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Meet Madison, 25, a trainee pilot at Skyborne Airline Academy in Cheltenham. Find out more about the job of a commercial pilot and the route she's taking to get there.

Part of our Bitesize world of work series.

I'll get to travel the world and I'll get get paid to do it.

  • Madison is training to become a commercial airline pilot. Once she completes her training and is fully qualified, Madison's future job will involve flying aircraft, passengers and cargo around the world.
  • The route she has taken involves completing an Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) course, a type of course run by specialist private training organisations.
  • Training to be a pilot is expensive, and involves a mixture of training in the classroom, in flight simulators and flying different aircraft.
  • The main skills Madison uses in her role as a trainee cadet are team work, problem solving, and communication.
  • Maths and Physics are useful subjects as they provide understanding of how flying and the aircraft works.
  • After A-levels Madison wanted to try something different so she studied model-making at university before enrolling on the training course.
  • Once she completes the training, Madison can go on to apply for jobs with an airline and gain more flying experience on specific aircraft.
  • Her ambition is to become a first officer and then a commanding officer, also known as a captain.
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Top tips

  • Take every opportunity to be a part of the industry. Go to local flying clubs, do trial lessons, or volunteer at aviation museums.
  • Remember what you're working towards. It's a lot of hard work to become a pilot but it's worthwhile.
  • I have a family history in aviation but you don't need an aviation background to train as a pilot.
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Once Madison completes her training course, she will obtain her Commercial Pilot's Licence. She will then be able to apply for airline pilot jobs.

What to expect if you want to be an airline pilot

  • Airline pilot average salary: 拢24,000 to 拢110,000 per year.
  • Airline pilot typical working hours: 39 to 41 hours per week.

What qualifications do you need to be an airline pilot?

You could get into this role via a university course, a trainee scheme, applying directly, or through a specialist course run by private training organisations. You could also gain flying experience in the armed forces and apply directly to the Civil Aviation Authority to become a commercial pilot.

Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service.

This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.

For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: , , and .

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