Can an introvert become an airline pilot?

Did you know that introverts make great pilots? One pilot wrote on Reddit: “Yes, I'm introverted. Plenty of alone time to be had as an airline pilot. Sometimes you don't even have to talk to the guy next to you if you don't want.”



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The FAA's regulations require airline pilots to undergo a medical exam with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) every six months to five years, depending on the type of flying they do and their age. Aviation Medical Examiners are trained to determine the pilot's mental health and fitness to fly.

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They can be “workaholics” and goal-oriented. Everyone knows someone fitting such a description, and it may be that pilots predominately are Type A people. The Type B personality, meanwhile, usually exists at a lower stress level.

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Pilots generally only work with one other pilot at a time, so they tend to hang out together on the over nights. While we do not fly with the same pilots frequently, many do make friends in the industry.

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In any case, the position is a rare privilege in the US, with commercial pilots accounting for just 0.05% of the population. With this in mind, how exactly can you join this rare club? Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.

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One study shows that introverts tend to fall into one of four subtypes:
  • Social introverts. This is the classic type of introvert. ...
  • Thinking introverts. People in this group are daydreamers. ...
  • Anxious introverts. ...
  • Restrained/inhibited introverts.


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Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.

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Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.

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Just like with diabetes, if you have chronic depression that is well treated by an appropriate specialist with or without medication, chances are you can continue flying.

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