How to Become a Pilot for Professional and Recreational Flying

If you’ve always dreamt of taking a seat in the cockpit, you might consider getting your pilot's license. Although it's a bit harder than getting your driver's license, it’s an attainable goal for many aviation-obsessed travelers. 

Different kinds of pilots fly a range of aircraft, so the license type you need will vary depending on your goals as a pilot, but the general rules of aviation, learning to fly, and applying for jobs will remain similar. For more information about how to become a pilot, we spoke with Abingdon Mullin, a pilot and founder of Abingdon Co., a company that designs watches for female pilots. As a pioneer in the aviation industry, she has valuable insights for anyone hoping to take to the skies. 

“My instructor always asked me before each lesson, ‘Did you check your ego at the door?’” says Abingdon. “He was referring to the door of my car in the flight school parking lot. What he was trying to instill in me was to keep an open mind, try things outside of my comfort zone during training, and not let my ego get in the way.” She continues, “It’s an excellent approach and one I still incorporate every time I approach an airplane to go fly.”

Here’s everything you need to know about becoming a pilot — from pilot schools to license types. 

Related: 25 Things You Should Do Before Boarding a Plane, According to a Frequent Flier

Pilot Schools

No specific educational background is required for entry into a pilot school. That said, if you wish to work for a major airline, they might prefer you to have a four-year college degree, but it’s generally not required. “Educational background is not as important because, in flight training, they'll teach you everything you need to know,” says Abingdon. “The only requirements you need are on the medical side. You must have a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate to fly an airplane by yourself, which is part of your private pilot training.”

Choosing a School

Luckily, you have plenty of options when it comes to schooling. If you want a four-year degree, you can attend a university with an aviation program (the Experimental Aircraft Association, or EAA, has a list of programs on its site). If you want a more intensive option, you can go to an aeronautical university, where the entire curriculum is about flying. “Embry Riddle is the biggest example of this,” explains Abingdon. “You graduate with a four-year degree and your pilot certificates.” This could be an excellent option for those who want to make a career out of aviation. 

There is a school for everyone, though. “Pilot schools come in all shapes and sizes,” says Abingdon. “Some schools are small mom-and-pop businesses at your local airport, [while] some schools have multiple locations all around the country in several states.” 

Courses Offered

If you’re pursuing a bachelor's degree in aviation, you might take courses on air traffic control, aircraft maintenance and safety, or even engineering. It will look a bit different if you’re just in a pilot school to get a license. Abingdon explains, “It depends on which type of school you go to, but for the most part, a typical lesson is one-on-one with you and a flight instructor. One day, you may cover steep turns. Another day, you may cover cross-country flight planning.”

Don’t think you can skip homework. “The instructor would have given you some homework to do before the lesson, so you come in prepared,” says Abingdon. “When they are discussing it with you and teaching it to you in a ‘ground’ lesson, you will work in a classroom with them for an hour or two (depending on the lesson).”

Then, you can use your lesson firsthand in the aircraft. “After your ground lesson, you'll both go out to the airplane and apply the knowledge you just gained in an aircraft,” says Abingdon. “Each daily lesson you do will usually be a combination of ground and flight.”

Unless you’re a full-time college student, you will likely do your training on days off from work or after work. “It's ideal to have three lessons a week, but you should really try to go a minimum of twice a week, or else you run the risk of forgetting and relearning lessons that were already covered,” Abingdon recommends. It can take a few months to become a private pilot or a couple of years to become a commercial pilot. 

Requirements to Be a Pilot

The specific requirements will depend on what type of pilot you want to be. For example, it might be more challenging to become a commercial airline pilot where you’re flying hundreds of passengers than it is to become a recreational pilot flying a small aircraft. There are three classes of medical certificates issued by the FAA: first-class airline transfer pilot, second-class commercial pilot, and third-class private pilot. Vision, hearing, blood pressure, and other specific health standards must be met to obtain a medical certificate, and pilots cannot have any disqualifying conditions (evaluated on a case-by-case basis), including epilepsy, certain heart conditions, psychosis, and other conditions outlined on the FAA website.  

