How many years of experience do you need to fly a 747?

A3. To gain a license to fly a Boeing 747, commercial pilots must have logged at least 500 hours of total flight time, with at least 50 hours of cross-country flight time and at least 10 hours in a complex aircraft.



Becoming a captain of a Boeing 747, the "Queen of the Skies," is typically the pinnacle of a pilot's career and requires significant longevity in the industry. In 2026, most major airlines require a minimum of 10 to 15 years of professional flying experience before a pilot is considered for a 747 command. Legally, a pilot must first obtain an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, which requires 1,500 flight hours. However, the 747 is a complex, long-haul widebody aircraft usually reserved for the most senior pilots. A typical path involves years flying regional jets, followed by several years as a First Officer on narrowbody aircraft like the 737, then moving to a First Officer role on a widebody, and eventually "upgrading" to Captain. While some cargo operators like Atlas Air or UPS might have faster tracks for First Officers, the role of Captain is strictly governed by seniority lists and thousands of hours of heavy-jet experience. This ensure that those at the helm of such a massive aircraft have the seasoned judgment required for global transoceanic operations.

People Also Ask

To fly as a commercial airline pilot, you will need 1500 hours of experience, which can be earned in two years. ATP's accelerated commercial pilot training programs provide a structured timeline and shorten the time it takes to gain experience and meet qualifications.

MORE DETAILS

How much does a Boeing 747 Pilot make in New York? The salary range for a Boeing 747 Pilot job is from $78,698 to $105,268 per year in New York. Click on the filter to check out Boeing 747 Pilot job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

MORE DETAILS

According to figures from The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for airline pilots is $114,200, but starting pay for a regional airline First Officer could be as little as $28,000, while ending pay for a major airline Captain could be several hundred thousand per year.

MORE DETAILS

What type of pilot you want to become will determine what age would be too old to change careers and start your flight training journey. If you're looking to fly larger jets for a major airline then I would suggest the cut-off date is around 35 years if you are only just starting your training.

MORE DETAILS

To become a pilot for the Boeing 747, applicants must have a valid commercial pilot's license, an instrument rating, and a multi-engine rating. Additionally, they must have at least 1,500 hours of flight experience and a thorough knowledge of aircraft systems, flight operations, and navigation.

MORE DETAILS

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median U.S. pilot salary at $211,790 in 2022. This means 50% of pilots earn more than this, and 50% earn less. However, there are pilots working for major airlines making more than $700,000 per year.

MORE DETAILS

How Much Is An Airline Pilot's Salary?
  • The bottom 25% earn up to $121,000 a year.
  • The middle 50% earn between $121,000 and $298,000 annually.
  • The top 25% earn between $298,000 and $768,000 annually.


MORE DETAILS

Some students ask themselves, “Am I too old to become a pilot?” and wonder how long they will be able to pursue a career in the air. No one is too old to attend flight school, as long as they are physically capable of operating an aircraft.

MORE DETAILS

Chou did the math, and it turns out that frequent fliers actually age the tiniest bit more quickly than those of us with both feet on the ground. Planes travel at high enough altitudes that the weak gravitational field speeds up the tick rate of a clock on board more than the high speeds slow it down.

MORE DETAILS

Boeing 777 pilots are some of the highest-paid pilots in the aviation industry. On average, their salaries range from $120,000 to $250,000 annually, depending on the amount of experience and number of hours flown.

MORE DETAILS

The difficulty of flying a 747 depends on a number of factors, including the pilot's experience, the type of 747 being flown, and the specific circumstances of the flight. The 747 is considered to be a relatively easy aircraft to fly.

MORE DETAILS

At the 65-hour minimum guarantee, a Boeing 757 first officer starts out making at least $55,000 per year and by year 10 will be making more than $120,000 per year, not including per diem. By comparison, a captain at Delta in the same airplane starts at $206 per hour year one, and by year 10 makes $222 per hour.

MORE DETAILS

Many long-haul planes have pilot bunks. On some airplanes you have to pass through the passenger cabin to reach the bunks or lavatories; on others, like the 747, you need never leave the cockpit area and can move freely between the bunk and the bathroom in your pajamas.

MORE DETAILS

In general, it is perfectly possible for a single person to fly modern aircraft like A380. However, regulations require the presence of 2 pilots (PF and PNF).

MORE DETAILS

In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65. However, these pilots may stay on with a Part 121 carrier in some other role, such as flight engineer.

MORE DETAILS

Yes, airplane pilots can wear glasses. (And many do.) If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, you can still become a commercial, private, or military pilot. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the military have certain minimum standards for prospective pilots.

MORE DETAILS