Flight instructor

A flight instructor teaches people to fly aircraft, training student pilots toward their licenses and ratings. They deliver ground instruction on aviation knowledge and in-flight lessons on aircraft control, navigation, procedures, and emergencies, build students' skills and judgment, ensure safety throughout, and prepare them for the exams and checkrides that lead to certification.

The work is highly skilled and safety-critical, requiring expert flying, patient teaching, and calm composure while a student controls the plane. Flight instructors work at flight schools and for aviation programs, often building hours toward airline careers.

The job suits skilled, patient, calm aviators who love flying and want to teach it, finding reward in launching new pilots safely into the air.