The road to the cockpit is a serious process that takes planning, money and perseverance. Whether you are still at secondary school, studying or looking for a new direction as a career changer, the path is broadly the same for everyone. In this guide you will read how to become a pilot, which routes exist, the timeline for pilot training and how selection works. In short, the process looks like this: Explore the profession and check whether the life of an airline pilot suits you. Have the required commercial medical examination before you take on any commitments. Get your prior education in order (upper secondary education with mathematics and physics is the norm, and there are alternative routes for candidates with a vocational background), and then choose a training route, such as integrated ATPL, modular, multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) or military. Prepare for and complete the selection of the flight school or cadet programme. Complete the training, including ATPL theory, flight training and skill tests, up to and including your frozen ATPL. Apply to airlines, obtain your type rating and start as a co-pilot. Below, we go through each step, including the points where candidates get stuck in practice. Be honest with yourself while you explore: the job is less glamorous than its image, and an irregular life has to suit you. Talk to pilots and visit open days before you make big decisions.

The road to the cockpit begins with manageable actions, such as making a financial plan and discussing it with the people around you.

A Private Pilot Licence (PPL) is a recreational licence that lets you fly yourself with passengers, but not work as a pilot for pay, apart from giving paid instruction as a flight instructor. A PPL is not a compulsory first step; some airline pilots start directly at an academy. A Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) is trained with a specific airline in mind and entitles you to act as co-pilot on aeroplanes that must be flown with a co-pilot; it is a full professional licence, and you can have it replaced by a CPL once you meet the CPL requirements (FCL.405.A). In 2022, flight schools could roughly be divided into three categories: schools owned by an airline, preferred suppliers with airline contracts, and schools without direct affiliation that mention in their marketing where former students work. A 'preferred supplier' means that an airline prefers to hire recent graduates put forward by a particular flight school; many airlines work with such a preferred school. More and more airlines train their own pilots, such as Transavia and TUI fly Belgium with MPL programmes, Wizz Air with its own flight school, British Airways with the Speedbird Academy and Ryanair through partner schools. A cadet programme is often financially attractive and offers job prospects, but places are scarce and there are far more applications than places. With sponsorship (an airline cadet programme), the airline pays (part of) the training and the pilot commits for several years; anyone who leaves earlier must repay (part of) the training costs. According to one flight school in 2011, airlines roughly followed an order of preference: first experienced pilots, then people from a 'preferred' training provider (such as Lufthansa Flight Training), then candidates put forward by a school, and finally the open market. PFT (Pay For Time), P2F and PTF (Pay to Fly) mean the same thing: you pay an airline to fly for it as a pilot and so build experience.123451718

All civil routes in Europe fall under the rules of the European aviation authority and lead to the same kinds of licences. The difference lies in the order, the pace, the costs and the extent to which an airline is already involved in your training. On an integrated ATPL course, you complete theory and flight training in one continuous programme at a school, in a fixed group, with a tight schedule. The advantage is pace and structure: the school monitors your progress and the link between the phases. The disadvantage is that you make the full investment upfront and can hardly work during the training. The modular route splits the training into separate blocks. You usually start with PPL lessons up to your initial licence, build flying experience, then do the ATPL theory and finish with the CPL and the instrument rating. Between the blocks you can work and save, which makes the financing more manageable. On the other hand, the process requires more self-discipline and you keep control of the planning and the link between schools yourself. An MPL course only exists in cooperation with an airline and trains you specifically for that airline's multi-crew environment. You spend time in the simulator of a large airliner, and less time in small training aircraft. The military route is in effect a career in the armed forces in which flying is part of a service contract. After the commitment period some military pilots move to civil aviation, although that requires additional civil licences and exams. Which route suits you depends on your budget, your situation and your appetite for risk. The timeline to become a pilot depends almost entirely on the route you choose.

The whole path to becoming a pilot takes an indicative two to five years, depending on the route you choose. There are four main routes to becoming an airline pilot: integrated ATPL (about 2 years, full time), modular (about 2 to 4 years, at your own pace), MPL (about 2 years, linked to one airline) and military (a long service commitment with the armed forces). An integrated ATPL course takes about 18 to 24 months. From the start of an integrated course to the first paid flight as first officer, an indicative estimate is two and a half to three years, depending on the job market. According to a pilot in 2010, an integrated course at one flight school took almost 3 years at the time. For candidates with a senior vocational background, the preparation phase up to a flight school, from orientation up to and including selection, takes from a few months to more than a year, depending on how much catching up is needed. Missing subjects such as advanced mathematics or physics, taken as individual certificates, take 6 to 12 months, depending on the number of subjects. According to a pilot and former instructor, modular professional training alongside a job can be completed in 4 to 5 years. In 2025 House of Pilots offered a route in which the whole path to flying as a pilot takes about 3.5 years. In 2022 an experienced pilot estimated that a late starter is 4 to 7 years away from a job at a major Middle Eastern airline, depending on the route chosen. According to a pilot in 2007, the path from the start of training to a flying job took about twenty months. Flight training in training aircraft and in simulators is completed with the skill tests for the CPL and the instrument rating. This training depends on the weather, theory exams have fixed sessions and resits take time, and at popular schools there can be a waiting period between selection and start date. People who want to keep working alongside their training therefore often deliberately choose the modular route and accept the longer duration. Career changers also often find the modular route practical, as they can keep working while progressing in phases. However, alongside a full-time job, theory takes evenings and weekends over a long period, and the flying phases require continuous availability. Life experience, work experience and discipline are often an advantage in selection.134689

