Commercial Pilot and Flight Crew Training

Overview

Commercial pilot and flight crew training programs prepare people to work in commercial air transportation.

Programs in commercial pilot and flight crew training prepare people to operate airplanes or helicopters. Students study navigation, safety, and aircraft design and performance. They learn how members of flight crews work together.

Commercial pilot and flight crew training programs include topics such as:

Operation of fixed wing aircraft
Principles of aircraft design and performance
Aircraft flight systems and controls
Flight crew operations
Radio communications
Navigation procedures

This program may qualify students to sit for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial and airline aircrew examinations.

Schools

Several community colleges offer associate degree programs in commercial pilot and flight crew training. An associate degree program usually takes two years of full-time study.

Several colleges and universities offer a bachelor's degree in commercial pilot and flight crew training. A bachelor’s degree usually takes four years of full-time study to complete.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Airplane Pilots

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

To qualify for a commercial pilot's license, applicants must:

Be at least 18 years old
Be able to speak, read, write, and understand English
Hold a private pilot's certificate
Have at least 250 hours of flight experience
Pass a strict physical exam
Have 20/20 vision with or without glasses
Have good hearing
Pass written exams on safe flight and navigation techniques
Demonstrate their flying abilities to FAA examiners

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

This program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

Advanced Aerodynamics
Advanced Flight Maneuvers
Advanced Night Flying
Advanced Weather
High-Performance Takeoffs and Landings

Many programs teach students flight maneuvers using a flight simulator. This is in addition to flight time with an instructor.

Things to Know

Although not required, many programs encourage you to get your pilot's certificate.

To be licensed as a pilot, students must pass Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) written, oral, and flight tests supervised by an FAA examiner or inspector.