Air Transport Pilots and Navigators
Job description
Air Pilots fly airplanes or helicopters to provide air transport.
Flight Engineers help Pilots maintain systems and perform necessary checks.
Instructors teach flying techniques to students and licensed pilots.
These individuals are usually employed by airline companies.
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Vehicle or passenger compartment
- Hazardous workplaces
- Noise
Main tasks
Air Pilots
- Ensure compliance with specifications related to the weight and distribution of passengers and cargo.
- Coordinate flights with various professionals (ground staff, flight dispatchers, meteorological specialists, etc.).
- Inform crew members of flight and check-in procedures and direct their activities during the flight.
- Communicate with control towers from take-off to landing.
- Monitor the operation of aircraft equipment and systems.
- Report and respond to any emergency and in-flight malfunction and prepare evaluation reports.
- Teach future pilots.
- Assess the flight characteristics and safety of new or experimental aircraft.
- Participate in special operations (search, rescue, forest fire fighting, etc.).
Flight Engineers
- Ensure compliance with specifications related to the weight and distribution of passengers and cargo.
- Assist pilots in monitoring in-flight equipment, functions, and systems.
- Perform in-flight repairs and follow emergency procedures in case of failure or breakdown.
- Perform post-flight checks, identify malfunctions and report any required repairs.
Flight Instructors
- Teach methods, flight rules, and theory to future pilots.
- Prepare authorized Pilots for certification exams.
Advancement and mobility
Air Pilots
- Licences and endorsements are available to pilot different types of aircraft.
Flight Engineers
- Flight experience as well as the required endorsements and licenses lead to Co-pilot and Pilot positions.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $23.00
- Median
- $53.33
- Maximum
- $80.00
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
3,000
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 8.2% Female
- 91.8% Male
Not available.
- 8.2% Female
- 91.8% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$102,000
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 48, 4971% of jobs
-
NAICS 336411% of jobs
-
NAICS 918% of jobs
-
NAICS 618% of jobs
-
NAICS 113, 11531% of jobs
-
Others1% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 48, 4971% of jobs
-
NAICS 336411% of jobs
-
NAICS 918% of jobs
-
NAICS 618% of jobs
-
NAICS 113, 11531% of jobs
-
Others1% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
College
DCS in techniques de pilotage d'aéronefs (Pilotage d'avions) (Nouvelle version)
Code : 280FA
Placement rate: 62.5%
29.2% of graduates pursue further studies
DCS in techniques de pilotage d'aéronefs (Pilotage d’hélicoptères) (Nouvelle version)
Code : 280FB
Placement rate: 100%
Also required
Air Pilots
- Professional Pilot’s or Air Transport Pilot’s licence.
Flight Engineers
- Flight Engineer licence.
Flight Instructors
- Diploma from an accredited flying or aviation school.
- Professional Pilot’s certificate or Air Transport Pilot’s certificate.
- Transport Canada licences or endorsements for each aircraft that instructors teach to fly.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Operations and control
- Data collection
- Monitoring operations
- Information processing
- Active listening
- Result evaluation
- Critical thought
- Reading comprehension
- Oral expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- Solving complex problems
- Active learning
- Time management
- Coordination
- System analysis
- Social perception
- Systems evaluation
- Mathematics
- Quality control analysis
- Troubleshooting
- Written expression
- Learning strategies
- Teaching
- Human resource management
- Service oriented
- Science
Abilities
- Control accuracy
- Response orientation
- Awareness of issues
- Spatial orientation
- Written comprehension
- Speed control
- Limb coordination
- Depth perception
- Inductive reasoning
- Processing flexibility
- Reaction time
- Distance vision
- Near vision
- Selective attention
- Verbal skills
- Information organization
- Deductive reasoning
- Perception speed
- Hand-arm stability
- Oral comprehension
- Time sharing
- Speech clarity
- Speech recognition
- Hearing sensitivity
- Manual dexterity
- Colour perception and distinction
- Peripheral vision
- Night vision
- Auditory attention
- Tolerance to bright light
- Classification
- Basic numeracy
- Mathematical reasoning
- Information processing speed
- Digital dexterity
- Written expression
- Sound origin identification
- Visualization
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Sense of responsibility
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Capacity to work in a team
- Knowledge of telecommunications
- Rigour
- Sense of initiative
- Tolerance to stress
- Respect standards and regulations
- Knowledge of engineering and technology
- Knowledge of mechanics
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work in transportation and maintenance
- Teach or educate
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Official name of the NOC 72600
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors
Job titles
- Chief pilot
- Flight engineer
- Co-pilot
- Flight instructor
- Airplane pilot
- Experimental test pilot
- Chief flying instructor
- Helicopter chief pilot
- Captain - air transport
- Aerial crop dusting service contractor
- Pilot instructor
- Airline pilot instructor
- Helicopter flight instructor
- Flight simulator instructor
- Air navigator
- Navigator - air transport
- Second officer - air transport
- Pilot - canadian armed forces
- Pilot - air transport
- Air pilot
- Business aircraft pilot
- Aerial sprayer
- Air patrol pilot
- Power line air patrol pilot
- Pipeline air patrol pilot
- Fire patrol pilot
- Forestry patrol pilot
- Forest spray pilot
- Airline test pilot
- Engineering test pilot
- Helicopter pilot
- Water bomber pilot
- Bush pilot
- Commercial airline pilot
- Airline pilot
- Relief pilot
- Charter pilot
- Check pilot
- Mapping pilot
- Aerial survey pilot
- Topographic survey pilot
- Aerial crop duster
- Remote sensing pilot
- Aerial survey flight supervisor
- Air pilot and flight engineer supervisor
- Air pilots and navigators supervisor
Skill type
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
Last update: January 29, 2026
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