About This Career

Pilots and navigates the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Operations pathway.

A person in this career:

• Uses instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
• Starts engines, operates controls, and pilots airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight according to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
• Monitors engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
• Checks aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
• Considers airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
• Contacts control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
• Obtains and reviews data such as load weights, fuel supplies, weather conditions, and flight schedules to determine flight plans and identify needed changes.
• Files instrument flight plans with air traffic control so that flights can be coordinated with other air traffic.
• Checks baggage or cargo to ensure that it has been loaded correctly.
• Orders changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Requires getting into awkward positions
• Lighting is either extremely bright or inadequate
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing objects clearly in glaring conditions or bright lighting
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overnight travel
• Overtime work
• Weekend work