Steps to become an Airline Pilot

How do you become an Airline Pilot?

In order to be eligible to apply for a position as a first officer with a commercial airline you must hold Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) theory examinations and a number of ratings as follows:

PPL – Private Pilot Licence

This licence allows you to fly single-engine piston (SEP) aircraft under visual flight rules (VFR) in certain weather conditions known as visual meteorological conditions (VMC).

NR – Night Rating

This is a minimum five-hour course that allows you to fly your SEP (single-engine) aircraft at night but still only in VMC.

ATPL Theory

13 theoretical exams covering advanced subjects, plus 100 KSA (knowledge skills attitude)

CPL – Commercial Pilot Licence

This licence allows you to fly an aircraft and be paid for doing so. In other words, you are becoming a professional pilot.

MEP Rating – Multi-Engine Piston Rating

This allows you to fly an aircraft with more than one piston engine. The rating can be added to either the PPL or CPL but it primarily completed at the same time as the CPL.

IR – Instrument Rating

This allows you to fly an SEP(single-engine) and/or MEP(multi-engine) aircraft (if you’ve completed the MEP rating) under instrument flight rules (IFR) in both VMC and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). It is inclusive of PBN(performance based navigation), which means flying by utilizing onboard computers and satellites.

A-UPRT – Advanced Upset Prevention and Recovery Training.

This teaches you how to stay out of trouble and how to recover in the unlikely scenario of getting into trouble.

MCC – Multi-Crew Co-operation

This teaches you the process and procedures that are required for operating a multi-pilot aircraft.

APS MCC

This is our preferred option – Airline Pilot Standard course brings MCC to a higher level.