Become a Professional Pilot

One of the most frequent questions I see on mentorship pages is future airline pilots asking what materials they should study in order to be better prepared for their upcoming class at their first [regional] airline.  My answer, NONE! Now, much more goes into that answer than simply doing absolutely nothing, so I will attempt to provide some guidance. Airline training is very specific.  Many airlines fly multiple different aircraft and often you do not know which you will be assigned until the first day in your class.  However, others award your aircraft type prior to your class date.  Regardless, the guidance remains the same. Airlines have spent hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, to create their training programs.  The programs are very structured (even more so than Part 141 training) and are proven to provide their trainees with the best possible opportunity for success.  After all, it takes $30,000+ to train a single pilot for their airline job- and one things the air