Onboarding plan
Commercial Pilot Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new commercial pilot from first day to full productivity.
Commercial Pilot onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: Commercial pilot certificate, Instrument rating (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: aircraft and avionics; electronic flight bags such as ForeFlight; weather services; weight and balance tools
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Commercial Pilot training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Use checklists for every phase of flight
- Follow personal and legal weather minimums
- Manage fatigue and duty limits
- Keep medical certification current
- Shadow an experienced commercial pilot through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: plan a charter flight
- Supervised practice: perform an aircraft preflight inspection
- Supervised practice: make a go/no-go weather decision
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Plan flights and check weather and NOTAMs: independently
- Calculate weight, balance and performance: independently
- Inspect aircraft before flight: independently
- Fly safely under FAA regulations: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, Commercial pilot certificate)
- Discuss the career path: Flight Instructor → Commercial Pilot → Corporate or Captain
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan a Charter Flight | |||
| Perform an Aircraft Preflight Inspection | |||
| Make a Go/No-Go Weather Decision | |||
| Aircraft handling | |||
| Instrument flying | |||
| Flight planning | |||
| Weather interpretation |
How to measure onboarding success
- Units per hour or stops per day versus target
- Pick, scan or delivery accuracy
- Incidents and equipment damage
- 30- and 90-day retention
How Commercial Pilot training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Commercial Pilot Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Commercial Pilot Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Commercial Pilot Career
- Final Knowledge Check