How to hire airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
• Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
• Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
• Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
• Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
• Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
• Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
• Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree]
• Strong active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, active learning and speaking skills
• Working knowledge of transportation, English Language, public safety and security and geography
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $232,140 a year.
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
6. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
7. How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers do

• Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
• Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
• Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
• Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
• Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
• Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
• Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
• Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive LearningSpeakingTransportationEnglish LanguagePublic Safety and SecurityGeography

Education, experience and outlook for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

• Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
• Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
• Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: +8.3% over ten years, much faster than average · about 11,200 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Commercial Pilots
• Air Traffic Controllers
• Airfield Operations Specialists
• Aircraft Service Attendants
• Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
• Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
• Transportation Inspectors
• Locomotive Engineers
• Aerospace Engineers
• Flight Attendants

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.