Second officer to commercial pilot
A second officer already meets 35% of what the commercial pilot role asks for. The move turns on 27 required skills not yet in the profile.
73.7/ 100
1 How much of what a commercial pilot is expected to do is already part of a second officer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the commercial pilot role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A commercial pilot role treats 15 of its required skills as things a second officer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- air transport law
- aircraft flight control systems
- airport planning
- apply airport standards and regulations
- aviation meteorology
- common aviation safety regulations
What stands in the way is 27 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 15 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A commercial pilot role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a second officer background worth leading with.
- already held respond to changing navigation circumstances communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held undertake procedures to meet aircraft flight requirements assisting and caring
- already held ensure ongoing compliance with regulations assisting and caring
- already held read 3D displays information skills
- already held operate cockpit control panels working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held airport planning engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 15 carried skills, including the 15 the commercial pilot role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 30 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn apply signalling control procedures required
- still to learn operate two-way radio systems required
- still to learn perform flight manoeuvres required
- still to learn perform take off and landing required
- still to learn operate radar equipment required
- still to learn operate radio equipment required
- still to learn operate radio navigation instruments required
- still to learn comply with air traffic control operations required
- still to learn ensure compliance with civil aviation regulations required
- still to learn follow airport safety procedures required
- still to learn follow ethical code of conduct in transport services required
- still to learn implement airside safety procedures required
- still to learn apply company policies required
- still to learn analyse weather forecast required
- still to learn have spatial awareness required
- still to learn identify airport safety hazards required
- still to learn perform risk analysis required
- still to learn read maps required
- still to learn work in an aviation team required
- still to learn execute flight plans required
- still to learn use different communication channels required
- still to learn write work-related reports required
- optional, not held adapt to changing situations optional
- optional, not held listen actively optional
- still to learn air traffic control operations required
- still to learn civil aviation regulations required
- still to learn pre-flight procedures for IFR flights required
- still to learn visual flight rules required
- still to learn balance transportation cargo required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a commercial pilot role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 air traffic control operations study this
- 02 apply signalling control procedures practise this
- 03 balance transportation cargo practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 15 skills that carry over
- already held air transport law knowledge
- already held aircraft flight control systems knowledge
- already held airport planning knowledge
- already held apply airport standards and regulations skill
- already held aviation meteorology knowledge
- already held common aviation safety regulations knowledge
- already held ensure ongoing compliance with regulations skill
- already held geographic areas knowledge
- already held make independent operating decisions skill
- already held operate cockpit control panels skill
- already held perform routine flight operations checks skill
- already held read 3D displays skill
- already held respond to changing navigation circumstances skill
- already held undertake procedures to meet aircraft flight requirements skill
- already held use meteorological information skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held create a flight plan optional
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held create a flight plan optional
- optional, not held adapt to changing situations optional
- optional, not held listen actively optional
21 held skills the commercial pilot role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role address aircraft mechanical issues skill
- not needed by the target role airport safety regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role carry out navigational calculations skill
- not needed by the target role comply with checklists skill
- not needed by the target role consider economic criteria in decision making skill
- not needed by the target role deal with challenging work conditions skill
- not needed by the target role electrical systems used in transportation knowledge
- not needed by the target role electronics knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure aircraft compliance with regulation skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with airport security measures skill
- not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
- not needed by the target role ensure smooth on board operations skill
- not needed by the target role follow verbal instructions skill
- not needed by the target role geostationary satellites knowledge
- not needed by the target role handle stressful situations in the work place skill
- not needed by the target role have computer literacy skill
- not needed by the target role inspect aircraft skill
- not needed by the target role interpret visual literacy skill
- not needed by the target role launching of satellites into orbit knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform aircraft maintenance skill
- not needed by the target role undertake procedures to meet helicopter flight requirements skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn air traffic control operations required
- still to learn civil aviation regulations required
- still to learn pre-flight procedures for IFR flights required
- still to learn visual flight rules required
Common questions about this move
Can a second officer become a commercial pilot?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A second officer already covers 35% of what a commercial pilot is expected to do: 15 skills carry over, 15 of which the commercial pilot role treats as required.
What skills does a second officer need to become a commercial pilot?
27 required skills are missing, plus 3 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is air traffic control operations.
How hard is the move from second officer to commercial pilot?
Its learning distance is 73.7 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.