How to become a pilot: the routes to the cockpit at a glance

If you stand at the fence for hours following every approach, at some point you start to wonder: why just watch? Becoming a pilot is the childhood dream that never quite went away for many spotters. This guide shows you which licenses exist in Europe, which routes lead to the cockpit – from the airline flight school through the modular route to the armed forces – and which hurdles you need to clear before you invest the first euro.

Becoming a pilot: the short answer

To become an airline pilot, you need a Class 1 medical certificate and training at an approved flight school (ATO) that takes you to a commercial pilot license with instrument rating and ATPL theory, or directly to the Multi-Crew Pilot Licence. After that come the type rating for a specific aircraft type and the induction at the airline. You receive the full airline transport pilot license only once you have gathered enough hours in the cockpit.

If you only want to fly for fun, it is easier: the private pilot license is a goal in its own right and can be earned alongside a job or studies.

The licenses at a glance

In the EU and associated states such as Switzerland, Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 with its Part-FCL determines who may fly what. A license issued there is valid in all EASA member states. For airplanes there are essentially five levels:

License	What for	Minimum age	Medical	Typical role
LAPL(A)	light aircraft, private	17	LAPL medical	recreational pilot
PPL(A)	private flights, with additional ratings also multi-engine or night	17	Class 2	private pilot
CPL(A)	commercial flying, e.g. sightseeing flights, glider towing, photo flights	18	Class 1	professional pilot, often a stepping stone
MPL	co-pilot in an airline’s multi-crew cockpit	18	Class 1	entry at an airline
ATPL(A)	pilot in command in the multi-crew cockpit	21	Class 1	captain in scheduled service

The figures for LAPL, PPL, MPL and ATPL come from the EASA rulebook; which hour minimums apply in detail is set by Part-FCL for each level. For the PPL(A), it is at least 45 hours of flight training, of which 10 hours are solo flight under supervision, including cross-country flights with landings at other airfields. In practice, most student pilots need more than the minimum.

In Germany you additionally need a radiotelephony certificate. If you listen to air band radio from the fence, you already know the phraseology – what legally applies to that is covered in the article Listening to air band radio: the legal situation. In the cockpit itself you then speak actively, and that has to be examined: depending on the license and flight rules, that is a BZF or the AZF.

Route 1: the airline flight school (integrated)

The classic route to the airline cockpit is an integrated course: one continuous course in which theory, visual flight, instrument flight, multi-engine training and multi-crew cooperation (MCC) build on each other. At the end comes a CPL with instrument rating and passed ATPL theory or – depending on the program – directly an MPL.

The best-known example in the German-speaking region is the European Flight Academy, the flight school of the Lufthansa Group. It is run by Lufthansa Aviation Training, is based at Munich Airport and, according to its own website, offers one training route in Germany and one in Switzerland. The training lasts around two years and leads to an EASA license for airline service. Before the start comes an aptitude test at the DLR (German Aerospace Center). For graduates without a job offer from a cockpit of the group within 24 months of getting the license, the program, according to the school, provides for a partial refund of the training price (as of October 2026 – conditions change, so check them directly with the school before applying).

Anyone who makes it through there ideally ends up in the cockpit of Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Discover Airlines or Lufthansa City Airlines – which operation is hiring at the moment, though, depends on demand.

Route 2: modular, step by step

On the modular route, you collect the building blocks one at a time: first the PPL, then hours as a private pilot, ATPL theory (often by distance learning with in-person phases), night flying, instrument rating, multi-engine rating, CPL and MCC course. You can do each stage at a different flight school and spread them out over time.

For the modular commercial pilot license, Part-FCL requires more flight experience overall than for the integrated course: 200 hours of total flight time on the modular route versus at least 150 hours on the integrated course. ATPL theory comprises 13 exams, including air law, meteorology, navigation, flight performance and human performance. All exams must be passed within 18 months.

Exciting for spotters: a lot of the theory you already encounter at the fence. If you can read METARs and TAFs, you have understood part of meteorology. If you know how an ILS approach works and why there is wake turbulence separation, you know basics of navigation and flight operations. And the runway designations are your daily bread anyway.

