Air cargo is becoming more popular as a means of transporting time-sensitive goods, belongings, documents, and information from one location to another. The act of using an air carrier as a transport vessel for shipment purposes is known as air cargo.
The quickness and ease of using a service like this are the advantages of air cargo. In many cases, it can deliver your shipment to its overseas destination within a day, and it has become an integral and important part of the global logistics network chain.
The role of a cargo pilot is to transport goods or freight for a company. A cargo pilot may be required to handle special or hazardous materials occasionally and check cargo lists and storage systems to ensure everything meets transportation safety guidelines.
Most fly solely between airports of various sizes, according to a schedule set by the company. A cargo pilot’s responsibilities may include cleaning and maintenance, depending on the size of the company and plane.
How to Become a Cargo Pilot?
A commercial pilot license is one of the requirements for becoming a cargo pilot. You must first obtain a private pilot certificate, as well as the instrument and multi-engine ratings, which allow you to fly more complex planes in bad weather. Finally, you must obtain an airline transport pilot certificate.
What Is the Difference Between a Cargo Pilot & a Passenger Pilot?
Cargo Pilot
A cargo pilot’s responsibility is to deliver and transport cargo, frequently in the middle of the night or early in the morning.
These shipments could include mail, industrial supplies, electronics, food, emergency relief supplies, or anything else that needs to get to its destination faster than land-based transportation allows.
Cargo planes, like passenger planes, come in various sizes, from small one-person planes to large freight planes. Passenger pilots also transport cargo, typically in the form of luggage, but they prioritize passenger transport.
Cargo pilots do not have to worry about such responsibilities because they are mostly dealing with inanimate objects.
They can concentrate their efforts on issues that directly affect the safety of their flight because they are not required to attend to any confused or anxious passengers. However, in order to maintain the quality of the goods they are transporting, they must be aware of the proper loading and unloading procedures.
Passenger Pilot
Since passenger pilots deal with people, they must ensure their passengers’ comfort throughout the flight. This includes addressing passengers, making necessary announcements, and controlling the temperature inside the plane.
Passenger comfort is also a consideration for passenger pilots when dealing with turbulence and other common issues that they may encounter while performing their duties.
Whether you are a passenger or cargo pilot, your goal is the same: to ensure that the people or items you are transporting arrive safely at their destination. As a result, both types of pilots must be proficient in all of the skills and techniques required to achieve this specific goal.
To ensure safe departure and arrival, cargo and passenger pilots should thoroughly check their aircraft prior to each flight, use navigational tools, and employ appropriate techniques.
Education and training
Some airlines and companies require pilots to have a bachelor’s degree in aviation or a related field, and many pilots choose to receive a bachelor’s degree before pursuing a career in the area.
However, airlines have become increasingly flexible about degree requirements, and many hire pilots who choose only to complete flight school. Before becoming commercial pilots, cargo and airline pilots receive a private pilot’s license. This licensure requires candidates to:
- Be at least 17 years of age.
- Hold a student pilot certificate.
- Be fluent in English.
- Receive 35 hours of flight training with an authorized instructor.
- Meet the requirements for the type of aircraft they want to fly.
- Pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) knowledge test
Is every pilot paid the same?
No, of course not. A variety of factors, including the following, determine salary ranges:
- Experience Level (Pilot Seniority).
- Type of airline (Regional versus Major Airlines).
- The rank of the pilot.
- Type of aircraft flown.
- In which country is the airline based (EU & Non-EU Countries)
The average salary for pilots?
Looking at the self-reported salaries on PayScale can give you an idea of how a cargo pilot’s salary
- The average base salary (USD) for a cargo pilot is $102,940 per year.
- The average base salary (USD) for an airline Pilot is $121,965 per year.