With modern aircraft continuing to increase in size, and weighing hundreds of tons — unlike your car — parking an aircraft is not as simple as pulling into a spot and turning off the engine. The largest passenger aircraft in…
This is one of the most common questions any commercial airline pilot receives from both passengers and friends — do you manually land the aircraft? The answer is a resounding yes. Pilots typically always manually land an aircraft when possible.…
Rightly or wrongly, when most people think of an airline pilot’s life, they think it is one permanent vacation! The rise of instagram pilots — who seemingly sit on a beach 24/7 — showcase a working environment that’s one big…
The job of an airline pilot gets mixed reviews! On the one hand, there are plenty of movies, TV series and articles written about heroic aviators wrestling the controls and saving the day. Equally, there are plenty of articles bemoaning…
Commercial pilots are a special breed. While they have a few things in common — they typically love their job and the challenge of flying planes — if you ask 10 pilots the best way of doing something, you’ll frequently…
For years, there has been a myth that pilots sleep on the job. Pop the autopilot in, kick back and relax, before waking up just in time for landing. While this is an exaggeration, what is the reality? People have…
If you’ve been convicted of driving under the influence, known as a DUI, then you might be wondering if you can still get a pilot’s licence? This is a popular question that affects a huge number of the American public…
After cult movies like Flight, with it’s famous alcoholic airline Captain, it’s a question that’s been on many people’s minds — do airline pilots get drug and alcohol tested? And if so, when? The answer is yes. Pilots are required…
So, you want to become a pilot, but you don’t have the money? You’re not alone! Many people dream of becoming a pilot, but assume that they can’t because of the high cost of training. In the UK, to go…
Do you wonder how often pilots are at home? As a career known for long periods away, the answer may surprise you. In this article, we take a look at the average number of nights airline pilots spend away from…
