Find an accredited professional pilot training program or degree course at a local trade school or online technical college near you. Not all programs are available in all locations, use the search application for your local choices.
“Working with a multitude of aircraft, such as airplanes and helicopters, pilots are responsible for safely flying from one destination to another. They work in airline or commercial settings, performing rescue operations, flying charter flights, or simply carrying cargo or passengers from one destination to the next.”[ref]
Colleges with Professional Pilot courses
All available schools are not listed here, use the search application for complete information.
Pilot certificate and licensing path:
- Student pilot certificate
- Private pilot license
- Instrument rating
- Commercial pilot license
- Multi-engine rating
- Airline transport pilot certificate
Start your career as a Commercial Pilot:
- You need your high school diploma.
- To get your commercial pilot’s license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), you must be at least 18 years old and complete a certain number of hours of flight training.
- To become a commercial pilot, you’ll head to flight school. These can sometimes be found at community colleges or trade schools. There are also independent, FAA-certified educators teaching out of aviation-only schools.
- Typically, 250 hours of flight time and 1,500 hours of ground school are required, which you will keep detailed record of in a flight book.
- You’ll need to start out as a commercial pilot before becoming an airline pilot. The minimum flight hours for many commercial positions is 500.
- Many commercial pilots begin their careers as flight instructors or charter pilots in order to gain more experience and instrument ratings.
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