How To Become An Airline Pilot

In the UK there are currently in excess of 10,000 airline pilots working for various different types of airlines, flying thousands of customers to different destinations across the world.It is usually around the five year mark that co-pilots are then encouraged to apply to become a co-pilot on long-haul flights and then eventually move on to become a fully qualified pilot. Promotion to the position of captain usually requires at least 2,400 flying hours but this is dependant on each individual and salaries can range from around £25,000 to £80,000 or more a year.The minimum qualification required to become a pilot is a 'frozen' Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). This involves passing written examinations for the ATPL and doing 200 hours of flight training, including flight tests. Commercial pilots are put in charge of a machine that is literally worth millions of pounds and therefore to become a pilot you need to develop a number of key skills. They are also responsible for many people's lives so it is important that they remain professional and demonstrate high levels of competency in their role at all times.Pilots will communicate with and follow the instructions of air traffic controllers via radio equipment throughout their flights, particularly during takeoff and landing. As an aircraft progresses along a flight route and moves into airspace handled by different air traffic control centres, communication will be transferred to a new controller for each particular sector of airspace.Pilots are often in charge of a team of highly trained professionals and it is their responsibility to ensure that this group works well together and that everyone knows what is expected of them especially during takeoff and landing.Whilst the job is arguably one of the best jobs in the world there is a lot of responsibility that comes with this role and to become a successful pilot you must be able to handle this responsibility. This is often a part of the job that many applicants do not consider and it can hinder them in their application.Airline pilots are responsible for flying aircraft, people and luggage around the world safely. Airline pilots will typically work on a shift basis and many get to travel to all parts of the world. One of the great advantages of becoming an airline pilot is that each day is different, exciting and brings with it new challenges and new people.