Flying Times
What do airlines need in a pilot?
Before you decide to join a CPL program, IGIA advises you to go through the following and find out if you fit the bill to first do the CPL and then will you be the right candidate for airline pilot career?
With a plain CPL, you will be coming into airline’s realm with little or no experience in the industry and very low flying hours. Some may have an entry level industry exposure via flying school or General Aviation work or be Type Rated too.
That makes it a whole new world you are entering for the first time… the world of aviation, the world of ‘the airlines’.
Our role is to prepare you for every aspect of the airline requirements, from resume and application preparation to group exercises, panel interviews and flight screening. But before all of that, we would like to address the most common question we are asked by first time candidates.
“What are the airlines looking for in a pilot?”
To begin with you should give thought to these points as these are the areas you will find airlines are particular for.
- Potential
- Motivation
- Team and leadership skills
- An appropriate level of self confidence
- An understanding of the career path
- An understanding of the role of a pilot
- Hands on flying ability
- Academic and technical ability
- Strengths
- Personality aptitudes
If you don’t know how to ascertain these points, or whether you have these aptitudes, then that is what we are here for: to guide you in understanding your potential, motivation, your current strengths and abilities.
We have some tests that may give you an idea about your ability to join an airline as a pilot. We see some fantastic candidates who will make exceptional pilots but have failed in their first attempts. It often comes down to not having done the thinking around the above points in enough detail.
Having a clear idea about the future requirements and skill sets you need to develop shall go a long way in being a competent pilot as well as being able to take that coveted seat in the cockpit soon.
Ground preparation is the key to a flying career ahead.