How many commercial pilots are there

In the USA, there are , pilots including civilians and military. Of those: , are private pilots; , are commercial pilots; 43, are military pilots 19, Air Force ; and 58, are female pilots. There are all sorts of pilots out there, not only in the USA but across the world. There are commercial pilots, military pilots, private pilots, and more. With how exciting being a pilot is and how many different avenues there are to become one, you might be surprised at how many pilots there really are out there.

Here at SkyTough, we pride ourselves on providing only the best content to our readers. To do so, we thoroughly research every topic that we write about and only put out the most accurate information we can find. For a topic like this, we rely on airline statistics, information from government agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration , public military information, and more. This way, you get the most accurate idea possible of how many pilots there are.

After all, fewer people probably want to truly know how many pilots there are in the world rather than, say, how many commercial pilots there are in the United States. Here are how many pilots there are, broken down group and group. Becoming a commercial pilot is one of the most prestigious careers that a person can pursue. When you hear the term commercial pilot, however, you might just be thinking of the pilots that fly you to your destination for the major airlines.

This number is up slightly from , where there were just , Over the last decade, the number of commercial pilots has decreased, as there were , commercial pilots back in Of the current , commercial pilots, just 7, are women. But these are some of the major ones, with the majority of them being from the big four airlines — American, Delta, United, and Southwest.

This should go to show you that there are plenty of airlines and opportunities out there for becoming a pilot. Profit from additional features by authenticating your Admin account.

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Exclusive Corporate feature. Corporate Account. Statista Accounts: Access All Statistics. Basic Account. The high level of concentration required to fly an aircraft and the mental stress of being responsible for the safety of passengers can be fatiguing. Pilots must be alert and quick to react if something goes wrong.

Federal law requires pilots to retire at age Although fatalities are uncommon, commercial pilots experience one of the highest rates of occupational fatalities of all occupations.

Federal regulations set the maximum work hours and minimum requirements for rest between flights for most pilots. Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours per month and work an additional hours per month performing other duties, such as checking weather conditions and preparing flight plans.

Pilots have variable work schedules that may include some days of work followed by some days off. Flight assignments are based on seniority.

Seniority enables pilots who have worked at a company for a long time to get preferred routes and schedules. Airline pilots may spend several nights a week away from home because flight assignments often involve overnight layovers.

When pilots are away from home, the airlines typically provide hotel accommodations, transportation to the airport, and an allowance for meals and other expenses. Commercial pilots also may have irregular schedules. Although most commercial pilots remain near their home overnight, some may still work nonstandard hours. Airline pilots typically begin their careers as commercial pilots. Commercial pilots must complete flight training, and some employers require or prefer applicants to have a bachelor's degree.

Interviews for positions with major and regional airlines may reflect the FAA exams for pilot licenses, certificates, and instrument ratings, and can be intense.

Airlines frequently conduct their own psychological and aptitude tests to assess the candidates in critical thinking and decision-making processes under pressure. Military pilots may transfer to civilian aviation and apply directly to airlines to become airline pilots.

Airline pilots typically start their careers flying as commercial pilots. Commercial pilots usually accrue thousands of hours of flight experience in order to get a job with regional or major airlines. The most common path to becoming a commercial pilot is to complete flight training with independent FAA-certified flight instructors or at schools that offer flight training. Some flight schools are part of 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. The FAA certifies hundreds of civilian flight schools, which range from small fixed base operators FBO to state universities.

Some colleges and universities offer pilot training as part of a 2- or 4-year aviation degree. Airline and commercial pilots who are newly hired by airlines or on-demand air services companies undergo on-the-job training in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations FARs. This training usually includes several weeks of ground school and flight training.

Various types of ratings for specific aircraft, such as the Boeing or Cessna Citation, typically are acquired through employer-based training and generally are earned by pilots who have at least a commercial license. Besides initial training and licensing requirements, all pilots must maintain their experience in performing certain maneuvers.

This requirement means that pilots must perform specific maneuvers and procedures a given number of times within a specified amount of time. Pilots also must undergo periodic training and medical examinations, generally every year or every other year. Pilots usually gain flight experience as commercial pilots or in the military to get a job with regional or major airlines.

Minimum time requirements to get a certificate or rating may not be enough to get some jobs. To make up the gap between paying for training and flying for the major airlines, many commercial pilots begin their careers as flight instructors and on-demand charter pilots.

These positions typically require less experience than airline jobs require. When pilots have built enough flying hours, they can apply to the airlines. Those who are seeking a career as a professional pilot typically get their licenses and ratings in the following order:.

Each certificate and rating requires that pilots pass a written exam on the ground and a practical flying exam, usually called a check ride, in an appropriate aircraft. In addition to earning these licenses, many pilots get a certified flight instructor CFI rating after they get their commercial pilot certificate. The CFI rating helps them build flight time and experience quickly and at less personal expense. Current licensing regulations can be found in FARs. Commercial pilot license.

To qualify for a commercial pilot license, applicants must meet age and flight-hour requirements. Student pilots use a logbook and keep detailed records of their flight time. The logbook must be endorsed by the flight instructor in order for the student to be able to take the FAA knowledge and practical exams. Specific requirements, including details on the types and quantities of flight experience and knowledge needed, are provided in FARs.

Applicants must pass the appropriate medical exam, meet all of the detailed flight experience and knowledge requirements, and pass a written exam and a practical flight exam in order to become commercially licensed. Commercial pilots must hold an instrument rating if they want to carry passengers for pay more than 50 miles from the point of origin of their flight, or at night.

Instrument rating.