Do pilots have to be healthy?

While pilots must pass regular government-contracted health exams, the tests often are cursory and the FAA relies on aviators to self-report conditions that can otherwise be difficult to detect, such as depression or post-traumatic stress, according to physicians who conduct the exams.



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Commercial Pilot Physical Requirements 20/20 distant vision in each eye, with or without corrective lenses. At least 20/40 intermediate and near vision, with or without corrective lenses. The ability to hear a conversational voice at six feet away, tested in both ears. Blood pressure no higher than 155/95.

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An airline pilot can be an extremely stressful job due to the workload, responsibilities and safety of the thousands of passengers they transport around the world. Chronic levels of stress can negatively impact one's health, job performance and cognitive functioning.

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Pilot medical issues were the cause of 9 percent of fatal aviation accidents during a 10-year period from 2012 to 2022, data compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board shows. A fatal crash in Europe in March 2015 raised new alarms about the risks of pilots with undisclosed mental health conditions.

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One of the major benefits of being a pilot is you can expect a hugely rewarding career; from taking your first solo flight, completing your first landing, flying to a new destination to overcoming challenges, every day is rewarding as a pilot in the cockpit.

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Pilots typically work between 50 and 75 hours a week. They may fly for several hours at a time or be on call and must be ready to fly on short-notice, typically due to a staff shortage. Pilots also have to spend a significant amount of time training every year, both in the classroom and the cockpit.

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If pilot's clearly do not meet FAA medical standards, particularly if they have conditions that are specifically grounding in Part 67 of the FARs or the Guide to Aviation Medical Examiners, the aviation medical examiner may issue a denial letter to the pilot revoking the pilot's current medical privileges.

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Due to the risks to flight safety posed by ADHD, regulatory authorities worldwide consider ADHD a disqualifying condition for pilots.

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One of the most common risks associated with being a pilot is the physical and mental strain. Pilots must remain alert and focused for long periods of time, often in difficult circumstances. This can lead to fatigue and stress, both of which can have a negative impact on their performance and safety.

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In most cases, pilots are required to have vision correctable to 20/20 or better in each eye with or without glasses or contact lenses. As long as your vision can be corrected to meet these standards, you are eligible to become a commercial pilot. Myth 3: It takes a long time to become a pilot.

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» According to The May 2021 Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary for commercial pilots is $99,640 per year. The median annual wage for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers is $202,180.

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How hard is a pilots life? Airline operations are nearly 24/7, 365-day-per-year operations. This means many weekends, holidays, early morning starts, and late-night finishes. Pilots lack control over these schedules, too, and we – at least at most airlines – operate on a schedule one month at a time.

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Pilots get anxiety and depression just like many other people do, but they seem less likely to seek support and treatment.

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Is Being a Pilot Safe? According to the National Safety Council, the risk of being injured in an aircraft accident is too small to calculate. While pilots fly more than most, the odds may be slightly increased. However, this is still minuscule.

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There is a lot of energy in the systems we operate. So, yeah, it can be a bit stressful, even before we add scheduling pressures, time away from family and constant changes due to weather and customer demands. Almost every “most stressful jobs” list has “commercial pilot” listed in the top 10.

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