% of professional pilots who fly for airlines

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STS-41B

Well-Known Member
When you tell the average person on the street that you're a pilot… they always quickly ask, "oh, cool! What airline?"
As if being an airline pilot is the ONLY professional pilot job.
I was just wondering, for curiosity, if anyone had any idea of what percentage of pilots who earn their living from aviation, are airline pilots? I'm thinking it's pretty low..
 
If you do a search, you might find some statistics like this:

Total pilots
580ish thousand

Total EMPLOYED as pilots (not merely commercially certificated or ATP)
100ish thousand

I found 64% of the employed are airline flight crewmembers
 
STS-41B said:
When you tell the average person on the street that you're a pilot… they always quickly ask, "oh, cool! What airline?"
As if being an airline pilot is the ONLY professional pilot job.
I was just wondering, for curiosity, if anyone had any idea of what percentage of pilots who earn their living from aviation, are airline pilots? I'm thinking it's pretty low..
Click to expand...
Only non-airline pilots tell the average person on the street that they are a pilot.
Edit: it did not take my wink, so... ;)
 
The less they know the better. Don't let the secret out.

Nothing to see here..........move along.

I tell people I'm a heavy equipment operator...........which is mostly true.
 
skypilot6 said:
This happened just the other day, by the wife of a military pilot no less.

Me: I fly private jets for XYZ
Her: Oh so you're still in training?
Click to expand...
I don't know about you, but I don't think you're ever really done training until you set the brakes on your last flight.
 
I'm staying near TVC for the summer. Mostly just sitting around, mountain biking, fishing, trail building etc. Most of the time people want to know why I'm in town. My standard "I manage high speed aluminum tubing" seems insincere in such a small town when people ask. So now: "I manage a property here." Kinda true if you include the hangar...

It avoids the standard litany of idiotic questions when people find out you are a pilot. Plus it is fun to be thought of as a handy guy.

 
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