A commercial pilot license (CPL) is necessary if you want to be paid for flying planes. If you're aiming for a career in the skies, you’ll have plenty of opportunities once you have a CPL. Learn about just some of the careers that a CPL could help prepare you for.

Piloting Sightseeing Tours

Working as a sightseeing tour pilot is a great step into commercial aviation once you're licensed. Most planes for tours are smaller, and you'll likely be able to fly some sightseeing planes immediately after getting a CPL. You can then gain experience as you prepare to fly larger planes.

Although sightseeing flights normally don't take off in adverse conditions, you should still get an instrument rating (IR) endorsement in case bad weather sets in while out on a tour. You'll want to know how to fly by instrument in low-visibility conditions. This is particularly necessary if you fly tours to a destination that's a good distance away, but this is something every sightseeing pilot should have regardless of distance.

It can also be helpful to have extensive experience in low-level flying, as you'll need to fly relatively close to land and buildings so that passengers have good views. You may prioritize some low-level flying while earning your CPL or as a non-commercial pilot before obtaining a commercial license.



Flying to Fight Wildfires

Fighting wildfires is difficult and demanding work regardless of whether you're working from the ground or sky. In the sky, you must be able to navigate varied terrain, fly through low-visibility smoke, and safely operate the aircraft at low levels. Many firefighting planes drop water from just feet above the ground.

It's also necessary to have experience flying at night and with instruments rather than vision. Having experience landing on and taking off from water doesn't hurt, either.

You may not have all of the above experience immediately after earning a CPL. You might have a head start if you flew as a private pilot, however, and some of your CPL training will involve these requirements. You might then get the additional necessary experience flying night sightseeing tours or in a similar job.

With some strategic planning on what training and job you pursue, you could be ready for work as a wildfire pilot fairly soon after earning your CPL. Few other jobs in commercial aviation are this challenging and rewarding.

Passing Over Fields

If you're in a sparsely populated area with lots of agriculture, crop dusting can be a solid place to start after earning a CPL. Not only are these likely some of the more common jobs near you but they're also well-suited for a newly licensed commercial pilot.

Many of the planes for spraying fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides on crops are small prop planes. They'll likely be similar to what you trained on when getting a CPL and possibly even similar if you flew as a private pilot.

You again should have some low-flying experience, but it might not be as crucial to land a job in this field. Rural areas with lots of farms often don’t have as many people applying for jobs. Some parts of Texas have lots of opportunities in this field.

If you want to pursue one of these careers, learn more about getting your commercial pilot license with us at Unlimited Possibilities Aviation. Contact us today to find out more about our flight training services.