pilot career path is shown as a squiggly line

How Do I Compare as a Pilot? Navigating Your Pilot Career

By Dan
Pilot Training

I’m coming up on almost 400 hours of total flight time. Even without fully focusing on a pilot career path, I have to be honest, the excitement feels kind of low. Every 100 hours is supposed to be a milestone, showing growth in my flying and instructing. But I still catch myself thinking things like:

  • Why did it take me over 5 years to get this far?
  • I’m not even that good of a pilot for all the time I’ve spent flying.
  • I probably couldn’t even pass FAA written exams I’ve already taken because of knowledge loss.
  • I’ve been an instructor for a year now and have only flown 75 hours since that checkride.
  • What if I was career-focused? At this rate, I’d be 11 years away from getting my ATP.

These thoughts creep in more often than I’d like. But here’s what I’ve learned:

A Pilot Career Path is Not a Straight Line

pilot career path is shown as a squiggly line

We all know the magical 1,500 hours (or less for R-ATP cases) is a line in the sand you can’t get around for most pilot career paths. You have to do your time.

And along the way, you’ll always notice one thing: someone else seems to be moving faster. They’re logging more hours, building time quicker, or maybe they just seem sharper on knowledge checks. Comparison shows up everywhere in aviation, whether it’s a pilot rattling off airspace requirements with ease while you stumble, or watching peers reach milestones before you.

The truth? Comparison is inevitable. But it doesn’t define your career.

When you finally apply for that perfect pilot job, you may stand out above 95% of other candidates, but you’ll likely be one of hundreds applying for a single role. Statistically, the odds of landing it right away are slim. That’s why your pilot career is built on stepping stones. Each job, each lesson, each hour flown adds to your growth and brings you closer to your long-term goal.

Focus on Your Long-Term Pilot Career

You chose a pilot career path because you love aviation. You want your office view to be from the sky. You want the pride and prestige of holding a job few others can, with the pay and opportunities that come with it.

The key to overcoming comparison is to shift your perspective. Think of your pilot career as starting the day you took your first discovery flight and not as the day you get hired at an airline. Every step since then counts.

  • Getting your PPL
  • Adding ratings
  • Instructing
  • Building time
  • Working a side job to afford flying

These aren’t just stepping stones; they’re phases that shape you into the kind of pilot who will succeed when the right opportunity comes.

And growth isn’t just about hours in the cockpit. Networking, self-development, and character are just as critical. Training until you hit 1,500 hours without investing in anything else won’t make you a well-rounded candidate. Employers want safe, professional, adaptable pilots, not just logbooks filled with hours.

Ask yourself: if you ran into a hiring manager today and they asked, “How do you approach safety in your everyday flying?” Would you be ready to answer with confidence? Safety, FARs, airspace, instrument procedures, and crew management as important topics to consider. These are ongoing skills to stay sharp on. Being able to show you’ve invested in these areas since your very first flight speaks volumes.

Not Comparison, but Improving

Let’s go back to those insecure thoughts from the start. Growth as a pilot isn’t about beating others. It’s about getting better than you were yesterday.

  • Why did it take me over 5 years to get this far?
    → “I’m so grateful I still love flying today as much as the day I started.”
  • I’m not even that good of a pilot for all the time I’ve spent flying.
    → “Let me list the ways I’m stronger than I was 6 months ago.”
  • I probably couldn’t pass the FAA written exams I already took.
    → “I know this stuff, I just need to review because everyone forgets over time.”
  • I’ve been a CFI for a year and only flown 75 hours since that checkride.
    → “I can’t wait to bring even more knowledge to my next student than I had a year ago.”
  • What if I was career-focused? I’d be 11 years from an ATP at this rate.
    → “Every flight, every lesson, every connection moves me closer to my ultimate goal.”

That mindset shift makes all the difference.

So What’s the Point?

Enjoy the ride. Every step in your pilot career is an opportunity to improve, not just a checkpoint to rush past.

If pilot hiring is slow right now, keep flying as much as you can. If money is tight, work another job to fund it. Keep moving forward. If you only focus on the ultimate goal, the journey won’t feel rewarding. And what if you reach that airline job and don’t even enjoy it? Maybe a career CFI role or a Part 135 path is a better fit.

Treat each phase of your aviation career as if it might last indefinitely, and when the next phase comes, count it as a bonus.

Enjoy the skies...and enjoy the journey of your pilot career.

Need some extra help moving forward in your career? Contact us to learn how we can help!

Also, the airline hiring market is very cyclical. Really like the information that fapa.aero compiles to keep track of how things are looking right now.