Three Stripes First Officer/Co-Pilot/Senior First Officer.
Four Stripes: Captain.
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A Captain is typically the highest rank. However, in some airlines, there is a role of a Training Captain – an experienced pilot who not only performs regular captain duties, but also takes on the responsibility of training and evaluating other pilots (they also wear four Captain stripes).
Rank 1: Cadet or Training PilotA cadet or training pilot wears one stripe. They are usually in a training program with an airline, and they complete the required number of flight hours to pass their training with a specially trained pilot to help.
Depending on the airline, they will normally have at least 3,000 hours of flying experience. A captain wears four stripes on their uniform shirts and jackets.
Once you progress on to a senior first officer role, salaries of up to £85,000 can be achieved. The starting salary for a captain with a medium-sized airline may range from £54,000 to £75,000. Those employed by major operators can earn £97,000 to more than £140,000.
A First Officer in aviation is a commercial airline pilot who helps navigate and operate flights. They work in the cockpit with the Captain to assist them with the flight. They sit in the right seat and are the second in command (SIC), while the Captain sits in the left seat and is the pilot in command (PIC).
What rank is a pilot Easyjet? Flying the right-hand seat, you'll be ranked Second Officer, First Officer or Senior First Officer depending on your flying hours and airline experience. You will provide support to your Captain and crew and help us deliver exceptional service.
Pilots typically start out as a second officer, progressing on to first officer, senior first officer and then captain. In some airlines you may enter at an apprentice level before then becoming a second officer.
An aircraft must always have a nominated senior pilot who is in overall charge of the aircraft, this pilot is the Captain. A newly-qualified airline or private jet pilot is allocated the rank of First Officer then later can become a Senior First Officer, before they take a Command Course.
In many countries outside the US, anybody with stripes in the cockpit is addressed as Captain, Cappie, Commander, Commandante or other honoraria so as not to offend and denote respect. In the US crews are sometimes called Skycap, but usually not while in the cockpit.
The pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft is the person aboard an aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the captain in a typical two- or three-pilot aircrew, or pilot if there is only one certificated and qualified pilot at the controls of an aircraft.
Some first officers have waited decades to become a captain while others can upgrade in just a few years, but we'll set an average range of 5-12 years from first officer to captain at a major airline. That means from 0 experience all the way to major airline captain, one can expect a timeline of 15+ years.
Senior First OfficerSome airlines have additional requirements, such as being command ready. This means they are ready to be promoted to Captain but are waiting for a position to become available. Senior First Officers also have three stripes.
Salary Details for an Airline Pilot at RyanairThe estimated base pay is $118,630 per year. The Most Likely Range represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.
Pilot training at a glanceThe minimum age to commence pilot training is 18, but you cannot get an ATPL until you're 21. It can take 16-18 months to qualify as a pilot if you've no previous flying experience. A two-year part-time 'modular' route is also available allowing you to work while you train.