The path of a pilot is long and arduous, but the value and meaning of the profession are eternal!
We introduce the work that pilots do by aircraft type and the changes in the role of aircraft pilots after the pandemic.
A complete guide that provides all the qualifications, conditions, and latest test preparation tips at a glance!!

Many people want to become pilots.
It's because they think the salary is high and they look cool.
What is the real life of a pilot like, or is it as perceived from the outside? The author of this book has long been a pilot himself, and has since met numerous applicants as an interviewer.
Then I realized that people who truly want to become pilots have different eyes.
On the other hand, there were many who gave conventional answers, but the author confesses that he wrote this book because he felt sorry that people were not thinking deeply about 'life as a pilot' even though they were at a crossroads in their lives.
Despite the various pieces of information I shared while meeting students from diverse backgrounds, I regretted it, thinking, “I missed this story,” or “I should have talked more in detail and concretely.” This very point is the author’s second motivation for writing this book.
There are many people who dream of becoming pilots, not only middle and high school students, but also college students and ordinary office workers. However, I felt that the information available in existing books and on the Internet was not enough to quench their curiosity and thirst.


The author left his life as an Air Force pilot for about 20 years and joined Asiana Airlines in 2018.
After working as an Air Force fighter pilot for a long time, he took on the role of co-pilot for a civilian airline.
While fighter pilots' main job is to carry out given air operation missions, civilian airline pilots' main job is to safely and comfortably transport passengers to their destination.
In 2020, he became a professor at the Department of Aeronautics at a university to realize the author's dream, which he had had since childhood.
Through these diverse experiences, the second edition was able to more fully describe experiences that were not covered in the first edition, such as the training process for a private pilot, life as a co-pilot, and the course of a professor in the aviation management department at a general university.
Additionally, we have provided more detailed information on the rapidly changing admission requirements and selection procedures for aviation operations departments following the pandemic, which will provide more accurate guidance to those aspiring to become pilots.
This book will serve as an accurate and reliable compass for those preparing to make their dream of becoming a pilot a reality and for many who are enduring the arduous training process and envisioning their vision. It will also provide a clear and reliable compass for those preparing to make their dream of becoming a pilot a reality and for those who are enduring the arduous training process and envisioning their future.

In this way, many people choose a career path without even having access to easy-to-understand information about piloting, or in many cases, they don't even try because they don't know about the process itself.
This book contains advice and know-how from pilots, physical examination doctors, physical examination officers, interviewers, and flight training instructors who are actually working in civilian and military airlines.
We have tried to provide an easy, accurate, and useful path to becoming a pilot for those who know nothing about pilots. We have covered vivid interviews with pilots about their direct experiences and lives in detail, interview know-how for some courses, tips for physical and fitness tests, and even the secrets to passing civil aviation and military pilot courses.
This book will serve as a valuable navigation for those seeking a personalized course that suits them and those who wish to make vague longings a reality, safely navigating their way through the secret forest.
--- From "Chapter 1 Prologue"

Regardless of the coronavirus, many people around the world still prefer the career of a pilot.
In 2023, the world's most desired job was "pilot" in all countries, from the US to the UK and Australia.
A world map showing the world's most popular jobs has been released, created from 12 months of Google search data, with each country's name replaced with the occupation its residents are most interested in when considering a career change.
Search terms like 'how to become a pilot' were most searched for in 25 countries, including the UK, the US and Australia, with a total of 930,630 search results.
Even from an economic standpoint, the profession of pilot remains attractive.
Currently, the top 10 economically stable and high-paying occupations in Korea are doctors, dentists, lawyers, financiers, and airline pilots.
Among them, aircraft pilots are attracting attention as a profession with a high annual salary, with a starting salary of approximately 80 million won.
You can enjoy various welfare benefits and even get special opportunities to travel to various countries.
According to the World Economic Forum's "The Future of Jobs," artificial intelligence, IoT, and 3D printing
It is said that many jobs, including doctors, tax accountants, and accountants, will disappear due to the 4th industrial revolution led by technologies such as Ting.
However, according to a survey by the Ministry of Science and ICT, pilots are ranked high along with lawyers and asset managers in occupations with a low skill replacement rate in 2025.
As such, piloting can be seen as a stable job in the future.
--- From "Chapter 2: Anyone Can Become a Pilot"

