Resume guide · Updated October 2026
Pilot Resume Example and Writing Guide
Short answer
A pilot resume should open with your FAA certificates and ratings, medical class and a flight time summary: total time, pilot in command, multi-engine, turbine and instrument hours. Then list flying jobs newest first with aircraft, seat and type of operation (Part 91, 135 or 121), followed by type ratings, training and education. Keep it to one page.
| Median pay (May 2025) | $210,020 per year |
|---|---|
| Job outlook, 2025-35 | 7% (Much faster than average) |
| Number of jobs | 154,900 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Airline and Commercial Pilots, checked 27 October 2026.
Pilot resume example
Below is a full pilot resume for Marcus Bell, a fictional first Officer, CRJ-900 | ATP, CFII, MEI in Charlotte, NC. Keep the section order, then replace each line with your own work and results.
Marcus Bell
First Officer, CRJ-900 | ATP, CFII, MEI
Charlotte, NC · marcus.bell@example.com · (555) 012-6640 · linkedin.com/in/marcusbellpilot
Summary
ATP-rated first officer with 3,450 total hours, including 1,900 in the CRJ-900 under Part 121. Former CFII with 1,100 hours of dual given. First-class medical; no accidents, incidents or violations. Seeking a first officer position with a mainline carrier.
Experience
First Officer, CRJ-900, Blue Ridge Regional Airlines
Apr 2023 to present
Charlotte, NC
- Fly 75 to 85 block hours a month on 2- to 4-day trips to 40 airports in the eastern U.S. and Canada under Part 121.
- Alternate pilot flying and pilot monitoring duties, including performance data, weight and balance review and dispatch release checks.
- Completed initial type rating, initial operating experience and two recurrent checkrides on the first attempt.
- Mentor new-hire first officers during their first month on the line as a volunteer in the company peer mentoring program.
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI, CFII, MEI), Summit Aviation Academy
Jan 2021 to Mar 2023
Greensboro, NC
- Logged 1,100 hours of dual instruction in the Cessna 172 (Garmin G1000) and Piper Seminole for private through commercial multi-engine students.
- Recommended 24 students for practical tests; 21 passed on the first attempt.
- Taught an evening instrument ground school for 10 students covering IFR procedures, weather and aeronautical decision-making.
Flight time (as of October 2026)
- Total time: 3,450
- Pilot in command: 1,250
- Second in command (CRJ-900): 1,900
- Multi-engine: 2,150
- Turbine: 1,900
- Cross-country: 2,300
- Night: 520
- Instrument (actual and simulated): 310
Education
B.S. in Aeronautical Science, Piedmont State University · Flight training under Part 141
2020
Certifications
Airline Transport Pilot, Airplane Multi-Engine Land (FAA) · CRJ type rating (CL-65) · Commercial Pilot, Airplane Single-Engine Land (FAA) · Flight Instructor: Airplane Single and Multi-Engine, Instrument (FAA) · First-Class Medical Certificate · FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit
Skills
Part 121 operations · Crew resource management · Performance and weight and balance · IFR and international procedures · Flight instruction · Garmin G1000 · Collins Pro Line 4
Pilot resume summary examples
3 pilot summaries, one each for low-time commercial pilot, regional first officer and captain or corporate pilot. Pick the closest and rewrite it with your own title, years and one real result.
Commercial pilot with 310 total hours and single- and multi-engine ratings, finishing CFI training in November 2026. Trained under Part 141 in the Cessna 172 (G1000) and Piper Seminole. Second-class medical, clean record, available to relocate for an instructor or Part 135 second-in-command position.
First officer with 4,200 total hours and 2,600 in the ERJ-175 at a regional airline. Upgrade-eligible, with every checkride passed on the first attempt and 2 years as a line pilot representative on the safety committee. ATP, first-class medical, FCC permit.
Part 135 and 91K captain with 9,800 total hours, 5,100 PIC in the Citation XLS and Challenger 350. Plans and flies international trips to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, works directly with owners and passengers, and serves as company check airman.
Pilot resume objective examples
Use an objective instead of a summary for new commercial pilot and military to civilian situations: one or two sentences on what you bring and the pilot job you want.
Newly certificated commercial pilot and CFI seeking a flight instructor position at a busy Part 141 school, to build hours toward the ATP while teaching private and instrument students.
