Aircraft pilots fly airplanes and helicopters. They move people, cargo, and mail. Helicopter pilots fight fires and help with police and rescue work. On a large aircraft there are usually two pilots in the cockpit. Pilots plan their flights and check the weather. They check the engines, controls, and cargo. They keep careful records.

• Pilots start engines and operate the controls of a plane.
• Pilots look at data
• Pilots develop a flight plan.
• Pilots check aircraft before flying.
• Pilots use radios to talk to the control tower for takeoff and arrival times.
• Pilots keep a log of how much fuel is used, weather, andhow high the plane flies.
• Pilots may also teach others how to fly a plane.

• Pilots can not fly over 100 hours per month or more than 1,000 hours per year.
• They often stay overnight away from home.
• Pilots fly at all hours of the day and night.

• Work with flight controls on the plane
• Computers
• Radios
• Landing gear
• Radar
• GPS
• Pilots work with people at the airport such as air traffic controllers.
• Pilots work with flight attendants.
• They work with other pilots such as a co-pilot.

• Many have a 4 year bachelor's degree
• Some have 2 years of college
• Complete training at a flightschool
• Complete training in the military for flying
• Pilots must have a license issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
• To get the license pilots must take many classes and practice flying in flight simulators.
• They must practice flying a real plane
• Have a medical certificate showing the person is in good health and have 20/20 vision with or without glasses.
• Be at least 23 years old
• Be able to read, speak, and write English
• Pass a written test about flying a plane
• Pass a test actually flying a plane
• Fly a plane for at least 250 hours

• Air Traffic Controller
• Airfield Operations Specialist

• Reading
• Writing
• English
• Math
• Computer Operations
• Physics
• Foreign Languages

• Dot to Dot Go
• Graph and Go
• What Comes Next?
• Air, Water, or Land?

• Airport by Byron Barton
• National Geographic Readers: Planes (National Geographic Kids: Science Reader Level 1 by Amy Shields
• Richard Scarry's A Day at the Airport by Richard Scarry
• The Noisy Airplane Ride by Mike Downs
• A Day at an Airport (Time Goes By) by: Sarah Harrison
• The Great Airport Mystery (Hardy Boys, Book 9) by Franklin W. Dixon
• Gila Monsters Meet You At the Airport (Reading Rainbow Book) by: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
• Airport (Usborne Sticker Books) by Dan Crisp
• Planes at the Airport by Peter Mandel and Ed Miller
• Airport (with magnets) Usborne Magnet Books by Felicity Brooks, Matt Durber, and Gustavo Mazali
• 50 Things to Spot at the Airport (Activity Cards) by Struan Reid and katrina Fearn
• Busy Airport: A lift the flap learning book by Gaby Goldsack and Jan Smith

• Career Town Ticket Typing
• Career Town Luggage Load Up
• PBS Kids Migration Adventure
• FAA Kids Page

• VIEW Career Search
• FAA Pilot Training
• BLS Online