Whether you want a full career or just see it as a stepping stone, being a flight instructor holds many advantages. Flight instructors get to fly planes constantly without needing to fly across the country, so they are able to live in just one place instead of constantly flying to new places. The hours are more consistent, as well, and you can build up flight hours very quickly as an instructor. While these are all great benefits, you still have to know how to become a flight instructor to get them.

Age and Language

Perhaps the easiest and simplest requirements to become a flight instructor are the language and age qualifications. To become an instructor, you must be at least 18 years old and speak, write, and read English. These are simple enough goals, and most people will fulfill these requirements given enough time and English lessons.

Flight Hours

To become a flight instructor, you must log a certain number of hours flying a plane. At the very least, you must log at least 250 hours in a plane as a pilot, some of these hours must be spent in specific ways. Luckily, you can get a training license at 16 years old, and taking flight lessons will help you build up these hours.

Training

There are very specific training courses that a pilot can undergo to receive certifications in specific fields. Different piloting jobs will have different requirements for certain types of certifications. Depending on your job, you might need a CFI certificate or an MEI certificate. You will also need to get an instrument rating to prove you know how to fly certain aircraft. If you hold a commercial pilot certificate, you do not need to get the other certificates, as you should qualify for them already.

These qualifications are not too difficult to achieve if you focus on achieving your goals. Now that you know how to become a flight instructor and feel that you are ready to dedicate a significant amount of time and effort, you can start your career teaching others to fly in the sky as you can.