Pilot job description: what happens before, during and after the flight, and what the job requires

The flying is the part everyone pictures and the smallest part of the job description. Most of a pilot's duty period is planning, checking, briefing, monitoring and recording, and almost all of it is done to a procedure, with a second pilot cross-checking.

This article sets out a pilot job description: the duties before, during and after a flight, how captain and first officer differ, the licence, medical and hours that decide who can do the job at all, the roster, routes in, and a template. It is general information about the role, not aviation or medical advice; requirements change and should be checked with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Licences, ratings, medicals and recurrent checks all expire, and each one is a sign-off with a date attached. See how New Dynamics workflows let you define your own stages, forms and approvals, with a completion view instead of a spreadsheet.

What a pilot does

O*NET's occupation, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, covers those who "pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo". Its reported job titles include Airline Captain, Co-Pilot, First Officer and Line Pilot.

The National Careers Service's airline pilot profile gives "aircraft pilot, co-pilot, first officer, captain" as alternative titles, and describes the day as flying the aircraft and communicating with air traffic control, working out the best route from weather reports and air traffic control data, creating a flight plan and carrying out pre-flight checks, communicating with cabin crew and passengers, following take-off and landing procedures that reduce noise, and writing reports, checking data in flight and adjusting the route where necessary.

Captain and first officer

Prospects' airline pilot profile puts the distinction in one sentence: the captain and first officer "work closely as a team, but the captain holds ultimate responsibility for the safety and operation of the flight".

In practice:

• Both fly. Sectors are normally alternated, so the first officer is pilot flying on some legs and pilot monitoring on others.
• Both check. The two-crew system exists so that no single action goes unchecked. Challenging the other pilot is part of the job, not an insult.
• One decides. Where a judgement has to be made (extra fuel, a diversion, a technical defect, a disruptive passenger) the captain's decision stands and the captain carries it.

An advert should say which seat it is recruiting for, on what fleet, and what the path to command looks like.

Before the flight

This is where the job is done properly or not.

• Check the flight plan. Prospects lists checking the plan received from flight planning "to make sure all information is in order, including the route, weather and passenger numbers and ensure aircraft weights are all within limits".
• Decide the fuel. "Decide whether to carry any additional fuel based on the weather information received from flight planning", and "confirm with the refuellers how much fuel you're taking for the flight". O*NET's equivalent tasks include checking "passenger and cargo distributions and fuel amounts to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met" and conferring "with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters".
• Programme the aircraft. Input the route into the flight management computer.
• Check the aircraft. "Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists", including the physical walk-around of the exterior, and make sure the safety systems are working.
• Brief the crew. "Brief crews about flight details, such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities", and keep in contact with the cabin crew through the flight.

During the flight

• Fly it, or monitor it. "Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures", and "steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers".
• Talk to air traffic control. "Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment."
• Monitor. "Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights", and "monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance". Prospects adds regular checks on fuel state, technical performance and position, and on weather and traffic.
• Fly on instruments when needed. "Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor."
• Handle what goes wrong. "Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions", and "order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights".
• Talk to the aircraft. "Make announcements regarding flights, using public address systems", and keep the cabin crew informed.

After the flight

• Update the technical log at the beginning and end of the flight, noting any technical defects and incidents.
• Record the numbers. "Record in log books information, such as flight times, distances flown, and fuel consumption."
• Report. Anything that has to be reported is reported, including things that ended safely.
• Hand over. To engineering, to the next crew, to operations.

The licence, the medical and the hours

The National Careers Service sets out what a UK airline pilot needs:

• A Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.
• A CAA medical, passed before starting a course. The profile notes the medical "includes tests on your fitness, hearing and vision". The CAA issues Class 1 and Class 2 medical certificates, with the commercial standard being the higher one.
• Age. 18 for a CPL, 21 for an Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL).
• Enhanced background checks.

Then the hours. The profile describes the progression: you start as a co-pilot, and "when you've completed at least 1,500 flying hours, you can apply for an 'unfrozen' or full Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and qualify as an airline captain", which usually takes three to five years after the full ATPL.

Two things follow for anyone writing or reading an advert. Type ratings matter: a licence alone does not qualify someone to fly a particular aircraft. And currency matters: licences, ratings, medicals, line checks and recurrent training all expire, which is why airlines run a training and checking department rather than a filing cabinet. The CAA's professional pilot licences pages are the authority on the current requirements.

The roster and the life

The National Careers Service is blunt about conditions: hours are variable, you could work "evenings / weekends / bank holidays" on shifts, and the working environment "may be cramped, physically demanding and you may spend nights away from home".