The pilot market swings between a large shortage and a large surplus, so whether a given moment to start pilot training was favourable or unfavourable can only be judged in hindsight. A widebody captain said in 2023 that he would certainly still start pilot training, given how long a career lasts. In the tight market of 2012, one pilot advised first completing a full degree programme that would be useful later. The 2025 recruitment wave mainly benefits those who are already competitive; aspiring pilots who are only starting their training in 2025 risk missing this cyclical wave. Between attending an open day, applying, selection and the actual start date of a pilot training course, there can be a period of six months to a year. Aspiring pilots who want to start in the autumn attend open days in the spring or even the year before. Flight schools publish open day dates on their own websites, and these change each year or quarter. In 2025, one candidate worked for dnata in the Break & Build department, which he described as simple and sometimes monotonous work, while waiting for the theory phase of his training, which was due to start six to nine months later. This work was reasonably paid thanks to night and weekend shifts. A first officer who used to build cargo pallets at KLM Cargo warned in 2025 that this is physically demanding work with a lot of lifting and risk of injury, and that it has nothing to do with flying. After training, there can be a period of 5 to 7 years before a first paid flying job is found, and the cost of keeping your licences valid is at your own expense. One pilot reported in 2025 that 21 years passed between obtaining his PPL and his first jet job on a Citation.1249

Before you spend any money on training, there is a step that comes before everything else: the medical. If you are not passed straight away on an item, that is not always the end. For some findings there are additional tests, re-examinations or certificates with limitations. In that case, get proper advice from the aeromedical centre before drawing conclusions.

When comparing schools, look beyond the brochure. Relevant questions include fleet modernity, training locations, theory results of previous intakes, placement records and what is included in the price. Visit open days to talk to instructors and students. Some schools train at locations abroad with more stable flying weather, while the theory phase takes place at home. Note the difference between an open course, where you look for an employer yourself after completion, and a cadet programme, where an airline selects in advance and the training is linked to that airline. Each school and airline sets its own conditions for its programme. For most aspiring airline pilots the costs are the biggest hurdle. On top of the tuition there are often costs for the medical, exams, accommodation at a training location abroad and sometimes the type rating. Ask every school for a full cost breakdown including exams, landing fees, accommodation and any resits. Be careful about borrowing on the basis of an optimistic salary scenario, and ensure your financial plan includes a buffer for delays or a scenario where your initial job takes longer to come or pays less than hoped.

Taking the Class 1 medical before any financial commitment avoids such commitments if you receive a limitation, and prevents losing tens of thousands of euros if you are found unfit. Most flight schools want to see a valid Class 1 medical at intake or shortly after the start of training. A loan for pilot training is a large commitment without a job guarantee, and aviation is cyclical, which can mean that repayment starts before you have found a first job as first officer. It is advisable to work through scenarios, such as finding work 6 or 12 months later. One guide lists five routes to finance pilot training: a specialised student loan from a bank, a loan or guarantee within the family, your own capital, working and saving through a modular route, and cadet programmes with (partial) airline funding. Specialised student loans almost always exist in partnership with specific flight schools and usually require security, often a guarantee from the parents.11011

To become a pilot, you prepare for months for selections that test numerical skills, spatial awareness, multitasking and working memory. Selections at professional flight schools usually test these skills, supplemented by personality questionnaires and interviews, and the aptitude tests closely resemble those used by airlines. You go through selection tests that measure your psychomotor aptitude and cognitive skills. Psychomotor tests are developed specifically for pilots and assess hand-eye coordination, multitasking, memory and reaction speed using a joystick, pedals and a screen. Cognitive tests for aspiring pilots include reasoning tests such as logical, verbal, numerical, abstract and spatial reasoning. Mathematics (mental arithmetic, units, conversions), physics (aerodynamics, weather) and aviation English (ICAO levels, radiotelephony) are also tested. These tests feature at almost every airline as part of pre-selection. Start practising months before the selection date, not weeks, as skills such as multitasking and mental arithmetic under time pressure do not improve in a short time. Mental arithmetic under time pressure and multitasking are elements you can train well. Turning up unprepared, insufficient or rusty maths knowledge and nerves are common reasons for rejection. Gaps in mathematics or physics can be closed through adult education courses for individual upper secondary certificates in mathematics and physics, an entrance test for mature candidates or an admission test, a refresher course or focused self-study. A strong motivation in a selection interview includes a personal experience, an understanding of the pilot profession and an explanation of why the specific course or airline suits you. On an application form or in an interview at a flight school, it is advisable to answer honestly about previous selections, as a rejection you kept quiet about can later raise questions about your reliability. Experienced pilots warned in 2025 that the same weak points often resurface at a subsequent pilot selection.11011121314

