Flight school enrolment is necessary to become a pilot.

what should i study to become a pilot

I promise to eliminate your confusion about what you should study to become a pilot.

Here you’ll know which path to choose to become a professional pilot in the future. In this post, you will discover the following:

  • What should you study to become a pilot?;
  • Do pilot studies involve actual airplane flying?;
  • Who will teach you during pilot training?;
  • Is flight school training better than a bachelor’s degree in aviation?
  • Which route is preferred by aspiring pilots?;
  • Is having a degree essential for a professional pilot career?

Lastly, I described many matters relevant to pilot training.

What should you study to become a pilot?

The commercial pilot programs include PPL, CPL, IR, and ME. Going to college for an aviation-related degree and continuing pilot training is a great option. OR enroll in a Flight school and get your pilot license to become a pilot. Both study options will save you time, and you will be a pilot quickly.

So which option do you think is best for you?

I will share a bit about myself. After finishing 12th grade, I didn’t wish to study anymore. So I avoided going to college. I had no intention of getting a bachelor’s degree.

So I thought that becoming a pilot was only about flying airplanes and I didn’t have to study.

So I searched online and found a flight school and applied for enrollment.

In 6 months, I was in a foreign country flying airplanes.

It may sound like a simple, achievable dream for you. However, pilot training is not just about flying. It’s about becoming a safe pilot.

A competent pilot knows plenty of things. The pilot training does not emphasize one subject but many subjects simultaneously.

So the study time required for pilot training is not effortless. You’re mistaken if you think you can avoid studying long hours by becoming a pilot.

If you have a passion for learning new things, you will like getting a bachelor’s degree in aviation and enrolling in flight school to get your license.

What if you are not interested in studying at all?

No such option is left for you without studying and becoming a pilot.

You certainly will not spend hours studying during your pilot training in a flight school, but you have to learn to prepare for your exams and checkride.

There are two exams for each stage of pilot training. One is the theory knowledge test, and the other is a practical exam.

To pass both exams, you must study or get hammered by your examiner for not answering the questions correctly.

So the straightforward answer remains with you. If you can dedicate four years to studying, you can choose a degree with your pilot training.

However, if your goal is to get your commercial pilot license to advance your career, I recommend going to a flight school for pilot training.

Do pilot studies involve actual airplane flying?

Before operating an airplane in the sky, you will have at least forty hours of ground classes. During ground classes, you will study the most relevant subjects for safe flight operations in the sky.

After finishing your ground classes, you will fly an airplane to build hours in the sky.

The instructor will teach you maneuvers during actual flying and communicate with other traffic in the area.

You can’t always read a book and learn practical skills. Hundreds of hours of practice are required to become a competent pilot.

There are stages to accomplish until you become a commercial pilot.

You must get your private pilot license first, then a commercial pilot license, and then an Instrument rating to become a pilot. Many student pilots also get a multi-engine rating to improve their flight skills.

RELATED: How hard is flight school?

What are the key differences between a flight school and a college degree?

  • It takes 12 to 16 months to get a commercial pilot license with an instrument rating in a flight school.
  • Choosing the college degree track will take you there in 4 years.
  • Flight school only focuses on completing flight hours as early as possible.
  • A college degree and a pilot license will give you a graduation degree certificate in your chosen field.

Rather than asking others about what to study to become a pilot, you must figure out the best route for yourself.

Whether you enroll in a flight school to become a pilot or choose an aviation degree, you can’t escape studying.

Who’ll teach you during your pilot training?

Pilot training instructors are also pilots. They went the extra mile and obtained their Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) License.

Being a CFI is a challenging task.

As a CFI, you must be ready to answer students’ questions. Thus CFIs are hard-working, intelligent, knowledgeable people and share their knowledge with the students.

Experienced CFIs typically have thousands of hours flying an aircraft and hundreds of hours teaching on the ground. Trust your flight instructor, whether in a flight school or a college degree.

Is flight school training better than a bachelor’s degree in aviation?

You’ll study more in college for four years than in a flight school for two years.

On the contrary, flight schools offer professional pilot programs. These programs are fast-paced, and pilot students must study harder quickly to pass all the necessary examinations.