Air Force C-17 pilot with 2,800 hours, including 900 as aircraft commander, seeking a first officer position at a major airline where heavy-jet, crew coordination and international experience transfer directly.
Pilot resume bullet points
Bullets grouped by line flying and operations, training and checking and safety and leadership. The numbers are illustrations; put in your own.
Line flying and operations
- Flew 78 block hours a month on average in the ERJ-175, completing 420 legs in 2025 with no reportable incidents.
- Briefed and coordinated deicing, ground delay and diversion decisions with dispatch and maintenance control on winter operations.
- Planned international legs to Canada and the Caribbean, including customs notifications, overflight permits and alternate fuel planning.
- Flew Part 135 on-demand charters in the King Air 350, handling passenger briefings, catering and FBO coordination.
Training and checking
- Passed initial type rating, IOE and every recurrent proficiency check on the first attempt.
- Gave 1,100 hours of dual instruction; 21 of 24 students recommended for practical tests passed the first time.
- Served as company check airman, giving 30 line checks a year and writing debriefs for the chief pilot.
Safety and leadership
- Filed safety reports through the company reporting program and joined the fatigue risk working group in 2025.
- Led crew briefings on threat and error management for 2-pilot crews on high-workload approaches.
- Coached 12 new-hire first officers through their first month on the line as a peer mentor.
Skills for a pilot resume
16 skills employers list in pilot postings. Include the ones the posting asks for and that your bullets prove.
| Type | Skills |
|---|---|
| Hard skills | Part 121 and Part 135 operations, Crew resource management (CRM), Threat and error management, IFR procedures and approaches, Performance, weight and balance, Flight planning and fuel management, International operations, Flight instruction and checking, Abnormal and emergency procedures, Weather analysis |
| Soft skills | Clear cockpit communication, Decision-making under time pressure, Situational awareness, Teamwork with cabin crew and dispatch, Composure, Professional passenger service |
| Tools and software | Garmin G1000, Collins Pro Line 21 and Pro Line 4, Electronic flight bag (ForeFlight, Jeppesen), Flight management systems, Full flight simulators |
Certifications for a pilot resume
| Credential | Issued by | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate | Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | Required for pilot crews of scheduled airliners. For an airplane rating, 14 CFR 61.159 sets 1,500 hours of total time, including 500 cross-country, 100 night and 75 instrument. |
| Commercial pilot certificate with instrument rating | Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | The certificate that lets you fly for pay; the starting point for instructor, charter and survey jobs. |
| Flight instructor certificate (CFI, CFII, MEI) | Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | The most common way to build hours. List each instructor rating you hold. |
| Aircraft type ratings | Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | Required for large and turbojet aircraft. List each type, for example CL-65 or CE-560XL. |
| First- or second-class medical certificate | FAA, through an Aviation Medical Examiner | A first-class medical is needed to use the pilot-in-command privileges of an ATP; a second-class covers commercial privileges. |
| Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit | Federal Communications Commission (FCC) | Needed for international flying; list it when you apply to airlines or charter operators that fly abroad. |
How do you list flight time on a pilot resume?
Put a flight time block near the top, right under your certificates. Airlines and charter operators screen on minimums first, and the reader should see them without digging through your job history.
Use the categories employers ask for on their applications, in whole hours, and make sure every number matches your logbook. Recruiters compare the resume with the application and your records, and a mismatch turns into an interview question. Add "as of" with the month so the reader knows how current the numbers are.
- Total time
- Pilot in command (PIC) and second in command (SIC)
- Multi-engine and turbine, plus turbine PIC if you have it
- Cross-country, night and instrument (actual and simulated)
- Time in type for the aircraft you fly now
- Dual given, if you instruct
Which certificates, ratings and medical details belong on a pilot resume?
List each FAA certificate with its category and class, for example "Airline Transport Pilot, Airplane Multi-Engine Land," then instrument and instructor ratings, type ratings and your medical class. The BLS notes that all pilot crews of a scheduled commercial airliner must hold ATP certificates, and 14 CFR 61.159 sets 1,500 hours of total pilot time for an ATP with an airplane rating, with some credit allowed for specific experience.
Your medical class matters as well. Under 14 CFR 61.23, a first-class medical is required to use the pilot-in-command privileges of an ATP certificate and a second-class medical to use commercial pilot privileges. Add an FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit and note a valid passport if you apply for international flying.
How do you write a pilot resume with low time?
