Pilot resume example

Choose the right format for a Pilot resume

Use a reverse-chronological format. Airline and charter hiring managers scan resumes quickly, and they want your most recent aircraft type, total flight hours, and certificates visible immediately — not buried under an objective statement or a skills matrix.

Keep the resume to one page if you have fewer than ten years of experience; two pages are acceptable for captains or pilots with type ratings on multiple aircraft. Use clean section headers, consistent font sizing (10–12 pt), and no graphics or tables that break applicant tracking systems used by major carriers like Delta, United, and Southwest.

• Place total flight hours, PIC hours, and instrument hours in your summary or a dedicated 'Flight Hours' snapshot near the top
• List your highest certificate and active medical class in the header alongside your name and contact information
• Use standard section labels (Experience, Certifications, Education) so ATS parses your resume correctly
• Avoid multi-column layouts — many airline HR systems read left to right and will scramble columns

Write a professional summary that grounds the hiring manager fast

Your summary should function like a clearance readback: concise, accurate, and confirming the most critical facts. Include your certificate level, total flight hours, aircraft types, and the kind of operation you're targeting. Skip phrases like 'passionate aviator' — they add nothing.

Example: "ATP-certified Boeing 737 First Officer with 4,800 total flight hours and 2,100 PIC hours across Part 121 and Part 135 operations. Holds current First-Class Medical, ICAO English Proficiency Level 6, and type ratings in B-737 and CL-65 (CRJ-700). Seeking a Captain upgrade position with a US major or ultra-low-cost carrier."

Write work-experience bullets that show output, not just duties

Every bullet should answer 'so what?' Hiring managers at regionals and majors see hundreds of resumes from pilots who flew the same routes on the same aircraft. Differentiate yourself with specifics: on-time performance, safety records, fleet size, mentorship scope, or special assignments. Use past tense for previous roles, present tense for your current one.

Lead each bullet with a strong action verb — Commanded, Coordinated, Reduced, Mentored, Qualified — and follow with a measurable result wherever possible.

• Commanded CRJ-900 on 1,200+ revenue flights across 47 domestic destinations, maintaining a 98.6% on-time departure rate over three consecutive quarters
• Mentored 12 new-hire First Officers through initial operating experience, reducing average IOE completion time by 15% against fleet baseline

Skills and certifications recruiters and ATS look for

Airline recruiters and HR screeners search applications for specific keywords and certificate names. List certifications by their official FAA designation, not informal shorthand, and include the issuing authority where relevant. For international operations, note ICAO English Proficiency level and any foreign licenses or validations (such as EASA).

Include a dedicated 'Certifications & Ratings' section separate from your skills list so both humans and ATS can find it instantly.

• Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATP) — FAA
• Type ratings: B737, A320, CL-65 (CRJ-700/900), EMB-145 (list only those you currently hold)
• First-Class FAA Medical Certificate with expiration month and year
• Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Land (MEL), Commercial Certificate if ATP not yet held
• CRM (Crew Resource Management), TCAS, GPWS, RNP/RNAV, ETOPS, RVSM, de-icing procedures

Education, licenses, and extras that round out your file

List your highest academic degree first, then your flight training institution if it is separate. Many carriers list a four-year degree as preferred rather than required, so include your field of study and graduation year. If you attended an aviation university such as Embry-Riddle or UND Aerospace, name it explicitly — recruiters recognize these programs.

Add a final section for military service (include MOS/AFSC, aircraft, and total military flight hours), union membership (ALPA, APA, IBT), and languages if you hold ICAO Level 4 or above in a second language. Do not include a photo, date of birth, or medical history beyond certificate class — these are not appropriate on a US pilot resume and can create legal exposure for employers.

• Include military DD-214 information or equivalent only as a brief line item, not a full description
• Note any 135 or 121 check airman, simulator instructor, or line check airman qualifications
• List FAASTeam Wings Program participation or aviation safety reporting (ASAP, FOQA) involvement if applicable

Mistakes to avoid

• ×Listing flight hours only in the experience section instead of surfacing total time, PIC time, and instrument time prominently near the top where screeners expect to find them.
• ×Using vague language like 'responsible for safe flight operations' instead of quantified accomplishments tied to specific aircraft, routes, or operational metrics.
• ×Omitting the expiration status or class of your FAA Medical Certificate, which immediately raises a red flag for airline HR teams reviewing your file.
• ×Applying a single generic resume to both regional airline and corporate/charter positions without tailoring the summary and highlighted aircraft types to match the specific operation.

Frequently asked questions

How many flight hours should I put on my pilot resume?

List total flight hours, pilot-in-command (PIC) hours, instrument hours, multi-engine hours, and night hours at minimum — these are the figures airline and charter HR teams check against their published minimums before reading anything else. Place them in your summary or a dedicated hours snapshot near the top of the page. Never round up or estimate; FAA records and logbook audits during background checks will surface any discrepancy.

Should a pilot resume be one page or two pages?

One page is standard for pilots with fewer than ten years of experience or a single aircraft type. Two pages are acceptable — and sometimes expected — for captains, check airmen, or pilots holding multiple type ratings with extensive Part 121 or military histories. Regardless of length, your certificate, medical class, and total hours should appear on page one.

Do major airlines use ATS to screen pilot resumes?

Yes — most carriers, from regionals to majors, collect pilot applications through online systems that parse them and ask qualifying questions before a recruiter reviews them. Use the exact FAA certificate names and rating designations rather than abbreviations or informal terms, and avoid tables, text boxes, or graphics that these systems cannot parse. Submitting through a carrier's direct portal does not bypass that screening.