Get a First Class medical certificate from a Federal Aviation Administration medical examiner.

It is better to apply for a first class medical the first time you apply for a medical certificate to be sure you will qualify for one before you have invested too much time and money into your new career choice.

Get a 4-year college degree.

Virtually every flying job requires an associate degree and almost every airline pilot job requires a bachelors degree However, your degree doesn't have to be aviation related. Any college degree will do. Airline pilot training is intense and expensive. A college degree helps to demonstrate to the airline that you will be capable of completing their education program.

What topics will I need to learn?

Here is a brief overview of some of the topics you will need to master in order to earn a pilot's license:

• Aircraft systems: the basic components of an airplane, engine, flight controls, instruments, and how they operate.
• Aerodynamics: basic priciples of how an airplane is able to leave the ground, and how to control it once airborne.
• Navigation: how to use aviation maps and radio navigation aids to get you and your aircraft to your destination.
• Weather: basic concepts of weather formation, and how to obtain and interpret weather information that may affect your flight.
• Aircraft operations: just as there are rules for operating automobiles on roads and highways, there are rules governing the operation of aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS).
• Regulations: the applicable portions of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) which govern licensing of pilots and the licensing and operation of aircraft in the USA.

High School Courses:

Math and Science