Commercial pilots with a few hundred hours usually apply for instructor, tour, banner towing, aerial survey, pipeline patrol or Part 135 second-in-command jobs. Those employers want proof that you are safe, trainable and dependable, so list your checkrides, the aircraft and avionics you have flown (for example a Cessna 172 with a Garmin G1000) and any complex or high-performance time.
Add a Training section with your flight school, whether it was Part 61 or Part 141, the dates and the ratings earned. Non-flying jobs still help: line service, dispatch or customer service work shows you know the airport environment and can deal with people.
How does an airline pilot resume differ from a corporate or military one?
Airline (Part 121) resumes are compact and standardized: flight times, certificates, then each employer with aircraft, seat and dates. Regional and mainline recruiters look for time in type, training events passed on the first attempt, roles such as check airman, instructor or safety committee member, and a clean record.
Corporate and fractional employers (Part 91 and 91K) also read for passenger service, trip planning, international procedures and how you work in a small flight department. Military pilots should name aircraft in civilian terms as well (for example "C-17, four-engine heavy jet"), give hours by category rather than sorties, and spell out instructor, evaluator and aircraft commander qualifications.
What format and template work best for a pilot resume?
One page is the norm for airline and charter applications, even for captains with 10,000 hours, because the detailed history goes on the application itself. Use a single column, a plain font and reverse-chronological order, and set the flight time block as a simple list rather than an image or table.
Keep a Word version and a PDF version of the same resume. Airline portals, contract recruiters and job fairs ask for one or the other, and a plain layout survives both without shifting.
ATS keywords for a pilot resume
Terms that show up in pilot job postings. Mirror the exact wording of the posting you apply to, but only for work you have done.
- Airline Transport Pilot
- ATP
- first officer
- captain
- type rating
- Part 121
- Part 135
- Part 91
- pilot in command
- multi-engine
- turbine
- instrument rating
- CFI
- CFII
- crew resource management
- first-class medical
- FAA
- flight time
Mistakes to avoid on a pilot resume
- Times that do not match your logbook. Round down rather than up, and update the resume each time you update your application.
- Burying certificates. If the ATP or type rating is at the bottom, a recruiter screening for minimums may never get there.
- Listing every aircraft you have touched. Name the aircraft you logged real time in and the ones the employer flies; skip the 0.8 hours in a friend's taildragger.
- Military shorthand. Squadron abbreviations and mission codes mean nothing to a civilian recruiter. Translate them into aircraft type, role and hours.
- Two pages of duties. Most airline readers want one page; save the narrative for the interview and the application.
Frequently asked questions
What should a pilot resume include?
Your FAA certificates and ratings, medical class, a flight time summary, each flying job with aircraft, seat and type of operation, type ratings, training and education. Add an FCC permit and passport note if the job involves international flying.
How do I list flight hours on a pilot resume?
Use a short block near the top with total time, PIC, SIC, multi-engine, turbine, cross-country, night and instrument hours in whole numbers. Add the month the numbers are current to, and make sure they match your logbook and application.
How long should a pilot resume be?
One page for nearly every pilot, including experienced captains. Airlines collect the detailed history on the application, so the resume only needs the essentials.
How do I write a pilot resume with low flight time?
Lead with your certificates and flight time, then list your training, checkrides and the aircraft and avionics you have flown. Add aviation-related jobs such as line service or dispatch, and target instructor, tour or Part 135 SIC positions.
How much do airline pilots make?
The BLS reports a median annual wage of $232,140 for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers and $123,220 for commercial pilots in May 2025. The median for the two groups combined was $210,020 per year.
Should I put my medical certificate on my pilot resume?
Yes. List the class you hold, such as first-class, in your certificates section. Employers check it later, but seeing it on the resume tells them you meet the requirement.
Is there a pilot resume template in Word?
Any clean single-column template in Word works if it has a place for certificates and a flight time block near the top. Keep the layout plain so it converts to PDF cleanly when a portal asks for one.
Related guides
Sources, checked 27 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Airline and Commercial Pilots (median pay by pilot type, outlook, number of jobs, ATP and type rating requirements)
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 14 CFR 61.159: Aeronautical experience, airplane category rating (ATP hour requirements (1,500 total, 500 cross-country, 100 night, 75 instrument))
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 14 CFR 61.23: Medical certificates, requirement and duration (first-class medical for ATP pilot-in-command privileges, second-class for commercial privileges)