class One Medical examination it?
Operational Multi-Crew Limitation (OML)
Pilot Medical Renewal
What if I Can’t Get a Pilot Class One Medical?
Pilot Medical Revoked