Pilot Training

You don't have to be special to fly a plane ... just cautious and sensible

Pilot training is the most comprehensive training that any professional person will experience. As you might expect, the selection criteria are formidable, but this is not a reflection of the difficulty of the job, but rather the numbers of candidates for so few vacancies. Most would-be pilots hold a degree and many qualify in other professions before becoming pilots. For those who find a job it's the best career in the world.

International standards require pilots to be at least 21 before holding a Captains licence, although no-one ever takes command with this licence unless they also have thousands of hours flying experience as well.

After selection, a pilot will progress through more junior licences and become qualified to fly multi-engine planes, to fly at night, to fly on instruments and to be able to operate a plane in the controlled airspace that airliners fly in. The highest licence, the Airline Transport Pilots License will allow its holder to be a captain of a flight carrying fare paying passengers on aircraft of a certain size.

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