Is It Hard to Become a Pilot? Here’s the Honest Answer

Becoming a pilot has gotten complicated with all the conflicting advice and outdated information flying around. As someone who went through the research process and talked to dozens of working pilots, I learned everything there is to know about what the journey actually entails. Spoiler: it’s challenging, but probably not in the ways you’d expect.

Before You Even Start

There are some non-negotiable prerequisites. You need to be at least 17, speak English proficiently, and pass medical requirements. The good news? Glasses and contacts are fine for most certificate levels. You’ll need a medical certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner, which involves a physical exam covering vision, hearing, and general health.

What About Education?

A high school diploma is technically the minimum. But honestly? Most professional pilots have at least a bachelor’s degree. It doesn’t have to be in aviation — physics, math, engineering backgrounds help, but I’ve met airline captains with English and history degrees. The degree itself matters more than the field.

Step One: The Private Pilot License

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Your PPL is the foundation everything else builds on. It lets you fly for personal use but not for pay.

Ground School

This is the classroom portion. You’ll cover aerodynamics, weather, navigation, and federal regulations. Some people do this in a physical classroom, others go the online route. Either way, you need to know this material cold. Topics include:

• How lift and drag actually work (hint: it’s more nuanced than most people think)
• Reading weather charts and interpreting METARs and TAFs
• VFR and IFR navigation methods
• The FARs — which are dense but non-negotiable

Actual Flight Training

This is the fun part. The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours, but let’s be real — most people need 60-70 hours before they’re checkride-ready. You’ll learn:

• Basic aircraft control — turns, climbs, descents
• Takeoffs and landings (you’ll do hundreds)
• Emergency procedures — simulated engine failures, system malfunctions
• Solo flights — the first solo is genuinely terrifying and exhilarating

Your CFI supervises all of this until you’re ready to solo, then continues instruction for more advanced maneuvers.

The Tests

You’ll take a written knowledge exam and then a practical test (checkride) with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. The practical includes an oral exam and actual flying. It’s stressful but manageable if you’ve prepared properly.

Building Hours

After your PPL, you need to accumulate flight time. The magic number for a commercial license is 250 hours. During this phase, fly in different weather, different aircraft types, and different environments. Cross-country flights are great hour-builders and genuinely enjoyable.

The Commercial License

That’s what makes the CPL endearing to us aspiring career pilots — it’s the ticket to getting paid to fly. Requirements include being 18+, holding a PPL, and passing additional written and practical tests. The advanced training covers complex aircraft ops, cross-country navigation, and night flying.

Instrument Rating

An instrument rating lets you fly in IMC — clouds, fog, low visibility. Training focuses on instrument navigation, flying solely by reference to gauges, and handling emergencies in instrument conditions. This rating is essentially mandatory for any professional pilot career.

Flight Instructor Path

Many aspiring airline pilots become CFIs to build hours. It’s a legitimate strategy — you get paid (modestly) while accumulating the flight time you need. Plus, teaching forces you to understand concepts at a deeper level. There are additional tests involved, but if you’ve made it this far, you’ll handle them.

The ATP: Airline-Level Certificate

For the major airlines, you need an Airline Transport Pilot certificate. The requirements are steep: 1,500 flight hours and complex written and practical exams. Most airlines want additional qualifications beyond the minimums. This is the final gate, and it’s substantial.

The Money Question

Flight training is expensive. A PPL typically runs $8,000-$15,000. The complete path through an ATP can reach $80,000 or more. Financing options exist, and some airlines offer cadet programs with tuition assistance. But don’t go in without understanding the financial commitment.

Career Prospects

The job market fluctuates, but right now there’s a genuine pilot shortage. Entry-level gigs include charter flying, aerial survey work, crop dusting, and flight instruction. With experience, regional airline positions open up, and from there, the majors. The earning potential at the top is excellent.

So Is It Hard?

Yes. But not impossibly so. The journey demands discipline, financial commitment, and a genuine love of flying. The technical knowledge is learnable, the skills are trainable, and the path is well-defined. The hardest part, in my experience, isn’t any single test or maneuver — it’s sustaining motivation through the long middle stretch where you’re building hours and the airline cockpit still feels far away. If you can push through that, you’ll make it.