Diseño del blog
In a Nutshell – What does becoming a Commercial Aircraft Pilot (US) take?
Débora de Araújo • Mar 02, 2023
In a Nutshell – What does becoming a Commercial Aircraft Pilot (FAA) take?
Becoming a commercial airline pilot typically requires the following steps:
Education: Most commercial pilots have at least a high school diploma, and many have a college degree. However, a college degree is not a requirement to become a pilot.
Medical certification: All pilots must pass a medical examination to ensure that they meet the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) medical standards for pilots.
Flight training: Pilots must complete flight training to obtain a commercial pilot's license. This typically includes ground school (classroom) training and flight training in a small aircraft.
Obtain a commercial pilot's license: After completing flight training, pilots must pass the FAA's written, oral, and practical exams to obtain a commercial pilot's license.
Build flight hours: Most commercial airlines require applicants to have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours to be considered for a job. This can be accomplished in various ways, such as flying for a regional airline, for corporate companies, or as a flight instructor.
Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certification: To be a commercial aircraft captain, an individual must have an ATP certification which requires a minimum of 1,500 flight hours and passing a written and practical exam.
Ongoing training: Once an airline hires a pilot, they must complete ongoing training to maintain their qualifications and stay current with new procedures and technologies.
It is worth noting that becoming a commercial airline pilot is highly competitive, and it requires a significant investment of time, effort, and money. Additionally, the requirements and regulations may vary slightly depending on the country.
On May 2, 2024, a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A321Neo that had just arrived from Kahului to San Francisco International Airport suffered damage to its left front door. The passengers had all disembarked before the jet bridge collapsed. No injuries were reported. The aircraft was taken out of service. Source: FlightMode Image: A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge
On April 26, 2024, a Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 performing flight from JFK New York to Los Angeles encountered an issue and promptly decided to return to JFK due to reports of vibrations. The aircraft landed safely. An after-flight inspection revealed that the right-hand overwing emergency slide was missing. The crew, who responded swiftly and effectively, stated that they had received an indication about the emergency slide and that they had heard a sound from that side of the aircraft during the climb out. The location of where the overwing slide could be is still unknown. Source: Aviation Herald Images: JACDEC
On April 26, 2024, an Ethiopian Boeing 787-8 performing a flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Goma, DR Congo, became disabled after landing due to a hydraulic leak that caused the aircraft to lose nose-wheel steering. The aircraft was towed off the runway, and clean-up crews cleaned up the hydraulic fluid. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Source: AvHerald Images: Mafuta Kasongo & Flightradar24
On April 21, 2024, an American Airlines Airbus A321 was involved in an incident at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The aircraft, which was under tow and had no passengers on board, experienced substantial damage when the tug lost control and struck the underside of the fuselage behind the nose gear. No injuries were reported. Source: FlightMode Images: twitter/goodbadugly_ap
On April 24, 2024, an ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8 performing a flight from Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo Chitose, Japan, experienced a hydraulic fluid leak upon landing, causing its number two Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engine to emit smoke. The aircraft stopped on the runway and shut both engines down. Emergency services responded, and no injuries were reported. The runway was closed until the aircraft was towed off. What caused the hydraulic leak is still unknown. Source: JACDEC, FL360aero, Aviation Herald Images: JACDEC, FL360aero, Aviation Herald
On April 22, 2024, an Aeroflot Airbus A330-300 performing a flight from Yekaterinburg, Russia, to Phuket, Thailand, suffered a severe loss of hydraulic fluid while landing at Phuket International Airport. The aircraft stopped and blocked the runway for over an hour until a tug towed it away. A team cleaned up the hydraulic fluid from the runway, and operations then restarted on the runway. No injuries were reported. What caused the loss of hydraulic fluid is still unknown. Source: FlightMode Images: AOT Phuket
On April 21, 2024, a Safair Boeing 737-800, under the skilled command of its crew, performed a flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Despite the unexpected loss of its left-outboard main wheel on departure, the crew demonstrated their professionalism by leveling off at FL220 and burning off fuel before performing a low approach at Johannesburg. The aircraft then finally landed on runway 21R, sustaining damage to its left main landing gear. However, due to the crew's swift and decisive actions, no injuries were reported. Source: AvHerald Images: Twitter/MDN News
On April 17, 2024, an Air Algerie Boeing 737-800 performing a flight from Algiers, Algeria, to Lyon, France, decided to return to Algiers after reaching cruising altitude FL340 because of a cracked outer window pane. The aircraft landed without any incident, and no injuries were reported. Another aircraft was used to take the passengers to Lyon with a 7-hour delay. The cracked window pane aircraft was repaired and returned to service 19 hours later. Source: AvHerald Images: JACDEC
On April 15, 2024, a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000 received minor damage at New York JFK Airport when a vehicle from the Gategourment catering service struck the number 1 engine nacelle of the Rolls Royce Trent XWB aircraft which was parked at the time. The aircraft had no passengers and was subsequently taken out of service. No injuries were reported. Source: Aviation Safety Network Image: JACDEC