Pilot Resume Examples and Tips
Pilots transport people and cargo, with work ranging from charter flights to rescue operations and aerial photography flights. For this job, you should have a license and full knowledge of flying and emergency procedures.
Make sure your pilot career takes off with the right resume, using our expert tips and resume examples:
Featured Resume Example: Pilot
Name: BRYAN FLEMING
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Motivated Pilot with five years of experience providing primary flight instruction to students. Well-versed with latest flight instructional techniques and procedures of standard aviation training programs. Communicative and safety-conscious professional possessing excellent multitasking, record keeping and instructional abilities.
WORK HISTORY
PILOT | 02/2018 to Current
Company Name, City, State
- Planned routes, altitudes and speeds to provide fastest, safest and smoothest flights for on-time arrivals and high levels of passenger satisfaction.
- Continually evaluated craft performance and environmental conditions to execute flight path changes if required.
- Started engines, operated controls and piloted aircraft to transport passengers, mail and freight to various locations.
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR | 08/2016 to 01/2018
Company Name, City, State
- Verified safety of students while using aircrafts by performing regular inspections of aircrafts, checking weather reports and matching level of competence of students to complex training and instructions.
- Operated complex multi-engine rotary-wing aircrafts and flight simulators, instructing and evaluating students.
- Created instructional material and training syllabi for specific areas of ground and flight training.
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR | 02/2012 to 05/2015
Company Name, City, State
- Trained individual clients in art of aviation through theoretical and practical flight instruction.
- Developed lesson plans and conducted ground training modules, covering aircraft systems, including normal, abnormal and emergency operations.
- Organized and conducted cockpit familiarization classes and prepared reports on students’ proficiency.
SKILLS
- Pilot training
- Safety oversight
- Flight planning
- Passenger transportation
- Strong communication skills
- Route planning
EDUCATION
Flight School | FAA Certificate ,City, State
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Pilot Resume
- Summary Your summary statement should be a short paragraph that describes your best skills and experiences, offering an overview of who you are as a job candidate. For example: “Experienced Pilot with over 10,000 flight hours on commercial and private airlines. Well-versed in safe and efficient transport using a variety of fixed-wing aircraft.”
- Skills Feature both professional skills (such as a specific number of flight hours logged, or knowledge of local and federal aviation regulations) and soft skills (such as the ability to stay calm under pressure, situational awareness, quick thinking, and multitasking).
- Work History Concentrate on highlighting major responsibilities and accomplishments under former employers. For example: “Handled pre- and post-flight examinations for a total of 50 flights, ensuring aircraft safety.” Limit this section to work within the past 10 years.
- Education Mention your top educational qualification, such as a B.S. in Aeronautics and Aviation. Add licenses or certifications that are relevant to the role, such as a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL), or training in areas such as Airline Management, Flight Health & Safety, Aviation Maintenance Management or Aviation Operations Management.
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Find the Right Template for your Resume
Give your resume the right look as well as the right content by using these professional templates:
Essence
Section headings in this layout stand out thanks to subtle lines and bold resume font. The two-column format gives you plenty of room to describe your work history and skills.
Qualified
This straightforward layout has a polished look thanks to its streamlined organization, featuring section headings on the left for easy reference.
Standout
This slick design “connects the dots” from your summary to your education section, while the monogram graphic for the header adds a unique touch.
For over two dozen more free layouts, visit our resume templates section.
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO use punchy phrases and bullet points. Standard sentence structure doesn’t apply in a resume — don’t worry about using complete sentences or pronouns like “I” and “my.” Instead, use short, peppy phrases and bullet points. For example, write “Conducted checks on navigational controls, fuel levels, and communication devices” instead of “I was responsible for checking on navigational controls, fuel levels and communication devices.”
- DO keep your resume concise. In the same vein, don’t let your resume overstay its welcome. Recruiters tend to take less than 10 seconds to screen resumes, so make those seconds by featuring only skills, accomplishments and experiences that are most relevant to the position you’re applying to. Limit your work history to the last 10 years. Follow the lead of our examples on this page, aiming for a total length of no more than two pages.
- DO quantify your achievements. When recounting your work accomplishments, use numbers and metrics to better define your effectiveness and successes. “Logged 3,500 hours of total flight time, including 500 hours as pilot in command and 1,000 as second in command” is much more informative and impactful than “Logged extensive flight time as pilot in command and second in command.”
- DON’T forget to feature soft skills. While technical knowledge of flying an aircraft is certainly important for piloting, the role also demands strong intangible skills to run smoothly. List soft skills such as excellent communication skills, the ability to remain calm under pressure, and attention to detail, and give work examples of how you’ve used these skills (e.g., “Performed precise, tenacious, uncompromising pre- and post-flight examinations” is evidence of your attention to detail). For more soft skill suggestions, visit our Top Resume Skills page.
- DON’T use the same resume for different jobs. Each job has different job demands and requirements, so customize your resume for every job you apply to, making sure your content addresses the specific needs of each job. For instance, if the job calls for transporting cargo, highlight any skills you have in managing inventory, and experiences you have with cargo flights. For further tips on how to tailor your resume to fit the job, see our article How to Create a Targeted Resume.
- DON’T submit your resume without reviewing it. The smallest details are critical in pilot work, so you can imagine how well even a small error in your resume will go over with hiring managers. Review your document a few times and make sure it’s truly mistake-free. This also gives you a chance to double-check your factual information. If you use our Resume Builder to create your resume, our built-in tools will scan for these errors.
Pair your Resume with a Matching Cover Letter
Resume Examples for the Next Step in your Aviation Career
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