How long does it take to become a pilot?

If you are thinking about pursuing a career as a pilot, an important factor in this decision is how long it will take you to become a fully-fledged pilot and start flying.

It can take anywhere from 12 months upwards to become a commercial pilot in the U.S. if you do not already possess any pilot qualifications or licenses.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question "how long does it take to become a pilot?" because it depends on a number of factors, including:

• Whether you already hold a Private Pilot License
• How much prior flying experience you have
• Which program you take to become a pilot
• How long it takes you to build the required flying hours

Find out more about how to become a pilot, including programs, costs, durations and job prospects.

How long does it take to get your Private Pilot License?

Whether you want to learn to fly as a hobby or for a career, the first step is to obtain your Private Pilot License. It takes around 4-6 months to get your PPL, depending on how intensively you study the course material and complete the 40 required hours of flight time.

Find out more about how to become a private pilot, how to fund your training and the duration of a PPL program.

How many hours of training to become a pilot?

For the Private Pilot License you are required to complete 40 hours of flight training. As no previous experience is necessary, you can fully engage in the adventure as a pilot in training and your experienced Flight Instructor will guide you through the ins and outs of flying.

Once you have completed this first step and are a private pilot, you can fly in and out of civil airports, but you cannot fly commercially or receive compensation for flights.

At this point, you can start thinking about your future as a pilot, which may lead you to take the steps to become a commercial pilot, for example.

How many hours of training to become a commercial pilot? To obtain your Commercial Pilot Certificate, you must complete 250 hours of flight time. If you wish to become a commercial airline pilot, you must build 1,500 flying hours.

How long does it take to become a commercial pilot?

Qualifying for a commercial pilot license can take around 2 years as you need to meet the appropriate requirements and build your flying hours. However, there are quicker ways to become a commercial airline pilot if you want to kickstart your career as soon as possible.

What is the fastest way to become a commercial pilot?

The fastest way to become a commercial airline pilot in the US is to undertake our Accelerated Airline Pilot Track (AAPT) which takes 12 months to complete. In this time, you will complete your:

• Private Pilot Certificate
• Instrument Rating
• Commercial Pilot Certificate
• Certified Flight Instructor Certificate
• Certified Flight Instructor Instrument Rating

If you are an international student wanting to study in the U.S., the fastest way to become a commercial pilot is to complete our Professional Pilot Program which takes around 56 weeks and guarantees you an interview to become a Certified Flight Instructor at the end of it, allowing you to build your flying hours.

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