Want to Become a Professional Pilot but Don’t Want to Fly for an Airline?

Students who attend Axiom Aviation will undergo the training required to become a professional pilot. Many who are looking into flight school, see that Axiom, like many other schools, portrays themselves as a streamlined route to the airlines. While this is true, it is important to note that there are many career opportunities that Axiom prepares its students for outside of the airlines. 

Understanding What it Means to Be a Professional Pilot

To become a pilot one must acquire certain pilot certificates. To improve one's capabilities they will typically undergo more training allowing them to acquire more ratings. All of these certificates are challenging to obtain and they require a high level of skill and discipline. 

However, the first certificate that is widely considered the gateway to becoming a professional pilot is the Commercial Pilot Certificate (CPL). This is the third rating Axiom students get when doing the Commercial Airline Pilot Course. 

To be clear, the commercial rating allows a pilot to fly for hire, but it does not inherently let them fly for an airline. One of the most common misconceptions about aviation is that airline pilots are commercial pilots. While this is not entirely false as these pilots do hold commercial certificates, they are also required to hold an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATP). Like all other ratings, there is a list of requirements that must be met for a pilot to be eligible to obtain an ATP rating. For simplicity's sake, we will highlight the two biggest requirements. To qualify for an ATP, a pilot must hold a valid CPL and have logged 1500 flight hours. 

Axiom Aviations' training program takes students through their CPL, Multi-Engine CPL, and flight instructor ratings. This not only gives them the training, certifications, and opportunities to work as a professional pilot, but it also allows them to build their 1500 flight hours. Once a pilot builds their 1500 hours they may then obtain their ATP. This training is typically paid for and given by an employer such as SkyWest Airlines. Once a pilot possesses an ATP rating, they are legally qualified for most pilot jobs. 

What Do the Airlines Require?

All airline pilots are required to have an ATP rating. Some airlines (primarily regionals) will offer new hires the required training to obtain their ATP. Others, such as the major airlines will expect candidates to already possess an ATP certificate. It should be noted that while anyone with a valid ATP certificate is legally qualified to fly for a major airline, most majors have steeper hiring requirements. These requirements are typically found in the form of flight hours at another airline. 

What Do I Need to Fly Cargo? 

From a business perspective, cargo and passenger airlines are very different. From a pilot's perspective, they are quite similar. While it is not always obvious at first glance, the aircraft flown by cargo airlines are frequently the same as those flown by passenger airlines with the biggest difference being the cabin layout. 

Air cargo operators that operate large jets typically require their pilots to possess an ATP and a similar number of hours as most major airlines. Other cargo operators that fly smaller planes will frequently only require a pilot to hold a CPL so long as they have a certain number of hours. 

What if I Wanted to Fly Private Jets? 

The corporate sector of aviation tends to have greater fluctuations in terms of requirements between employers. Many operators, particularly charter operators, require one, or both pilots to hold a valid ATP certificate. Smaller operators that follow Part 91 guidelines, usually only require a pilot to hold a CPL. 

It is important to note that most of the jobs in this field have higher than minimum hour requirements. First Officer requirements can range from 500 to 6,000 hours. Several factors contribute to these requirements with the most common being insurance. Other factors are the size of the jet to be flown and the salary. Larger jets will typically require more expensive training and come with higher salaries making them more sought after. 

Conclusion

Air transit operators throughout the industry need qualified pilots. These qualifications can vary drastically from one operator to the next with most offering training for their specific operations and unique mission sets. Despite all the varying requirements, what is consistent throughout the industry is that professional pilots must possess a CPL and/or ATP. 

Axiom Aviations' Commercial Airline Pilot Course not only helps students obtain their CPL but puts them on a fast track to obtaining their ATP. 

Have questions regarding flight training? Give us a call at (262)297-4568. Or email us at info@flayaxiom.com