What does a pilot captain do?
A pilot captain is an experienced pilot who is primarily responsible for the flight, passengers, and crew. As the pilot with the highest authority in an aircraft, they are in charge of ensuring that all necessary procedures and safety checks are carried out before, during, and after flights. It is also their duty to conduct weather and flight plan checks, coordinate with air-traffic controllers and airport personnel while working together with co-pilots, and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.
Pilot captain responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real pilot captain resumes:
- Lead a platoon that earn numerous awards for jamming opposition force artillery nets and conducting counterattacks on opposition electronic warfare platoons.
- Evaluate trainee knowledge of aircraft systems and company procedures and adherence to FAA standards.
- Perform UAS and grind equipment testing, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
- Provide UAV mission support and flight instruction, annual proficiency reviews, and flight evaluations.
- Present at events such as, tournament dinners, NCAA banquets and recognition events on behalf of the team.
- Plan and conduct emergency drills, equipment checks, and safety meetings in accordance with USCG regulations and company policy.
- Provide individual training and contribute to the league championship by working with players on strategies, techniques, and drills.
- Coordinate one house programs covering a variety of topics such as fire safety, diversity, health/wellness, scholarship, etc.
- Recruit and award soccer scholarships to institution.
- Solicit student-athlete response to propose NCAA legislation.
- Create monthly PowerPoint presentations illustrating company performance and goals.
- Plan recruit weekends and delegate volleyball responsibilities among team members.
- Participate on several volleyball club teams throughout high school requiring dedication and national travel.
- Design high-impact PowerPoint presentations and supporting materials for national training programs and internal departmental training.
- Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Pilot captain skills and personality traits
We calculated that 37% of Pilot Captains are proficient in PIC, FAA, and IFR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Problem-solving skills, and Quick reaction time.
We break down the percentage of Pilot Captains that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- PIC, 37%
Performed PIC as required by pilot rotation.135/91 On Demand Charter.
- FAA, 25%
Followed FAA and Company procedures and policies without incident or accident for over thirty five years.
- IFR, 16%
Conduct aircraft operations in multiple modes of flight: Day/ Night VFR, NVG and simulated IFR Conditions.
- Icao, 5%
Experienced in all aspects of tower communication and ICAO speaking.
- Flight Safety, 5%
Ensured flight safety, security, and economic optimization.
- Flight Operations, 5%
Air Mission Commander responsible for planning, coordination and management of multiple aircraft during flight operations in hostile environments.
Most pilot captains use their skills in "pic," "faa," and "ifr" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential pilot captain responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a pilot captain to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "pilots must speak clearly when conveying information to air traffic controllers and other crew members." Pilot captains often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "experienced in all aspects of tower communication and icao speaking. "
Problem-solving skills. Many pilot captain duties rely on problem-solving skills. "pilots must be able to identify complex problems and figure out appropriate solutions," so a pilot captain will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways pilot captain responsibilities rely on problem-solving skills: "proposed solutions that increased on-time performance by 20 - 30% on several problematic flight segments. "
Quick reaction time. pilot captains are also known for quick reaction time, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to pilot captain responsibilities, because "pilots must respond quickly, and with good judgment, to any impending danger." A pilot captain resume example shows how quick reaction time is used in the workplace: "received 80 hours of actual uh1y flight time (vfr & ifr). "
The three companies that hire the most pilot captains are:
- Ameriflight24 pilot captains jobs
- Air Methods5 pilot captains jobs
- SkyWest Airlines3 pilot captains jobs
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Compare different pilot captains
Pilot captain vs. Aviator
An aviator, also known as a pilot, operates aircraft for commercial or private use. Although their duties vary upon their company or industry of employment, it usually entails performing regular inspections before and after every flight, coordinating with staff, maintaining an active communication line with air traffic controller, determining routes and schedules, analyzing flight plans, and monitoring the weather conditions. Moreover, as an aviator, it is essential to be proactive and professional in dealing with issues and concerns.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between pilot captains and aviator. For instance, pilot captain responsibilities require skills such as "pic," "faa," "ifr," and "icao." Whereas a aviator is skilled in "fixed wing aircraft," "federal aviation administration," "emergency procedures," and "helicopter training." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, aviators reach similar levels of education than pilot captains. Aviators are 2.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Pilot captain vs. Check airman
A helicopter pilot is responsible for operating a helicopter engine to transport people and materials from one place to another. Helicopter pilots usually work in industrial and government settings, assisting with rescue operations, medical deliveries, and gathering aerial video and photos for data purposes. They inspect the condition of aircraft controls and components, ensuring its safety and efficiency during operations to avoid hazards and delays. A helicopter pilot determines flight plans with utmost consideration with weather forecasts and aircraft stability.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real pilot captain resumes. While pilot captain responsibilities can utilize skills like "faa," "icao," "flight safety," and "flight operations," check airmen use skills like "line checks," "recurrent training," "airmen," and "instructor pilot."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Check airmen tend to reach higher levels of education than pilot captains. In fact, they're 7.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pilot captain vs. Ems helicopter pilot
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a pilot captain is likely to be skilled in "icao," "flight safety," "flight operations," and "caribbean," while a typical ems helicopter pilot is skilled in "medical services," "as350," "inter-facility transports," and "epa."
When it comes to education, ems helicopter pilots tend to earn similar degree levels compared to pilot captains. In fact, they're 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Pilot captain vs. Helicopter pilot
Even though a few skill sets overlap between pilot captains and helicopter pilots, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a pilot captain might have more use for skills like "icao," "flight safety," "caribbean," and "federal aviation." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of helicopter pilots require skills like "pilot-in-command," "combat," "helicopter operations," and "patrol. "
The transportation industry tends to pay the highest salaries for helicopter pilots, with average annual pay of $84,926. Comparatively, the highest pilot captain annual salary comes from the transportation industry.The average resume of helicopter pilots showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to pilot captains. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.8%.Types of pilot captain
Updated January 8, 2025
