Aeroplane Pilot
What the work is
Flies aeroplanes to transport passengers, mail and freight, or provide agricultural, aerial surveillance or other aviation services.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Controls the positions of ailerons and elevators, and the thrust of engines, to determine the elevation, speed and direction of aeroplanes
- Operates controls and navigational instruments to fly the aeroplane safely and efficiently with the use of autopilot
- Takes off and lands aeroplanes on fixed runways
- Plans and records aeroplane flight operations, and completes flight documentation
- Performs pre-flight inspections of the aeroplane to ensure it complies with specifications
- Communicates with air traffic control, ground crew and other pilots to ensure safe and coordinated flight operations
- Performs emergency procedures and manoeuvres in response to in-flight emergencies or equipment malfunctions of the aeroplane
- May make announcements during the flight, and inform passengers about safety procedures and protocols
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a regional airline and a flight school operating from a small country airport. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A smooth landing in poor weather, and passengers who clap without knowing why
- A student who was terrified at their first lesson flies solo for the first time
- A controller's shift where every aircraft sits exactly where it should
Hard days
- A weather change that cancels your flight, with a full plane of cross passengers
- Early starts, late finishes and body clocks that never settle
- A call that is right for safety and wrong for everyone's schedule
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 299131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.