But is this truly the right career for you?
Find out if you naturally have the right stuff before you invest tens of thousands of dollars to get your flight ratings.

• Flexible - things never go as planned. You must be flexible on everything but safety. That is a red line that you do not cross.
• Excel under pressure - When you have an engine failure or a cargo fire at 30,000 feet, everyone counts on you to stay calm and do what you have been trained to do.
• Disciplined - Are you a good rule follower? Do you color within the lines? Or are you a rebel? In your career, you will follow MANY checklists, the owner of the airplane or your passengers are not looking for creativity or out-of-the-box thinking.
• Extrovert - You will be flying with another crew member locked in a room the size of a small closet for hours and hours. The FAA will not allow you to read in the cockpit, so you’d better have some good stories to keep the other pilot entertained.
• Attention to detail - When you preflight, be suspicious of everything and have the attitude that whatever can go wrong will go wrong. A common refrain is, "In God, we trust, everything else . . . we check."
• Positive and Confident— A can-do attitude is critical. People put their lives in your hands - quiet confidence is a trait you must possess.
• Likes novelty - The only thing you can count on is change. You will have packed your suitcase for San Diego, but at the last minute, find out the airplane needs to go to New York in a raging snowstorm.
• Dislike 9 to 5 and the daily grind - Every day is different. Airplanes fly 24 hours a day and seven days a week. You will be working at very odd hours. Until you get seniority, you will be working holidays and weekends with no overtime pay.
• Dislike working in a cubicle - It is the best inside job that is really outside. You have a great view that very few other people get to experience.
• Likes to travel - You get to see the world on someone else’s dime. People ask airline pilots, "What route do you fly?" They expect to hear, "Chicago to New York." Or “Paris." In reality, "Domestic" or "International" is as close as you can get. There is nothing typical about the career of a pilot.
• Likes a challenge - Flying the airplane itself is not hard, but being mentally prepared all the time is.
• Likes to be tested - You are constantly studying and preparing for your next check ride every 6 to 12 months, depending on whom you work for. Check rides are like a river; they never ever stop.
• There is never a perfect flight. You will always be chasing perfection.