There are some pretty cool advantages to being a pilot, here are just a few of them!

1. Taking family and friends on flights is always a fun time!

There can’t be much that is more satisfying than being able to walk out onto the tarmac with your friends of family members and take them exotic places. Whether you are going on a trip for that $100 burger, or just showing them some maneuvers you learned, there is never a dull moment where your passengers aren’t in awe.

2. You are the Pilot In Command

Sounds like a pretty cool title right? Pilot In Command. It’s a name that comes with a lot of responsibility. You are the sole manipulator of the flight controls and you are entrusted with the safety of your passengers. Even better, you get to log PIC time in your logbook!

3. If you are Instrument Rated, your passengers will be in awe when you land coming right out of the clouds.

I haven’t completed my Instrument Rating, but am near the end of the course. Each observer I have taken on a training flight is speechless whenever the cloud cover is low and we appear on centerline as we descend below the clouds. It’s one of the best feelings a pilot can have when they can’t see the runway and they grease the landing.

4. Future aviators will love to hear your stories

That’s right! Whenever you tell a little kid that you’re a pilot, be prepared to answer a lot of questions! I find a lot of satisfaction in being asked about my flight training and what my future job in the airline industry is going to be like. Who knows, maybe you will convince them to be a pilot too!

5. The challenges you face are rewarding

Who ever said that anything easy is rewarding? You will find throughout your flying experiences that the most challenging aspects of flight are the ones that are the most rewarding. Having trouble learning how to maneuver during slow flight or recovering from unusual attitudes? The best thing you can do is think of the reward in the end, a new license or rating!

6. You have some of the best views in the world

Whether you are cruising at 4,000 feet or 37,000 feet, the view never gets old.

7. You get to tell people you are a pilot

We have all seen the quote “Ask a pilot how they got involved in aviation, and you’ll hear a love story,” but in all honesty, that isn’t far from the truth. We as pilots could go on and on about our best adventures, our first flight ever, or talk for hours about our flight training.

8. There’s endless possibilities after you obtain your Private license

Receiving your Private license opens up a bunch of doors. Go out and get your Seaplane rating, or Tailwheel endorsement! Take advantage of opportunities that could let you fly more places or fly new planes.

9. You get to meet a lot of cool people

Take a walk down to your local airstrip and you’re guaranteed to find some older pilots who would love to share their experiences with you, and maybe they will offer to take you flying!

10. You are part of an elite club

Believe it or not, but becoming a pilot means you have joined the 0.3% of the world’s population that has obtained some sort of pilot’s license. Find others who share your passion for aviation and take them flying!