Pilot Resume [Example for Download]

Pilot Resume Example

Commercial pilots need strong technical and customer service skills. Show airlines you're the pilot they've been seeking by using our pilot resume example for inspiration, and make your career prospects soar.

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RESUME SUMMARY

Commercial Airline Pilot with 8+ years of experience and 7,000+ flight hours, including 2,000+ as Pilot in Command. Solid understanding of modern aircraft technology, aviation best practices, cockpit equipment, and FMS and EFIS operations. Dedicated professional committed to safety-first approach while providing a great passenger experience.

WORK EXPERIENCE

ExpressJet Air, New York City, NY
Airline Pilot, September 2015–present

Fly commercial passenger aircraft between 47 destinations in compliance with company policies and FAA aviation regulations
Manage cockpit and crew resources, ensuring safe, timely, and comfortable flights and excellent customer service with exceptional passenger experience
Work effectively with crew members, airline personnel, and cabin crew with varying personalities and experience levels
Ensure flawless flights by examining and analyzing operational equipment, navigational controls, fuel levels, and communication tools
Schedule FAR Part 121 transport operations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Accomplished 1,300+ flight hours including 400 nighttime and 600 cross-country hours

FlyUS, Las Vegas, NV
Commercial Airline Pilot, June 2011–September 2015

Flew regular passenger flights between Las Vegas, Baltimore, New York City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Diego
Completed 1,000+ hours of flight with 100% safety and passengers satisfaction
Operated instruments and devices installed in Boeing 727, 707, and 757 planes while ensuring flight departures and arrivals according to the schedule
Experienced with FMS and EFIS systems
Worked closely with the captain, prioritizing safety of the aircraft and delivering detailed planning for every flight such as weather forecasting and all other operational aspects
Maintained health and safety compliance throughout the flight in accordance with international policies and airline regulations

EDUCATION

Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO
BS Aviation Management, May 2011

Honors: cum laude (3.8/4.0)

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

How To Write A Pilot Resume

Learning how to put together a resume for the specific job(s) you want will help you land more interviews.

Piloting is a high-skill position that requires extensive training with no room for error. Employers — passenger and cargo airlines — need to know you’re a certified pilot with many flight hours so you don’t make a mistake that could cost millions of dollars and lives.

With a strong pilot resume, you can prove that you’re an experienced airplane pilot-in-command or first officer and stand out from competitors. To help your job hunt, here are three tips for writing your airline pilot resume:

1. Highlight your pilot resume skills

While some level of people skills is useful on commercial flights to keep passengers informed, hiring managers primarily look for your flying skills before they hire you.

Fill your resume skills section with relevant hard skills to reassure them that you have the training and experience to do the job.

Some of the top pilot skills to include on your resume are:

Flight control software
Flight management systems (FMS)
Electronic flight instrument systems (EFIS)
Route navigation software (Navzilla)
ADF/NDB
General computer skills
Airplane mechanics
Autopilot systems
Time management skills
Instrument landing systems (ILS)
Geographical knowledge
Mathematics
Visual vs instrument flight rules (VFR/IFR)
Systems evaluation
Handling rejected takeoffs/missed approaches
Critical thinking
Flight operations and control
Office suite software (Microsoft Office, Google Workspace)

Interpersonal skills don’t hurt because everybody likes pleasant colleagues who can use their communication skills to create a tight-knit crew. But if they have to choose between a good pilot and a nice person, they’ll go with the person who’s less of a flight risk.

Additionally, note how many flight hours you have. It’s expected on any pilot resume.

2. Open with a strong pilot resume summary

A resume summary is a short paragraph located just underneath your name that summarizes the key points of your application and your most impressive accomplishments. It’s a highlight reel for your resume.

Hiring managers usually only spend a few seconds on each application. If they don’t see what they need, they’ll move on to the next candidate. But with a strong resume summary, you can quickly communicate your qualifications, making the employer want to interview you.

This sample has a well-written resume summary:

Commercial Airline Pilot with 8+ years of experience and 7,000+ flight hours, including 2,000+ as Pilot in Command. Solid understanding of modern aircraft technology, aviation best practices, cockpit equipment, and FMS and EFIS operations. Dedicated professional, committed to a safety-first approach while providing a great passenger experience.

From reading this, you immediately know the candidate is experienced, knowledgeable, and has leadership skills. The hiring manager will be able to tell from just these few lines that they’re the right person for the job

3. Add hard numbers to your achievements

“Show, don’t tell” is most well known as a writing rule, but it applies to job hunting too. Quantify the accomplishments on your resume with hard data to demonstrate what you can do in concrete terms. Telling an employer that you’re experienced is not enough — showing you have 7,000+ flight hours is more precise and impressive.

You can find hard numbers throughout your work as a pilot. Flight hours are an obvious example, but you can also use the average number of passengers you transport, your safety record, and the model numbers of planes you’re certified for. Also look for percentages, time, or money saved when you can.

There are several examples of hard numbers in this resume sample:

Accomplished 1,300+ flight hours, including 400 nighttime and 600 cross-country hours

Completed 1,000+ hours of flight with 100% safety record and passenger satisfaction

Operated instruments and devices installed in Boeing 727, 707, and 757 planes while ensuring flight departures and arrivals according to schedule

Hard numbers like these provide irrefutable proof you’re a talented pilot.