Flight Readiness: Top Tips for Aspiring Airline Pilots Preparing for Training!

“Be the pilot of your own flight. Not the passenger.”

– Giovannie de Sadeleer

While this quote may be referring to taking action in your life, it can be applied to the thrills and excitement of becoming an airline pilot and preparing for training. When you are considering flying an aircraft for a living, the journey will certainly be challenging, but it’s no secret that this is one of the most rewarding career paths to take in life. Before you make your final decision, you will need to prepare yourself for the highs and lows of flight training and take a leap into the wonderful world of aviation. Here are Egnatia Aviation’s top tips for getting ready to embark on this highly rewarding journey.

Pilot training as a lifetime investment? A guide from A-Z

Setting Academic and Flight Hour Goals as Airline Pilots Preparing for Training

When you study for any academic competency, one of the key things to do is set goals. While you will want to have a grasp of what you want to achieve, you will need to get your aspirations properly set up to ensure that you hit every milestone and expectation when learning. First of all, write everything down on paper (or in a digital file) clearly and concisely. You will need to be decisive in your wording, ensure that the goal is quantifiable and add deadlines in a straightforward, doable timeline.

For example, trainee flight cadets in Europe are expected to log at least 200 flight hours to earn their license and this incorporates around 50 hours of cross-country flying, 20 hours on a complex aircraft, 110 hours of instrument training and an estimated 100 hours of pilot-in-command flying. As there are clear competencies within the wider number, cadets should aim to set goals that they can realistically achieve and work from there. A great way to get the hours in is to seek additional training opportunities, use tools to track progress and implement ways to stay motivated.

Gearing Up for Success as an Airline Pilot 

The great news is that when studying to become a pilot, there are a host of tools and software out there that can help you to reach your maximum potential. These include an E6B Flight Computer, an electronic charts app (and similar tech), a log book, a knee pad, aviation textbooks such as the Airplane Flying Handbook and the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, a full flight bag and more. Europe’s leading flight school Egnatia Aviation offers a host of learning resources and studying aids to ensure that you get your courses underway with the right support.

When you have all of the necessary resources at your fingertips, you will be better equipped to not only enter your chosen flight school relaxed and ready to tackle anything that can (and will!) be presented to you, but also for your ongoing training.

Developing Aviation Knowledge and Skills

Once you are fully prepared, it will be time to get your training underway and enhance your flying knowledge. One of the great things about Egnatia Aviation is that they provide an additional element of skill development by facilitating networking opportunities that aspiring pilots just won’t get anywhere else. On a personal level, you should read current aviation publications and attend industry events, but with Egnatia, you will be able to connect with:

• your peers,
• industry experts and
• well-established pilots by going along to conferences and workshops that they participate in.

For example, Egnatia Aviation is always an active participant to:

• the European Airline Training Symposium (EATS),
• the Pilot Careers Live exhibition,
• Athens Flying Week,
• the International Association of Aviation Personnel Schools (IAAPS) meetings and
• major airshows, including the Dubai Airshow.

With more practical skills in mind, Egnatia has one of the most well-appointed facilities in the world for state-of-the-art Alsim simulators. These are FNPTII and FNPTII MCC-approved and fully operational (24/7) for the ultimate training experience. The academy has a total of 6 in operation, so trainees would have adequate training slots and can properly round out their education. Don’t forget that there is also access to the new aerodrome; the Lydia Aerodrome in Amygdaleonas, Kavala, for nothing short of the best training sites for cadets of all experience levels.

Learn more about our advanced courses

Fine-Tuning Personal Attributes for Future Airline Pilots Preparing for Training

Some of the personal attributes you need to refine when training as a pilot are as follows:

1. Discipline

It is important for pilots to have discipline, as this is a core soft skill that helps individuals to stay focused, poised and diligent both in the cockpit and on the tarmac. The more a cadet takes onboard a more disciplined approach to their potential role and wider lifestyle, the sooner they will see results in their training.

2. Resilience and adaptability

Trainee pilots will need to demonstrate both resilience and adaptability when in the classroom, as these attributes will be extremely important once they are manning an aircraft full of passengers and staff. Both will lend to how the individual copes in stressful situations and makes decisions, adapts to and sustains solutions for events that won’t be likely to have a trainable protocol.

3. Communication skills

The most important personal attribute to have is communication, as cadets will need to be able to converse with a host of individuals throughout the niche and will need to clearly convey messages to air traffic control, maintain dignity and class with passengers, report issues to the maintenance crew and much more as part of their daily responsibilities.

Learn more about the 9 Competencies Every Aspiring Airline Pilot Needs to Succeed

Why sign up for flight training with Egnatia Aviation today?

Egnatia Aviation takes the extra steps to provide well-rounded training with both basic and advanced courses so that aspiring airline pilots preparing for training will get so much more than just a Commercial Pilot’s License. Those studying here will undertake assessments in non-technical skills such as leadership, teamwork, workload management and more. Selecting an airline-specific course will help to tailor your experience, while highly-skilled tutors will monitor and assess your progress and readiness for qualification. This will be especially apparent when choosing to study the Airline Specific Integrated Course for the quickest and most direct route to working for an airline.

Ready to soar the skies? Contact our mentors today.