How long does it take to become a pilot?

become a pilot

Do you know how long does it take to become a pilot? How many years do you have to study to be an airplane pilot? This is a question whose simple answer is: it all depends on your pocket. But to understand it, it is necessary to explain a little more (just a little), so do not go and continue reading because we will see the minimum estimated study time and why.

The airplane pilot career is not like a college degree, like a bachelor’s or engineering degree; It is training where it will be necessary to obtain licenses and qualifications. And the duration will be lengthened if you just want to be a private plane pilot or if you want to become an airline pilot.

You also have to consider that even having the licenses and ratings, you must add the famous flight hours, hours that each person takes them out at a different time. It is not possible to say an exact number of months, but only an estimate because, as said at the beginning, it depends on your pocket and/or your luck (if you get a job that you allow to add flight hours).

How long does it take to become a pilot?

Someone who has the money to pay for the courses one after the other, courses that by completing and passing them will grant them licenses and ratings; Such a person can obtain a commercial pilot license in about 1 and a half years or less. It can take 3 years or more to become a skilled pilot.

But as mentioned, this is a kind of personal trip or personal training, so some people take 2 years with 2 months, for example, or even, some cannot easily pay for the courses and have to save between courses, having some examples of people who take 5 years. The time is variable.

Everything will depend on whether you have the money available to pay the fees (if the airline school charges fees for the courses) or pay the full course (if you have to pay in full), courses that will allow you to obtain licenses and ratings.

Curiosities inside a plane that you may not know. Normally, when the commercial pilot license is obtained, the accumulated flight hours are around 200 hours, more or less. So now, the objective is to accumulate more flight hours, but how to accumulate the hours? First, let’s see how many must be accumulated.

How many flight hours do I need to work for a commercial airline?

The minimum flight hours to work for an airline as a pilot depends on the airline, specifically as a co-pilot or second-in-command, usually called the first officer. Note: the word “co-pilot” is a practically outdated name.

Minimum hours can range from 250 hours, 500 hours, 1,000 hours, or up to 1,500 hours. As said, it depends on the airline as each one has its requirements.

The important thing is to accumulate the hours as much as possible and to go looking for the minimum opportunity to enter an airline as “the first officer” because you will not be a captain until you have enough experience. It starts from the bottom.

Maybe you’re interested: Airline logos [50 logos]. So among the ways to accumulate hours (and thus gain flight experience) is by becoming a flight instructor, spraying fields, air tours, etc. What’s more, several students get work from something else so that they can pay for a couple of flight hours a month and thus add up.

Some have it more difficult than others and some have it easier than others. It is normal. Life is unequal because everyone is in different situations. But if you want to be a pilot, take heart that if others have been able to do it, you can too.

Finally,

The study or training time depends not only on the time it takes to obtain licenses and ratings but also on the flight hours. The cases are different and some take little time and others take longer, as has been explained.