What are the requirements to fly for United Airlines?

The things that you need to do to get a job as a pilot for United Airlines include the following:

Thus, it is useful to know the requirements that need to be fulfilled to have a chance of being hired for the position of an airline pilot.

The first one is that you will need to get the pilot licenses and ratings that are required for flying. To qualify as a pilot at the very least, you will require an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and a first-class medical certificate. The ATP needs to have 1,500 hours of total flight time and further training as well as passing examinations. Even the first officer positions may take restricted ATPs with 1,000-1,200 hours in some circumstances. However, extra flight hours above the minimum requirements will be advantageous for you as a candidate.

Apart from the minimum pilot certificates, United Airlines also encourages pilots to have a baccalaureate degree, an instrument rating, and a multi-engine rating on their pilot licenses. Another factor that is preferred is, of course, the flight experience on transport category aircraft, even if you got it at a regional airline or a cargo company. The more qualifications and flight time one has in complex aircraft, the better it is.

To be able to fly the existing large commercial airline jets, you will require an aircraft type rating for that particular aircraft model. Although the airline may offer this training, competitive applicants secure their ratings beforehand for aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. This also shows initiative and, more importantly, saves the airline a lot of expenses on training its employees.

You also need to be able to meet United Airlines' health and fitness standards. An applicant is subjected to medical checks that include vision, hearing, coordination, strength, and overall fitness of the pilot. Some health conditions may be a disqualifying factor if they affect the ability of the candidate to perform the necessary tasks. Minimum height also exists in most airlines because of the structure of the planes and equipment used.

Apart from physical appearance, airlines assess their candidates in terms of intelligence, psychological health, and good decision-making abilities. Stress tolerance is essential as commercial pilots frequently encounter such conditions as emergencies, conflicting data, and inconvenient schedules. Background checks eliminate candidates with a history of criminal activity or substance abuse.

Thus, in the personality and ethics screening, United focuses on people who are good team players and have excellent communication skills. This is important because pilots have to communicate with other members of the flight crew and with air traffic control. As with most managerial positions, good leadership qualities are desirable when performing this position.

After passing the initial screening, the interviews then scrutinize the competencies and experience of the candidate further. Thus, it is advisable to gain as much knowledge of commercial aviation as possible before the start through education, practice, and contacts. Another consideration is a passion for the career field, as applicants with passion are also favored.

When being interviewed, you will be asked about your previous flight experience as well as specific scenarios of emergencies. They may discuss the aviation weather conditions, laws, and systems in the planes as well. Usually, there are several interviews along with the flight simulator test for checking piloting skills.

Especially when it comes to United Airlines, it is preferred if a pilot has experience flying Boeing because this company accounts for more than three-quarters of its fleet. Knowledge of their hub airports and the routes they operate also puts the applicants at an advantage. However, there is always hope to secure a job with a different background, as long as the other parts of the resume are well done.

In conclusion, it can be noted that it is possible to become a pilot for a large airline such as United through training, education, and passion. Doing more than the bare minimum that is expected of you in terms of qualifications will set you apart. Just searching the information about the airline and its fleet, network, and company culture demonstrates some level of initiative.

Since airline travel is gradually recovering from the early slump in the pandemic, new pilots will be required to replace retiring pilots. It is advised to be patient since the application process may take a long time. However, for those interested in flying and able to meet certain requisites, there are very lucrative jobs at reputable airlines such as United.

Book your United Airlines ticket now! Call +1 833-902-2090