"How to Write a Pilot Resume"

A pilot resume has to prove you fly safely and capably: you hold the hours, ratings, and certificates, fly the aircraft you're rated on, and maintain a clean safety record. Employers want hours, ratings, and safety, not "flew planes." Here's how to write a pilot resume that lands interviews.

What a Pilot Resume Needs to Prove

Flight hours — total time and category breakdowns.
Ratings/certificates — the licenses and ratings you hold.
Aircraft/type — the aircraft you've flown.
Safety — a clean record and good judgment.

A pilot resume is hours, ratings, and a safe record. Lead with hours and certificates.

Lead With the Flight Summary

Pilots lead with a clear flight-time and certificate summary, usually near the top:

"ATP, X,XXX total hours (PIC: X,XXX; multi-engine: X,XXX; turbine: X,XXX; night/IFR: X,XXX)."
"Type ratings: [aircraft]. Ratings: Multi-Engine, Instrument."
"Current medical (First Class), valid through [date]; clean checkride and safety record."
"Flew [aircraft] in [operation: Part 121/135/91], maintaining safety and on-time performance."

The pattern: certificate → hours by category → type/aircraft → record. (See quantify your resume achievements and resume action verbs.)

Show Your Skills

Certificates — ATP/Commercial, Multi-Engine, Instrument, CFI/CFII.
Hours — total, PIC, multi, turbine, night, IFR, cross-country.
Aircraft — types flown and type ratings.
Operations — Part 121/135/91, CRM, SMS, dispatch.
Safety — checkrides, record, judgment, currency.
Medical — class and currency.

Putting hours and certificates up top makes the resume concrete and ATS-friendly (ATS — the software that screens resumes before a person does).

Quantify Hours and Record

A pilot resume is judged on hours and record — show total and category hours, ratings, types, and safety record. (For related roles, see the flight attendant resume guide and air traffic controller resume guide.)

Keep It ATS-Readable

Clean, single-column, standard-section layout with a clear flight-time table.
Mirror the keywords in the posting (the certificate, ratings, the aircraft, the role title).
Use a standard title (Pilot, Airline Pilot, Commercial Pilot, First Officer, Captain).

More in our guide to writing an ATS-friendly resume.

Common Mistakes

"Flew planes" — vague, with no hours or certificates.
No hours breakdown — total, PIC, multi, and turbine matter.
No ratings/type — these are screened for first.
No medical/currency — class and validity matter.
No safety record — a clean record matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a pilot put on a resume?

Lead with a flight-time and certificate summary (total and category hours, ratings, type ratings, medical), then operations and safety record. Hours, ratings, and a clean safety record are what employers screen for — put the numbers up top.

How do I present flight hours on a resume?

Use a clear table or summary near the top: total time plus PIC, multi-engine, turbine, night, IFR, and cross-country. Recruiters and ATS look for specific category minimums, so make the breakdown easy to scan.

What certificates should be on a pilot resume?

List your certificate (ATP or Commercial), ratings (Multi-Engine, Instrument), any CFI/CFII, type ratings, and current medical class and date. These are the first things aviation employers screen for, so make them prominent.

How do I write a pilot resume with low hours?

Lead with your certificates and ratings, all hours by category, CFI time if you instruct, and any turbine or multi time. Building and clearly presenting hours, plus instructing, makes a lower-time pilot resume competitive (see writing an entry-level resume with no experience).

A pilot resume should reflect the role — precise, safety-focused, and clearly documented. PrismResume helps you present hours, ratings, and your safety record clearly, in a clean, ATS-readable layout. Try the free resume check at prismresume.com.