Since you were a kid you want to be a pilot? You have worked for several years and now you are considering a career change toward aviation? In any case, we will explain you what set of skills and Requirements to become a pilot
First, there are a number of essential requirements, without which you will not be able to start your training:
Is there an age limit in order to become a pilot?
What English level do you need?
Is a university degree a requirement to become a pilot?
Medical condition
What is the cost of becoming a pilot?
Pilot personality skills – requirements
Is there an age requirement in order to become a pilot?
You need to be at least 18 years old when applying for the issuance of a CPL licence, so provided you fulfil the rest of the requirements below, you could start your pilot training when you’re still 17.
Keep in mind, however, that both the pilot training and the job itself are very demanding.
“In order to succeed, You need a high level of commitment, maturity and some technical knowledge”
It is possible to have all this at a very early age, but it is more challenging.
As a general rule, 20 to 35 years old is a good range of ages to start your training. Don’t be immediately discouraged though if you are older, there are many success stories from pilots starting past their 40s.
Make an assessment of your personal situation and capabilities and go ahead if you are confident.
What English level do you need?
Prior to finishing your course, you need to get an ICAO 4 certificate for the issuance of your licence. althought this is the minimum requirement to become a pilot, we strongly advise you to aim for higher grade, as some airlines may straight out require a level 5, or even 6.
“At Quality Fly, 100% of the pilot training is performed in English”
Complete this questionnaire to quickly assess your approximate English level:
Is a university degree a requirement to become a pilot?
Secondary/High school must be completed, but Airlines will value a higher degree such as a Bachelor’s Degree.
Also, regardless of the qualifications, having a technical background is also a good idea, since much of the knowledge you will need to acquire is related to maths and physics.
Like for the English level, Quality Fly offers a free self-assessment questionnaire to help you determine how close you are to having the requirements to become a pilot. You don’t need to get 100%, but a mark below about 70% means that you should probably focus on improving this area before starting the course.
Medical condition
Before start flying, and during the rest of your career as a pilot, you will need to have a valid medical certificate and renew it periodically. This is a mandatory requirement to become a pilot.
“A commercial pilot requires a Class 1 Medical Certificate”.
Having medical conditions may or may not prevent you from getting a Class 1 Medical. Since it is a very broad and complex topic, if you have any doubts about a particular illness or problem you suffer, it is advisable to ask an Aeronautical Medical Examiner (AME) before enrolling in an ATPL course.
What is the cost of becoming a pilot?
Becoming a pilot is unfortunately expensive; the complexity of the machines, the infrastructure needed, the level of regulation and training required makes it costly.
Most aspiring pilots get their funding in one of two ways: either they get support from their family, or they work and save for some time until they can afford the training on their own.
Some countries, such as France or Sweden, offer scholarships or Government-funded training for their citizens. However, competition is fierce and only a few lucky and skilled people are able to get them.
In summary, as a general rule, you need one of the first two options:
- Personal savings
- Family support
…and there is little or no way around it.
Pilot personality skills – requirements.
No two pilots are the same. However, there are a number of character skills every good pilot should have.
From the moment you start training to become a pilot, you need to see yourself as a future captain. Your actions today will influence how good you are in the future.
You need to be resilient and level-headed, as you will face challenges constantly, like:
- Your exams as a student pilot.
- The constant one-to-one feedback you will get during every flight, briefing and debriefing.
- The type rating.
- Your first flights in an airline.
- Become a captain.
The key to success is to work hard, accept constructive criticism and strive to be better every day.
When things in the cockpit don’t go as expected, it’s crucial to stay calm and make a rational assessment of the situation.
It´s also important to have communication and leadership skills, as well as an easy-going personality – you don’t need to be excellent before you start your training, but you need to start working on from the very beginning.
Pilots spend their whole careers in a small, closed space, mere centimetres away from each other, interacting between them for hours every day. You need to be the person other people would like to work with, and this is a mandatory requirement to become a pilot nowadays.
“Great captains show confidence, but they also listen to the other crewmembers, inspire them and make them feel part of a team”
Finally, you must have good decision-making and multitasking skills. You will notice early on in your training that flying is a multidisciplinary task that combines:
- Good handling.
- Constant communication.
- Situational awareness.
- Mental calculations.
There is a well-known rule called “Aviate-Navigate-Communicate”, which tells you the priorities you must absolutely follow at all times. Nevertheless, a proficient pilot needs to do all these three things, and more, at the same time during a normal situation.
The bottom line
You should consider several requirements to become a pilot if you are thinking to start your training; while some of them can be acquired over time, others need to be present before starting your training.
This career is a life dream for many, but it also requires great commitment and an important investment. So, before jumping in blindly:
- Make an honest assessment of your situation,
- Analyse your skills
- Understand your attitude
- Know your capabilities.
If you believe you are a good candidate and you fullfill the necessary requirements to become a pilot, come to us for a personal interview and our team at Quality Fly will gladly help you.