The number 1 way to ensure your success in becoming a pilot is by properly managing your time and money.
And the easiest way to properly manage your time & money is by doing ground school before it’s too late and ACTUALLY understanding the material
5 years ago I saw NO ONE mentoring unsuspecting students on the traps in flight training that was costing them $1000s.
This is why I created the Part Time Pilot Online Ground School.
The ground school was created with these ideas at the heart of our mission statement:
- Mentoring students from start to finish
- Providing content that saves time & money & provides a deep understanding
How does Part Time Pilot compare to other Online Ground Schools?
I went to the website of each of the Top 10 Online Ground Schools and gathered ALL the relevant info a student pilot like you needs to make an informed decision.
Things like cost, student ratings, lifetime access or not, types of lessons, bonuses included, scholarships included, support available and more.
Then, I lined them all up and compared them all in a single table so that student pilots could make the best, most informed decision on their training.
Ultimate Step by Step Guide to Becoming an Airline Pilot
TLDR
In this article Part Time Pilot offers a comprehensive step-by-step guide to becoming an airline pilot. The overall steps discussed in detail are:
- Meeting eligibility requirements from FAA (age, language, ID, Medical)
- Earning Private Pilot certificate
- Earning Instrument Rating
- Earning Commercial Pilot certificate
- Building flight hours
- Earning a Multi-Engine Rating
- Earning an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate
- Getting hired at Regional Airline
- Getting hired at Major Airline
The guide also emphasizes efficient training strategies, career progression, and how Part Time Pilot’s online ground school helps aspiring airline pilots build a strong foundation for their journey.
This posts goes step by step over how to become an airline pilot and make the big bucks flying Boeings, Airbus’ and more across the world!
Step 1: Meet Eligibility Requirements
The first step is simply to be eligible.
- Age: In order to start flight training and fly an aircraft solo you must be at least 16 years old. To become a Private Pilot you must be at least 17 years old. And to become an Airline Transport Pilot you need to be at least 23 years old.
- Language: You must be able to read, write, speak and understand English
- ID: You must have a valid and current ID accepted by the FAA
- Medical: To become a Private Pilot you need a 3rd Class Medical certificate. To become a Commercial Pilot you need a 2nd Class Medical certificate. And to become an Airline Transport Pilot you need a 1st Class Medical certificate. 1st class is most stringent and you can get this first if you want to cut to the chase.
Step 2: Earn Private Pilot Certificate
The first certificate you must achieve is a Private Pilot certificate. If you want to be an Airline Pilot you cannot start with a Sport or Recreational Pilot… it must be Private Pilot.
Obtaining your Private Pilot certificate includes:
- Ground training and endorsement from instructor to take the FAA Written Exam
- Passing FAA Written Exam
- Flight Training (40 hours minimum for part 61 & 35 hours for part 141) and endorsement from instructor to take FAA Checkride Exam
- Passing FAA Checkride Exam
Step 3: Earn your Instrument Rating
A private pilot certificate allows you to become a pilot and fly passengers but you can’t fly for hire and you can’t fly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and can only fly in visual flight rules or VFR conditions. This essentially means a private pilot is limited to flying in good visibility weather conditions.
To get hired as an airline pilot you are going to need to carry passengers at night and fly in IMC with bad visibility/poor weather conditions. To do that, you need an Instrument Flight Rules or IFR rating add on. Technically, IFR is not a certificate but an add on to your private pilot certificate. However, the process of achieving your IFR rating is similar to getting a certificate:
- Ground training and endorsement for the FAA Written Exam
- Passing the FAA Written Exam
- Flight Training (40 hours of instrument time, 15 hours with instrument instructor and 50 hours of cross-country time) and endorsement for the FAA Checkride Exam
- Passing the FAA Checkride Exam
Step 4: Earn your Commercial Pilot Certificate
Next up is earning your Commercial Pilot certificate. A Commercial certificate allows you to fly for hire such that once you complete this step you’ll be allowed to fly passengers for hire in the day, night and in VFR or IFR weather.
Just like private and instrument, you need to complete the following:
- Ground training and endorsement for the FAA Written Exam
- Passing the FAA Written Exam
- Flight Training (total flight time of 250 hours, 100 hours of PIC time with 50 hours in an airplane, 50 hours of cross-country time, 10 hours instrument time, 10 hours complex time, and 10 hours of night time) and endorsement for the FAA Checkride Exam
- Passing the FAA Checkride Exam
Step 5a: Build Flight Hours
At this point in your training you’ll have at least 250 flight hours but more likely 300 to 500 flight hours.
Your next step is to build those hours to the hours needed to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, which is 1500 hours. There are military paths or university paths that allow for less hours. These are called restricted ATP certificate requirements. Depending on the academic program you may need 1000 hours (bachelors program) or 1250 hours (associates program).
The most common way to build hours is by becoming a flight instructor (CFI). You will need to take some Written Exams and a Checkride just like you did for previous certificates but most of the knowledge is stuff you have already learned except for the required knowledge to pass the fundamentals of instructing exam. Becoming a CFI allows you to build time while getting paid and not paying for the aircraft rental. This significantly reduces your costs to build hours.
Step 5b: Earn Multi-Engine Rating
If you want to fly for the airlines then you need a multi-engine rating because airlines fly planes with multiple engines.
To get your multi-engine add on you will need:
- Ground training on multi-engine aircraft flight
- Flight Training on multi-engine aircraft and an endorsement from your instructor (no minimum flight time requirement) to take the FAA Checkride Exam
- Passing the FAA Checkride Exam
There is no Written Exam for a multi-engine add on.
