Education · 1 of 5

The path

A stack of certificates, then a long climb to 1,500 hours.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   No specific subjects are required, but you need to pass a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical exam eventually, so know your health early.

2. 2

   Private pilot certificate

   6 to 12 months

   A written knowledge test, a minimum of 40 flight hours by law, and a practical test with an examiner. Most people need 60 to 75 hours in reality.

3. 3

   Instrument rating and commercial certificate

   1 to 2 years

   Flying by instruments in cloud, then the certificate that lets you be paid to fly. Around 250 total flight hours.

4. 4

   Build hours

   1 to 2 years

   Almost everyone instructs. You need roughly 1,500 hours for an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, less if you graduated from an approved aviation degree program.

5. 5

   Regional airline, then a major

   3 to 10 years

   Start as a first officer at a regional carrier, upgrade to captain, then move to a major airline and start again at the bottom of its seniority list.