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The 10-step plan for becoming a professional pilot Marnie Munns prepares to fly an easyJet aircraft
How do I become a professional pilot? That was the question from 15-year-old Summer Carmichael who’s studying at Paisley Grammar School and, like many fifth-formers, is considering her career path. So here’s Flyer’s 10-step plan plus student pilot Sophie Eastabrook tells us how she got started. 1. Study the right subjects at school. Becoming a pilot involves maths and science so make sure your mental arithmetic and understanding of physics are up to speed. 2. Engage in other activities. Flying as a professional pilot means working with a team so you’ll need social skills. Airlines and other pilot employers are looking for well-rounded knowledgeable individuals with leadership potential. 3. Research the career. Long haul airline flying sounds wonderful but time away can be tough on family life. Understand what type of professional pilot you’d like to be – airline flying is not the only option. 16 | FLYER | October 2021
4. Book a flight in a light aircraft. All flying schools offer these – usually an hour spent with an instructor in a two- or four-seat aircraft. You need to be sure you’ll like flying!
5. Pass the Class 1 Medical. To become a professional pilot you’ll need to pass a Class 1 Medical. Get this out of the way early because you need to know you can pass the medical before going any
Have I got what it takes to be a pilot? You will face pilot assessment or aptitude tests when you apply to join a course with an Approved Training Organisation (ATO). That’s to make sure you aren’t wasting your money and they aren’t taking on a lost cause. But before you get to that stage, you can prepare and take practice tests which will help you understand areas where you need to develop. One company offering such preparation and practice tests is Symbiotics. Emma Akhurst is the Lead ADAPT Psychologist at Symbiotics and told us pilot aptitude tests are usually made up
of a combination of knowledge tests in areas such as maths, physics and cognitive reasoning, ability tests which look to measure your dexterity, multitasking and coordination and control, and behaviour and preference-based questionnaires, such as those measuring personality, to understand your suitability for a particular role or organisation. “It is really important to be as prepared as possible” said Emma. “Practice tests can help you to familarise yourself with the process and identify key development areas” Symbiotics preparation