If you wish to become a pilot, an FAA-approved physician (called an Aviation Medical Examiner) will need to evaluate you. Apart from physical requirements, there are some soft skills that all pilots should have, like the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, problem-solving skills, extensive observational skills, and quick reaction time. 

Related: How Many Planes Are in the Air Right Now?

Steps to Becoming a Pilot

First, you need to figure out what type of pilot you want to be. There are several different types of licenses you can go after — here’s what you should know about each, according to the FAA website. 

• A student pilot license allows you to learn to fly with a flight instructor present and fly solo after appropriate instructor endorsements and medical certification.
• A recreational pilot certificate allows you to fly, but with limitations to the type of aircraft, the number of passengers, the distance that may be flown from the departure point, and flight into controlled airports, among others.
• A private pilot certificate, one of the most popular types of licenses, lets you carry passengers and use an airplane for limited business use.
• A commercial pilot certificate lets you conduct some operations for compensation and hire.
• An airline transport pilot certificate is required to fly as a captain by some air transport operations.
• A sport pilot certificate allows you to fly a light sport aircraft without an FAA medical certificate. It is typically one of the cheapest and quickest ways to fly, according to the EAA. 

The details like the cost, number of hours flying, and any tests and examinations required will vary between licenses. However, you will generally start with the student pilot certificate and work toward a different pilot license based on your individual goals. 

“A good pilot is always learning, so I never say that the schooling ends,” says Abingdon. “But after your private pilot training is over, you will schedule with a designated pilot examiner and go up for a test. There will be questions on the ground with the examiner, and then the [flight] portion of the test.” Once you complete the examination, you are a certified pilot. 

Abingdon advocates for continued education. “Each pilot certificate you attain is just another tool in your toolbelt of flying, and it will only make you a safer, more capable aviator,” she notes. You can get add-on “ratings” to learn more in-depth information about specific aircraft, flying in inclement weather, and more. 

How Much It Costs

The cost of becoming a pilot will vary depending on the type of pilot you want to be. That said, you can expect that this will be an expensive undertaking. The student pilot certificate is free but requires a medical certificate, which typically costs anywhere from $75 to $200. 

Sport pilot, recreational pilot, and private pilot certificates are good options for those who want to fly as a hobby, with the main difference between them being the hours needed to get the license, the type of aircraft you can fly, and the cost. Costs to get these licenses — which include training fees, aircraft rentals, exam fees, and more — can range from $7,000 up to around $20,000. If you wish to be a commercial airline pilot or airline transport pilot as a career, it can cost up to $100,000, according to Pilot Institute. 

Applying for Jobs

Those seeking a career as a professional pilot must meet FAA requirements. Pilots typically get their FAA-issued certificates and ratings in the following order:

1. Student pilot certificate
2. Private pilot certificate
3. Instrument rating
4. Commercial pilot certificate
5. Multi-engine rating
6. Airline transport pilot certificate

Like any job, the requirements will vary by company. To keep things simple, here is the process to become a Delta Pilot: 

1. Initial application
2. Application review
3. Interview process (which includes an online assessment, a panel interview, and final evaluations)
4. Pre-employment screenings
5. Delta indoctrination 
6. Wing ceremony
7. Training (Delta's Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) features state-of-the-art full-motion flight simulators and flight training devices. All pilots must pass the FAA-approved Initial Qualification Curricula.)
8. Take flight

For a career as a pilot, you will need to demonstrate extensive experience flying, so this is likely a long-term goal. If you’re just starting, you can work toward your private pilot's license before aiming for a career in aviation as a captain. Abingdon ends with, “Flying is a lot of fun, and it’s definitely brag-worthy once you have your certificate, but if you maintain a humble attitude and check your ego at the door, you will not be a pilot — you will be a true aviator.”