Route 3: the MPL – directly for the airline

The Multi-Crew Pilot Licence has existed since the mid-2000s. It is tailored to one goal: co-pilot in the multi-crew cockpit of an airliner. A large part of the training takes place in a full-flight simulator, and the training includes a type rating for a specific jet – for example from the family of the Airbus A320neo or the Boeing 737-800. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and hold a Class 1 medical.

The advantage: from the start you learn what you need in the airline cockpit. The disadvantage: the MPL ties you more strongly to an employer and initially permits you to work only in the multi-crew cockpit. Solo flights as pilot in command of a small aircraft are not provided for. If you change route later, you need additional training.

Route 4: flying in the armed forces

The air force, the navy and the army also train pilots – for fighter jets, transports such as the Airbus A400M, helicopters or the aircraft of the Flugbereitschaft (the German government’s VIP flight service). Student pilots there are mostly prospective officers, less often non-commissioned officers. Before training comes a selection process of its own.

The time frame is important: you commit to a longer term of service as a soldier, and flying is part of a military career with deployments abroad and transfers. Under EU law, military flight experience can later be credited toward civil licenses, though only through a crediting procedure of the competent authority. The armed forces’ career advisory service will tell you the current conditions.

Before you start: the mandatory checks

No matter which route: three hurdles stand in front of the cockpit, and all three cost little compared with the training.

After the license: type rating and line flying

The license alone doesn’t put you in an Airbus yet. For every larger aircraft type you need a type rating, which you usually acquire with your first employer – mostly in the simulator. Then follows line training on the route with a training captain on board. Only then do you fly as a first officer with passengers.

The road to captain runs through hours. For the full airline transport pilot license, Part-FCL requires 1,500 hours of flight experience, of which 500 in the multi-crew cockpit. Until then you fly with the frozen ATPL. Whether you then move to long-haul – for example on the Airbus A350-900 or the Boeing 787-9 – or advance to captain on short-haul depends on the airline, seniority list and demand.

You can, by the way, already observe part of the cockpit’s everyday routine on the ground from the fence today: the article Turnaround: how ground handling works explains everything that happens between landing and departure. And why the co-pilot uses a different callsign on the radio than the flight number on your ticket is covered in Callsign and flight number.

What your spotter knowledge gets you

Plane spotters have a real head start in understanding the aviation system. You know aircraft types, airlines and alliances, you know how runway directions in use come about, and you have probably already followed hundreds of approaches with radio and a live map.

In the selection process, though, that counts only on the margins. Examiners look for people who make structured decisions under pressure, communicate in a team and apply rules consistently. Enthusiasm for registrations and special liveries is endearing but not a selection criterion. Mention the hobby as proof of genuine interest – and otherwise convince with performance.

Good ways to dig deeper without immediately starting training:

• Airport tours show you operations behind the fence. What you can expect is described in the article Airport tours and apron bus rides.
• Aviation museums such as the Flugwerft Schleißheim or the Technik Museum Speyer bring technology and history up close.
• Spotting points with a view of takeoffs and landings, such as the Munich Airport visitors’ hill or the Zeppelinheim viewing platform in Frankfurt, let you observe approach procedures and separation live.
• Flying clubs often offer open house days and guest flights – a good place to ask pilots directly about their route.

What you need to keep in mind

• Official sources instead of forums. For license questions in Germany, the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Aviation Office; professional pilots and instrument flight) and the state aviation authorities (private licenses) are responsible, in Switzerland the FOCA (BAZL), in Austria Austro Control.
• Check the flight school. For professional pilot training you need an approved training organization (ATO). Declared training organizations (DTO) train only up to the private license.
• Think about a plan B. A medical can be lost, and the job market for pilots fluctuates. A degree or vocational training as a safety net is not a sign of doubt but common sense.
• See everyday life realistically. Shift work, early briefings, nights in hotels and regular simulator checks are part of the job. If you only have the picture of the cockpit window in your head, you will be in for surprises.
• Watch deadlines. Theory exams, medicals and ratings have validity periods. If you train modularly, keep them in view.

Conclusion

Becoming a pilot is no secret, but a long road with clear stages: medical, training at an approved flight school, license, type rating, line training – and then many hours until the ATPL. Whether integrated, modular, via MPL or in the armed forces depends on your goal, your life situation and your financing. And if you would rather fly privately in the end or stay at the fence, you have done nothing wrong: many pilots are enthusiastic spotters themselves.