What that means week to week:

• The roster runs the life, not the other way round. Early starts, late finishes, nights away, and standby.
• Fatigue is managed by rule, not by willpower, with duty and rest limits built into rostering.
• Time zones and body clocks are part of long-haul, and part of why the job suits some people and not others.
• Recurrent training (simulator checks, line checks, emergency procedures) recurs whether or not it is convenient.

What an airline advert should say

1. Seat and fleet. First officer or captain; which aircraft type; whether a type rating is held, funded or required.
2. Base and network. Where the person is based, and short-haul, long-haul or mixed.
3. Hours and licence requirements. Minimum total time, type experience and licence status.
4. The roster pattern, including standby, nights away and how far ahead it is published.

Routes in and progression

The common UK routes are an integrated or modular flight training course leading to a CPL and a frozen ATPL, an airline-sponsored or tagged cadet scheme, or a transfer from military flying. All of them start with the medical, because passing it is a precondition rather than a formality.

Progression runs from first officer to senior first officer to captain, with the hours requirement above as the gate. From there, per the National Careers Service, you could become a flight training instructor or move into operations management. Training, standards and management roles are where experienced pilots go when they want time on the ground.

Because so much of this is licences, ratings and expiry dates, operators live or die by the currency matrix. Our skills gap analysis guide covers building one that people actually maintain.

A pilot job description template

Job title: First officer / Captain, [aircraft type]

Reports to: [fleet manager / chief pilot]

Base: [base], [short-haul / long-haul / mixed]

Purpose: Operate the aircraft safely, legally and efficiently, to the operator's procedures, as part of a two-person flight crew.

Responsibilities

• Review the flight plan, route, weather, load and fuel, and confirm that weights are within limits.
• Carry out pre-flight checks, including the exterior walk-around, and confirm safety systems.
• Brief the cabin crew and maintain contact throughout the flight.
• Operate the aircraft in accordance with the operations manual, regulations and air traffic control instructions.
• Monitor systems, fuel, position, weather and traffic, and respond to abnormalities and emergencies.
• Keep passengers informed through the public address system.
• Complete the technical log and required records at the start and end of each flight.
• Report defects, incidents and safety observations through the operator's reporting system.
• Maintain licence, rating, medical and recurrent training currency, and attend training and checking as rostered.

Required: [licence and ratings]; [minimum hours]; valid Class 1 medical certificate; right to work and the required security clearances.

Conditions: [roster pattern, standby, nights away, publication notice].

Frequently asked questions

What does a pilot do?

Flies passengers or cargo to a plan, within regulations, as part of a two-person crew. The work includes checking the flight plan, route, weather, load and fuel; carrying out pre-flight checks and a walk-around; briefing the cabin crew; operating the aircraft and communicating with air traffic control; monitoring systems, fuel and weather; handling abnormalities and emergencies; and completing the technical log and records afterwards.

What are the duties of an airline pilot?

Starting engines and operating controls while adhering to flight plans, regulations and procedures is the first of O*NET's tasks for the occupation. The others include inspecting the aircraft according to pre-flight checklists; contacting control towers for clearances; monitoring engine operation, fuel consumption and aircraft systems; checking passenger and cargo distribution and fuel against weight and balance specifications; conferring with dispatchers and weather forecasters; briefing crews; responding to and reporting in-flight emergencies; and recording flight times, distances and fuel in log books.

What is the difference between a captain and a first officer?

Both are qualified pilots and both fly, normally alternating sectors. The difference is authority: as Prospects puts it, the captain and first officer work closely as a team, "but the captain holds ultimate responsibility for the safety and operation of the flight".

What qualifications do you need to be a pilot in the UK?

The National Careers Service lists a Commercial Pilot Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, passing the CAA medical before starting a course, being 18 for a CPL and 21 for an ATPL, and passing enhanced background checks. A type rating for the specific aircraft is separate from the licence. Check current requirements with the CAA.

How many flying hours do you need to become a captain?

The National Careers Service states that after completing at least 1,500 flying hours you can apply for an unfrozen or full Air Transport Pilot Licence and qualify as an airline captain, and that this usually takes three to five years after obtaining the full ATPL.

What are the working conditions like?

Variable hours including evenings, weekends and bank holidays, worked on shifts, with a working environment that the National Careers Service describes as possibly cramped and physically demanding, and nights spent away from home. Recurrent training and checking happen throughout a career.

Your next step: put the currency matrix first

1. State the seat, fleet, base and network in the advert.
2. Say what licence, hours and type experience are required, and what is funded.
3. Publish the roster pattern and how far ahead it is issued.
4. Keep licence, rating, medical and recurrent training expiry in one live view rather than a spreadsheet.

For building a currency and skills matrix that people maintain, read and download our skills gap analysis guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.

Want checks, sign-offs and check-ins in one place, so nothing expires unnoticed? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current training matrix. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.