Meeting the entry requirements for pilot training is not the end of it, as almost every serious flight school and cadet programme uses a selection. A pilot selection at professional flight schools usually consists of aptitude tests, knowledge tests in mathematics and physics at upper secondary level, a personality questionnaire and interviews, sometimes with a group exercise or simulator check. Pilot selection makes no distinction by prior education: candidates with a senior vocational diploma and those with a pre-university diploma get the same aptitude tests, maths questions and the same interview. Age is not a formal selection criterion in pilot selections. An employer or flight school may consult applicants' social media only if this has been announced in advance in the vacancy or procedure. At many academies a selection day runs in rounds, and candidates drop out after each round. According to candidates, the second selection phase of the Etihad cadet programme in 2008 consisted of psychomotor tests and a personality test on day 1, followed by another personality test, group exercises and an interview on day 2. Of 22 candidates, 2 dropped out after day 1. If you are rejected, you can ask for feedback, work specifically on your weak areas and consider another school or route. Academies and airlines look for candidates who process information quickly, stay calm under pressure, work well with others and are coachable. Precisely because the flight training itself can be learned well, selection mainly filters on these basic abilities and on motivation.11114

The drop-out rate during selections is considerable, and flight school selections reject a considerable share of candidates every year. If you fail once, many schools impose a waiting period before you may apply again. The drop-out rate in Europe is lower, but there are many qualified pilots without a flying job. According to one pilot, of an ATPL theory distance learning class of 25 people, only 2 had found work as a pilot after 4 years, around 2010. He notes that those who did not find a job are less likely to talk about the experience. Of two graduating classes from one flight school (5 and 10 students), fewer than half (7 of 15) had a flying job in early 2009, more than 8 months after graduating. A flight instructor with 8,000 hours of instructing experience reported in 2025 that he himself was once rejected after half a day at both a military pilot selection and KLM Flight Academy.1415

Candidates report that the path to becoming a pilot is challenging because of high costs and an unstable job market. A pilot who was job-seeking in 2010 with considerable debts advises thinking carefully about the high cost of training, noting that most people who start training are really young and have no idea about money. The aviation job market can be unstable; in 2009 a pilot with around 6 years of experience saw two employers go bankrupt and a third close, while terms and conditions deteriorated at almost all airlines. This pilot, who went through three bankruptcies and worked in Canada, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, warns that a job for life is rare and that terms and conditions are falling almost everywhere. He advises against doing it for high salaries because they hardly exist, and warns that a stable approach is the only stability you will find in this business. Another pilot who was out of work for almost a year at the end of 2009 with about 1,000 hours of experience found that these hours hardly counted in applications and that he felt like an ab initio again. Experiences vary, especially in how flying hours and the school name are valued. In 2008 a pilot said that, during six years in the holding pool after passing KLM selection, he was overtaken at various international airlines or not allowed to do their selection, purely because of his school name. In 2024 a pilot in Canada found that a long trip across northern Canada on his CV helped him find his first and second jobs, while some European employers see such trips as irresponsible. A pilot with a vocational qualification in aircraft maintenance noticed that prior education carries less weight in the United Kingdom than on the continent, where airlines almost always ask for a bachelor's degree or higher. A modular-trained pilot reported in 2020 that age in principle plays little role in finding a cockpit job, provided the sector is growing. He found his first job at 32 and had a classmate over 40 who was also starting his first flying job. A flight instructor with 8,000 hours of instructing experience said in 2025 that almost anyone can get a PPL, but that this does not mean everyone can become a pilot.46811141516

Getting your licence is not the end. Between your licence and the right-hand seat of an airliner come an airline selection, a type rating and line training under supervision. New pilots usually join a regional, low-cost or charter airline, sometimes directly with a legacy carrier if the market is favourable. Some airlines ask for a personal contribution to the type rating or attach a repayment arrangement to it. Aviation works with seniority almost everywhere. Your position on the list determines your chances of upgrading to captain, your base and your roster preferences. Moving to another airline usually means starting again at the bottom of the seniority list. When choosing your initial job, think about the fleet, the growth prospects and the base in the longer term. Salaries vary widely by country, airline and type of operation. The job market is cyclical, and periods of high demand alternate with quiet periods. Aircraft manufacturers and industry organisations have been forecasting a continuing worldwide demand for airline pilots, driven by fleet growth and the retirement of a large generation of pilots. Flexibility in base, airline and type of operation considerably increases your chances of a smooth start.