Step 6: Earn your Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate
Oh boy… you’ve made it to the highest level FAA certificate, the Airline Transport Pilot certificate. In order to receive this certificate you will need the following:
- Ground training and endorsement for the FAA Written Exam via required ATO Certification Training Program (CTP)
- Passing the FAA Written Exam
- Flight Training (total of 1500 hours or 1000 if restricted ATP from bachelors program or 1250 if restricted ATP from associates program) and endorsement for the FAA Checkride Exam
- Passing the FAA Checkride Exam
As mentioned previously, you also need to be at least 23 years old.
Step 7a: Get Hired at Regional Airline
Now you just need to get hired. To get hired you need to apply and interview while continuing to build hours and any experience you can get.
Most new pilots start at regional airlines as a First Officer or co-pilot. Once hired, the airline will provide specific training for the jet aircraft they own and you will need to earn a Type Certificate for each Type Certified aircraft they want you to fly (usually just 1).
Step 7b: Get Hired at Major Airline
As you build up experience flying at a regional airline and first officer you will want to apply and look for opportunities to upgrade to captain or fly as first officer at a major airline such as Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska or others.
Once hired, the airline will again provide you training for a Type Certificate in the aircraft they plan for you to fly.
That’s it. Easy peasy right? In all honesty it is a long road… but it is a rewarding road. As of 2024, pilots have a better return on investment than doctors or lawyers with some experienced captains making a million dollars per year $$$. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about the topic of online ground school.
How long does it take to become an Airline Pilot?
The amount of time it takes to become an Airline Pilot depends on many factors. Typically, it takes 3 to 5 years from starting flight training to being hired by a regional airline but many people take even longer. This timeline includes earning all required certificates (Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine), building flight hours, and completing the ATP CTP course. Factors such as training pace, financing, and airline hiring demand can influence this.
How much money do Airline Pilots make?
Airline pilot salaries vert depending on whether the airline is regional or major, the rank of the pilot (first officer or captain) and how many years of service the pilot has. Here are some general averages for Airline Pilot salaries as of 2025:
- Flight Instructor still building hours (not yet Airline hired):
- $35,000 to $60,000
- Regional Airline First Officer Entry-Level:
- $90,000 to $120,000
- Regional Airline Captain:
- $120,000 to $200,000
- Major Airline First Officer Entry-Level:
- $100,000 to $150,000
- Major Airline Captain with Average Years of Service:
- $250,000 to $400,000
- Major Airline Captain with High Years of Service:
- $450,000 to $1,000,000
Is it really hard to become an Airline Pilot?
This depends a lot on the individual perspective and training journey that one experiences. Generally speaking, it is not easy to become an Airline Pilot. There are many hours, many tests and many years of commitment and excellence required to become an Airline Pilot and for good reason.
However, with the high salaries being given to experienced pilots at major airlines, this hard work can really pay off. It is no different than spending 4-8 years to become a lawyer or a doctor and in recent years many have noted that the return on investment of becoming an Airline Pilot exceeds that of becoming a lawyer or doctor (you make more compared to what you paid to learn it all).
How much does becoming an Airline Pilot cost?
The total cost of becoming an Airline Pilot varies from person to person and the differences in their training journey. Typically, it costs anywhere from $80,000 to $150,000 or more to become an Airline Pilot from start to finish.
There are ways to plan your training strategically and stay on the low end of these costs such as flight instructing, buying your own aircraft, scholarships, training where costs are lower and more that we outline in this article here.
Do I need a College Degree to become an Airline Pilot?
No. Many major airlines still prefer candidates to have a 4-year degree but this is not a requirement. A relevant aviation degree can also qualify you for a Restricted ATP certificate which allows you to be eligible with less total hours (1000 with 4-year degree and 1250 with 2-year degree). Read more below.
What is a Restricted ATP and how does it work?
A Restricted ATP (R-ATP) allows pilots to fly as a First Officer for an airline with fewer than the standard 1,500 total flight hours (e.g., 1,000 or 1,250 hours), provided they meet specific educational requirements from an FAA-approved aviation university program. It helps pilots get to the airlines faster by reducing the required flight hours.
What are the age requirements for becoming an Airline Pilot?
In order to receive an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate a person must be at least 23 years old. If the person pursues a Restricted ATP certificate through a degree program then the age requirement is only 21 years of age. There is currently no mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots in the US.
What are the Medical Requirements for becoming an Airline Pilot?
To act as an Airline Pilot you must hold a current FAA First Class Medical Certificate. This is the highest level of medical certificate and has stringent requirements to ensure pilots are medically fit for duty. Some, but not all of those requirements include:
- 20/20 distant vision (with or without correction) in each eye
- 20/40 near vision in each eye
- Color vision
- Ability to hear an average conversational voice in a quiet room at 6 feet
- Normal blood pressure
- Healthy heart rhythm
- No history or diagnosis of psychosis, bipolar disorder, or severe personality disorders
- No history or diagnosis of epilepsy
- No acute of chronic conditions that would interfere with safe flight operations
We created an AI trained on the FAA’s aviation medical exam guidelines and regulations that you can get answers from here if you have more questions.
Can I become an Airline Pilot with a disability or certain medical conditions?
It depends on the specific condition and its severity. The FAA reviews medical certificates on a case-by-case basis. Some conditions may be disqualifying, while others may be approved with waivers or special considerations. It’s best to consult with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) or a HIMS AME (Human Intervention Motivation Study AME) early in your process if you have concerns. We have also trained an AI on the FAAs medical exam guidelines and regulations that you can get answers from here.
To act as an Airline Pilot, a person will need to hold a First Class Medical Certificate from the FAA following an exam. The exam, in general covers the items listed above in the previous FAQ.
