What does an airline pilot/first officer do?
Airline pilot first officers are professional pilots who are responsible for assisting the captain in flight preparation and operation of an aircraft. These pilots are required to conduct a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft to ensure that all navigation, safety, and operating systems are properly working. They are required to communicate with the air traffic control unit during take-off, flight, and landing. Airline pilot first officers must also maintain navigation manuals and charts and should act quickly during emergencies to ensure the safety of passengers.
Airline pilot/first officer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real airline pilot/first officer resumes:
- Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
- Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
- License in both single-engine and multi-engine airplanes.
Airline pilot/first officer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 32% of Airline Pilot/First Officers are proficient in Customer Service, Flight Operations, and ATP. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Problem-solving skills, and Quick reaction time.
We break down the percentage of Airline Pilot/First Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 32%
Perform exceptional levels of customer service to my passengers to ensure satisfaction and a calm atmosphere through constant communication.
- Flight Operations, 15%
Directed domicile flight operations in Chicago and Honolulu flight domiciles overseeing operations, pilot proficiency and domicile business functions.
- ATP, 14%
Assisted with the administration of the unit aircrew training program (ATP).
- Federal Aviation, 14%
Complied with all Federal Aviation Administration regulations and operating procedures.
- Operations Manuals, 13%
Maintain familiarity with Company's Operations Manual as are necessary to fulfil his function both professionally and safely.
- Air Traffic Control, 10%
Coordinate communications between air traffic control to ensure required rules and regulations was approved before every flight day.
Common skills that an airline pilot/first officer uses to do their job include "customer service," "flight operations," and "atp." You can find details on the most important airline pilot/first officer responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for an airline pilot/first officer to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "pilots must speak clearly when conveying information to air traffic controllers and other crew members." Additionally, an airline pilot/first officer resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "improved communications throughout flight operations by providing better administrative detail and organization to the flight division. "
Problem-solving skills. Another essential skill to perform airline pilot/first officer duties is problem-solving skills. Airline pilot/first officers responsibilities require that "pilots must be able to identify complex problems and figure out appropriate solutions." Airline pilot/first officers also use problem-solving skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "resolved numerous conflicts arising in daily flight operations. "
Quick reaction time. This is an important skill for airline pilot/first officers to perform their duties. For an example of how airline pilot/first officer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "pilots must respond quickly, and with good judgment, to any impending danger." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an airline pilot/first officer: "total time: kc-135 = 3600+ hrs c-7 = 2201 hrs ground school aircraft systems instructor. ".
The three companies that hire the most airline pilot/first officers are:
- Republic Airways Holdings11 airline pilot/first officers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable airline pilot/first officer resume templates
Build a professional airline pilot/first officer resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your airline pilot/first officer resume.
Compare different airline pilot/first officers
Airline pilot/first officer vs. Flight engineer manager
A Flight Commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. The position is traditionally held by a captain, naval lieutenant, or air force flight lieutenant.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an airline pilot/first officer are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "atp," "federal aviation," and "operations manuals." On the other hand, a job as a flight engineer manager requires skills like "dod," "security procedures," "control systems," and "in-flight." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, flight engineer managers reach similar levels of education than airline pilot/first officers. Flight engineer managers are 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 4.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Airline pilot/first officer vs. Flight superintendent
A Flight Engineer monitors and controls various aircraft systems, such as airplanes and helicopters. They ensure that all components of the plane are in proper working order, as well as diagnose and rectify problems that may arise.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real airline pilot/first officer resumes. While airline pilot/first officer responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer service," "atp," "federal aviation," and "operations manuals," flight superintendents use skills like "logistics," "flight safety," "training programs," and "combat."
Flight superintendents earn similar levels of education than airline pilot/first officers in general. They're 4.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Airline pilot/first officer vs. Flight commander
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an airline pilot/first officer is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "atp," "federal aviation," and "operations manuals," while a typical flight commander is skilled in "combat," "logistics support," "usaf," and "afb."
Flight commanders typically earn higher educational levels compared to airline pilot/first officers. Specifically, they're 9.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Airline pilot/first officer vs. Flight engineer
Types of airline pilot/first officer
Updated January 8, 2025