If you enroll in a bachelor’s degree, you may as well work vigorously to earn good results.
Nevertheless, the essential thing is to have actual flying experience as a pilot.

RELATED: How hard is flight school?

Which route is preferred by aspiring pilots?

There is no right and wrong path between these two options.

Flight schools are specialized only in teaching how to fly an airplane, and aviation degrees are more elaborate on a specific subject.

Aspiring pilots often prefer accelerated training programs. Some may choose a college degree, believing they will learn more. But in the end, all that matters in the industry is how well-experienced a pilot is in actual flight.

You’ll learn the fundamentals of flight and airplane operating in a flight school. On the other hand, each college degree specializes in specific matters of the aviation industry.

For instance, you can study aviation management or aeronautical engineering, depending on your choice, together with pilot training.

Ultimately you may become a pilot, but you will spend years learning another subject other than flying an airplane.

Another important subject is you can enroll in flight school for pilot training at a young age, unlike for a college degree, you’ve to wait until you finish your 12th grade.

You do not have to wait until you finish high school to get your private pilot license in a flight school.

However, to obtain a commercial pilot license, you must complete high school or 12th grade. Getting your commercial pilot license will take you closer to your dream job.

The advantage of a flight school study is you can start early in your journey.

Unlike a bachelor’s degree, you do not have to wait for four years in a flight school to complete your course to become a pilot.

A commercial pilot license with multiple other ratings is required to progress your career. Flight schools, on average, allow a student to become a commercial pilot in a one-year to 18 months period.

Is having a degree essential for a professional pilot career?

Having a bachelor’s degree is subjective. An airline may prefer more flying hours over a bachelor’s degree.

Some airlines hire pilots with minimum hours, but the advantage for low-hour pilots at this stage might be having a degree.

Many airlines don’t even ask for a pilot’s educational qualification as long as the pilot has thousands of hours.

The crucial aspect of hiring a pilot is the pilot’s actual flight experience.

Airlines’ probability of being recruited for you will be more distinguished if you have logged more flight hours than a pilot with less flying experience with a degree.

RELATED: How to get flight hours as a pilot?

It is also true that having fewer hours with a college degree will allow you to stand out from many other job applicants.

It is ubiquitous for student pilots to lose motivation halfway through their aviation training.

RELATED: Why do student pilots quit?

Which path will open more doors for aspiring pilots?

A commercial pilot license with a college degree gives you a bigger chance of standing out during job applications.

It is not crucial for pilots to have a college degree to start in this field. But having a college degree is a requirement by many airlines.

Actual flying hours mean the pilot is skilled in flying, not just theories.

A college degree will not matter much if the airline has an applicant younger than you with more flying hours.

Because I consider in this field, the swifter you achieve your pilot license, the higher your indications for getting a job in the airline.

When can you start your pilot course?

You can wait until you finish your 12th grade to enroll in a flight school or a bachelor’s degree in a related profession.

I propose that everyone is willing to become a pilot and not wait for quite a long.

I suggest enrolling in an online private pilot ground school for youthful potential students after passing their 10th grade. This way, they can explore subjects about becoming a pilot.

And once they have their private pilot license, they may continue flying to obtain the required hours for a commercial pilot license.

Thus by the time they finish high school, they will have adequate hours for commercial pilot license applications.

And without wasting too much time, they will have a commercial pilot license at a young age.

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5 Comments

  1. I am willing but I just have grade 10 any maximum fees to be paid please let me know at this number 0816535319 or for any information please I am from Namibia

  2. Dear Sir/Madam.I am from IRAN .I am 26 years old. I am quite enthusiastic to participate in flight school .Do you think airline companies will employee 30 years pilot ?

    1. It is normal for airlines to hire 30 years old pilots. The typical retirement age for airline pilots is between 60-65, depending on the airlines. Thus even if you start working at 30 years old, you still have another 30 years to work as a pilot in airlines. So, don’t hesitate, enroll in a flight school and begin your training.
      By the way, why do you think that airlines will not hire 30 years old pilot?

  3. Thanks for the reminder that starting at a younger age would help a lot when planning to become a pilot. My son is thinking about taking a private pilot course someday because that has always been his dream. Supporting him however I can will surely be something for me to keep up with in the years to come.

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