Airline Pilot Requirements

Do you know what it takes to pin on the captain’s wings and fly a jetliner? Come to Paragon Flight to fulfill all airline pilot requirements to pursue your ambitions.

Requirements for Airline Pilots

Aviation Credentials

Airline Pilot RequirementsThe credentials required of airline pilots include:

  • Private Pilot License (PPL)
  • Instrument Flight Rating (IFR)
  • Commercial Pilot License, Single Engine and Multi-Engine (CSEL/CMEL)
  • Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification + 1,500 flight hours
    • 50 multi-engine hours
    • 75 instrument hours
    • 500 cross-country hours
    • 100 night hours
    • ATP written exam – completed and passed
  • FAA 1st Class Medical Certification

Age

Ultimately, you’ll need to be at least 23 years old before working as an airliner’s PIC (Pilot in Command). However, you can earn your Commercial Pilot License at 18 and your restricted Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certification at 21 years of age.

Education

Airlines typically prefer a bachelor’s degree for pilots; however, the pilot shortage has opened up training to a broader range of pilot training options, including programs like the ones available here at Paragon Flight.

Vision

An airline pilot must have 20/20 vision, with correction through glasses or contact lenses. Special conditions apply to color-blind candidates.

P3 Professional Pilot Program Participation

The fast track to working as an airline pilot comes from participation in the P3 Professional Pilot Program. This program includes four distinct phases, each culminating in acquiring essential credentials.

Phase One – 0-10 weeks, Private Pilot License (PPL) – establishes the foundation for all training focusing on fundamentals.

Phase Two – 11-18 weeks, Instrument Flight Rating (IFR) – prepares pilots to fly in all conditions using navigation and communication aircraft systems.

Phase Three – 19-30 weeks, Commercial License, Single Engine and Multi-Engine (CSEL/CMEL) – prepares pilots to fly professionally, at a mastery of safety and best practices.

Phase Four – 31-38 weeks, Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certification – ideal entry point for pilots because they can earn a living while accruing the 1,500 required flight hours.

To participate in this program, we require that candidates be at least 18 years old, a high school graduate or GED recipient, and a hard-working and dedicated person. We will need two references – one personal and one professional – to demonstrate the level of work ethic and integrity we require. Additional requirements include a clean background check, driving record, FAA record, and behavioral/cognitive evaluation. They should also be able to obtain a first-class FAA medical, speak, read, write, and understand English, and participate full-time in the program.

Every week, participants will participate in 4-5 flight lessons and 10-20 hours of knowledge, classroom, and CBT training.

Advantages of Paragon Flight

Paragon Flight offers students every aspect required for outstanding experiences:

  • Instructors – experienced and proven with a diversity of backgrounds;
  • Curriculum – world-class Jeppesen curriculum;
  • Training aircraft – Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) for single-engine and multi-engine flight training
  • Facilities – locations with modern facilities and runways for practice.

We have three locations where we provide flight training. The primary location is in Fort Myers, FL, at Page Field (FMY), and our two satellite locations are found in Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) in Punta Gorda, FL, and LaGrange-Callaway Airport (LGC) in LaGrange, GA, respectively.

Click here to contact our team and arrange for a custom program that helps you get closer to meeting the requirements for becoming an airline pilot.