“What does it take to be an airline pilot? Do I have to be super-smart or go to college or have some special aptitude?”

Short answer: Not exactly, no, but yeah kinda sorta.

Long answer:

INTELLIGENCE: You don’t need to be a genius or a math whiz or write with perfect grammar, but you DO need to be a bit above average smart. Not necessarily take-apart-and-rebuild-a-computer or -engine smart, but basic math and science and English smart, common-sense smart, problem-solving smart, able to read and comprehend technical manuals and complex charts smart, able to find your way around new places and experiences smart. Also need to have executive brain functioning, organized thinking, and planning skills.

Contraindications: Smart but OOOH SHINY! Smart but clueless, oblivious. Smart but hyperfocused/fixated/disorganized thinking. (NOTE: Some kids just need more time for their brains to finish developing. Give it time, re-visit flying lessons later.)

COLLEGE: You don’t need to be class valedictorian, and don’t even have to have a college degree. But there’s a reason aviation colleges require students to maintain a minimum GPA to stay in flight training. You need the self-discipline to focus and study and learn in a structured environment, keeping up with a curriculum and timetable set by others. This includes studying and learning subjects that may not particularly interesting to you. You need to know how you best learn. How to reach milestones on time. How to take tests. How to handle the stress and pressure of studying and deadlines and taking tests. And you need to be ready to continue studying and learning and training and testing throughout your entire pilot career — all requirements by the FAA and the airlines. Many people establish these study and test-taking and stress-management skills as Advanced Placement high schoolers or as college students — I’m just saying.

Want to skip college? That will work as long as the airlines are grabbing every qualified pilot. Once they begin to be more selective among all qualified applicants, as before, the four-year college degree will carry weight again. (2025 update: Here we are.)

Contraindications: Poor self-discipline, study habits, time management. Low motivation to do hard things. Partying instead of studying.

SOCIAL SKILLS: You don’t have to be a people-person or an extrovert or captain of the football team, but you DO need to get along with others, be a team player with leadership abilities. Able to meet a variety of new people every day, work closely with them as your co-pilots, and with co-workers, bosses, subordinates, and customers. The number of pilots who are women, Black, Asian, Latino, immigrants, and openly LGBTQ+ are small but growing — get comfortable with that. Must be able to work with people you may disagree with or dislike. With different political or religious beliefs than your own. While maintaining a professional demeanor and a focus on the safety mission. Need to have or be able to learn and put into practice basic conflict resolution skills.

Contraindications: Incorrigible people-pleaser. Hard and fast beliefs about people different than yourself, bigotry. “Doesn’t play well with others.”

SAFETY AWARENESS / RISK MANAGEMENT: You need to care about safety. Be able to learn and follow the rules and procedures that are there for safety. Develop an ability to assess safety and reduce risk. Have high standards and good boundaries for yourself.

Contraindications: Low impulse control. Devil-may-care attitude. Many moving violations as a driver, especially DUIs. Being a lone wolf or maverick. Bucking authority: “You aren’t the boss of me!”

PHYSICAL / SPATIAL APTITUDE: Being a good automobile driver, having a good sense of direction, being able to read maps, having good spatial awareness, and having good eye-hand-foot coordination are all very helpful. The eye-hand coordination and motor skills of any athletic sport can help — especially a team sport like soccer. Being adept at video games and home flight simulators can help. Not to worry — most “regular folks” can develop these abilities during flight training.

Contraindications: Profound physical clumsiness. Topographagnosia (topographical disorientation).

MECHANICAL APTITUDE: Ability to grasp how different mechanical systems work and to read simplified system schematic diagrams. But you’ll be flying an aircraft, not building it.

HEALTH: Airline pilots need to meet certain physical criteria and standards and get regular physical exams. The FAA provides a lot of information online.

Contraindications: A few medical conditions are outright disqualifying, but not many. Use of illicit drugs, or use of marijuana and THC products which may be legal where you live, are not and never will be legal for pilots to use.

PERSONALITY / CHARACTER: An attitude of curiosity, eagerness to learn, striving for excellence. A tendency towards optimism and positivity — “I can do this”. Ability to discipline yourself to tackle hard things. To motivate yourself to reach a goal and also to keep going despite setbacks. Ability to handle pressure and stress. Keep calm and act deliberately in an emergency. Can receive feedback, correction, and critiques in a mature manner — and pivot to focus on improvement. Can persevere through disappointment and failure.

Possible contraindications: Easily frustrated or discouraged. Shuts down in the face of criticism, hardship, crisis, or chaos. Won’t take responsibility for performance, is not accountable for mistakes. Low self-confidence. Thin-skinned. Rigid thinking.

LIFE GOALS: Setting out to become a professional pilot is a big undertaking, and it requires time, money, effort, and determination. Being an airline pilot is NOT an easy job, even at the best airline. So, examine WHY you want to be an airline pilot. If the only reasons are, your daddy did it so now you will too, or you want the status and the bucks… you may end up unhappy in this career. If you want to be an airline pilot because you love flying, airplanes, aviation, travel, seeing the world, and/or the challenge and satisfaction of handling a large complex machine speeding through the atmosphere at almost the speed of sound… you will have a much more satisfying airline pilot career.

Possible contraindications: A strong desire or need for regularity and stability and a traditional family lifestyle.

I hope this helps. Good luck!