Skills
Airline Pilot Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in airline pilots, and how to build and show them.
What skills do airline pilots need?
Airline Pilots need technical skills such as aircraft operation, navigation, and weather, plus people skills like decision-making and calm under pressure. They also use tools such as Flight management systems and Autopilot.
Technical (hard) skills
- Aircraft operation
- Navigation
- Weather
- ATC communication
- Emergency procedures
- Crew resource management
People (soft) skills
- Decision-making
- Calm under pressure
- Teamwork
- Discipline
Tools, equipment and technology
- Flight management systems
- Autopilot
- Electronic flight bags
- Radios
- Weather radar
- Simulators
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how airline pilots put their skills to work:
- How to build flight hours toward the ATP
- How to prepare for an airline interview
- How to use crew resource management on the flight deck
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Aircraft operation” and “Navigation.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “decision-making,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as ATP certificate near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our airline pilot glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Airline Pilot training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.