Corporate Pilot Training

The Basics

You'll need to get a physical examination from a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Medical Examiner and at least a third class medical certificate before you can earn your private pilot, or commercial pilot licenses. During the examination, you'll need to demonstrate good overall health, 20/20 uncorrected or corrected vision, good hearing, and no physical challenges that would limit your ability to fly. If you do have any special challenges, you may be able to earn a waiver from the FAA, but plan on this taking some extra time.

You can begin your corporate pilot training as early as seventeen, but in order to earn a commercial pilot certificate, you must be at least eighteen years old. Keep in mind that pilots with a college education are more likely to get hired as corporate pilots, so don't count college out just yet. You could even attend an aviation college and earn your licenses and rating while you're getting a degree. Read more about a corporate pilot license.

The Path to Corporate Pilot Training

Unless you're transitioning from the military, you will probably attend a local flight school, flight training academy, or college with a flight training program. Doing a little research about the schools you might want to attend can go a long way towards advancing your career. For example, if you want to become a corporate pilot, you'll need to earn at least your private and commercial licenses, with multi-engine and instrument ratings. Many flight training academies offer package deals to get you all of these requirements for significantly less cost than to earn each license and rating independently. Plus, those package deals are typically accelerated training (similar to the military) that will get you to your goal as fast as possible. However, if you're going to college and earning your licenses, you may have the advantage over flight academy candidates because of the degree you will earn. Read more about corporate pilot jobs.

Building Corporate Pilot Flight Hours

Also consider each school's policy towards hiring graduates as flight instructors. After you earn your licenses and ratings, becoming a flight instructor is often the best way to build up your pilot in command flight hours. Many flight schools and flight academies offer instructor jobs to their graduates as a way to build these flight hours. The more hours you have, the better your chance of getting the corporate pilot job you want.