Airline Pilots Job Description: Overview, Education & Training Requirements, Job Outlook and Salary
Submitted by: Gypsy Santiago
Job Overview: The job of pilots is to navigate and “pilot” the flight of aircrafts in airlines, mainly for the transport of cargo and passengers from one destination to another. They specialize in a particular type of aircraft and must obtain rating and certification for that aircraft used.
Education, Training and Knowledge Requirements: To start a career in this field, a four-year aviation-related degree from an accredited aviation institution is required. Once graduated from college, licensure from a certified Aviation organization is an important requirement to be an airline pilot. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and have more than 250 hours of flight experience to get certification. He/she should also pass a strict physical examination and a written test, as well as possess good hearing, 20/20 vision (with or without glasses) and no physical problems that could impair their performance as a pilot. One of the best options to accumulate flight hours is by joining the military. Additional certifications may be required if pilots plan to become captains or be able to fly in low-visibility conditions.
Skills & Abilities: Air pilots must have a vast knowledge in transportation principles and methods, public safety and security policies, procedures and equipments (in local, state or national), and be skilled in the application of physics and mathematics. He/she should be knowledgeable in the methods and principles of geography and telecommunications systems. Pilots should also have excellent communication skills and is able to apply media production, dissemination and communication methods or techniques. They should also possess skills such as problem-solving, instructing, spatial orientation, control precision, rate control, response orientation and coordination (adjusting actions in relation to certain incidents or actions of other people).
Duties:
The tasks of air pilots include (but are not limited to) recording flight times and other information, testing new aircraft, using instrumentation to guide flights, briefing airline crews about flight details, checking cargo and passenger distributions, monitoring fuel amounts, conferring with weather forecasters, control towers and flight dispatchers, inspecting aircraft for malfunctions and defects, monitoring engine operation, gauges and other aircraft parts to verify performance, planning and formulating flight activities and choosing altitudes, speeds and routes that will provide the smoothest, safest and fastest flights.
Earnings & Job Outlook: The employment demand in this field is expected to grow 13% through 2012, but this growth is unpredictable due to unforeseen events like the 9/11. Since airlines only have a small number of positions opened at a time with a large pool of candidates, the job usually goes to pilots with the largest number of flight-experience hours or those with experience in highly technical tasks. However, once a pilot lands a job, he/she could receive an annual mean wage of about $150,000. This salary may be higher or lower depending on accumulated hours, employer, airline and seniority.
Gypsy Santiago is a professional resume writer and career search strategy/career branding coach with years of experience in assisting job seekers prepare for the job market. She helps create career-targeted resumes, provides useful tips about career transition, offers future career ideas and guide jobseekers about effective job search techniques.
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