Commercial Pilots

Pilot and navigate 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. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots.

On the job, you would:

• Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
• Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
• Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.

Education

• certificate after high school
• high school diploma/GED

Business

• customer service

Arts and Humanities

• English language

Transportation

• movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Math and Science

• geography

Basic Skills

• keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
• thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem

Problem Solving

• noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

• thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
• figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Realistic

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Stress Tolerance
• Integrity
• Self Control
• Adaptability/Flexibility

Controlled Movement

• quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
• quickly decide if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part

Attention

• pay attention to something without being distracted
• do two or more things at the same time

Verbal

• communicate by speaking
• listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

• notice when problems happen