To become a pilot, you must obtain all of the basic licenses: Private Pilot License (PPL), Instrument Rating (IR), and Commercial Pilot License (CPL).
To achieve this, you must study at a private flight training institution, and the acquisition standards and process for each license are different.
As an airline applicant, you will be hired after going through interviews, oral tests, and simulator tests.
After joining the company, you will receive training on the airline's aircraft types along with company training provided by the airline.
Through this, you will learn how to operate the aircraft, safety procedures, etc., and eventually begin full-scale flight work.
Pilots play a very important role throughout the flight.
Therefore, the expertise and experience of pilots are very important for the safe operation of aircraft.
A pilot's top priority is to gain flight training and experience and to continuously perform safe and smooth flights.
--- From "Chapter 3: Becoming a Civil Aviation Pilot"

You must complete a training course consisting of three stages: the first stage, the introductory flight training course, the basic course, and the advanced course.
Flight training students and student pilots grow into Air Force pilots after receiving all theoretical education, flight training, physical and mental training related to flight.
The Air Force pilot training course in the table below is the same as the training course that Air Force Academy, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), designated recruiting universities, and bachelor's degree officer candidates (general university graduates) receive after graduating from university.

--- From "Chapter 4 Becoming a Military Pilot"

Pilots are required to be meticulous and “perform everything perfectly” without missing anything.
When I look at flight training, I often see people with good personalities and who get along well with everyone drop out midway.
This is a case where you fail after being scolded countless times by the professor for being careless in everything.
This result may seem like a great despair to you in the short term, but looking into the distant future, it could actually be considered a blessing.
When you are in a fighter squadron, you occasionally encounter large and small flight accidents.
Although some accidents are caused by defects in the aircraft itself, many accidents are also caused by small mistakes made by the pilot.
To become a pilot who survives until the end without causing an accident due to human factors, that is, human error, one must have a meticulous personality above all else.
--- From "Chapter 5 Pilot's Qualities"

Pneumothorax surgery_If air exists in the space between the lung and the ribs without any trauma or other diseases in the lung parenchyma or air passage, it is called idiopathic (spontaneous) pneumothorax, and this is a factor that disqualifies the patient regardless of whether surgery is performed.
When performing a thoracoscopy on a person with idiopathic (spontaneous) pneumothorax, the presence of lung blebs is often found, which implies the possibility of a recurrence of pneumothorax in the future. In addition, the possibility of recurrence may increase in a high-altitude environment due to changes in atmospheric pressure.

Hepatitis carriers_For hepatitis carriers (types B and C), they are considered disqualified from piloting in the preliminary physical examination.
If you were a previous holder but recovered naturally or disappeared through treatment, you may pass (limited to those who tested negative for hepatitis antigen during the preliminary physical examination).

Atopic dermatitis_Active atopic dermatitis in specific areas such as the face, neck, elbow joints, and knee joints is considered a disqualification factor for pilot training, and if there are residual lesions of atopic dermatitis, the decision is made based on the judgment of the military doctor in charge.

Tattoos_If the tattoo is less than 7cm in diameter on one part of the body, or less than 5 tattoos on two or more parts of the body with a total area of ​​less than 30cm2, you may pass the exam.
If there are more than 6 spots on the body, it is disqualified regardless of the total area.
Flatfoot_Rigid flatfoot is a disqualification factor, and in the case of flexible flatfoot, symptomatic flatfoot or a direct lateral X-ray examination showing an angle of 15 degrees or more between the longitudinal axis of the talus and the longitudinal axis of the first metatarsal (Talo-1st Metatarsal angle) is a disqualification factor.
If your flat feet are mild, you may pass.

Herniated disc_A history of definite herniated disc or having undergone surgical treatment or chemonucleolysis due to it is a disqualifying factor.
An exception is made in cases where there are no neurological signs and radiographic evidence of disc bulge.
However, if there were any troops, it would be a disqualification factor.
--- From "Chapter 6: Know-how to Pass the Pilot Exam"

The joy of being accepted to the Air Force Academy is so great that it melts even the bitter cold of January.
The moment students step into the military academy with pounding hearts, their hearts are moved by a sight they have never seen before.
This is because seniors line up on the way to school and applaud to welcome us.
At this time, freshmen look at their seniors dressed neatly and dream, “Someday, I will become as cool as my seniors.”

But moments of emotion are always short-lived.
Anyone who sits in a barbershop and sees their hair being cut off without even having time to adjust to the combat uniform they are wearing for the first time in their life will realize the reality and say, “I really came to the military academy!”
From this point on, the arduous path of a cadet begins.
During the four-week training schedule, you will often find yourself regretting, "Why did I come here?" as you undergo unfamiliar military training such as roll calls, bayonet techniques, guerrilla warfare, and individual combat.

As the four weeks of training that seemed like they would never pass by come to an end, the chilling jokes and laughter of the training instructor, who had been so scary, melt away my body tired from training.
After completing the difficult basic military training, an initiation ceremony is held where you can become a proud officer cadet, not just a member of the academy.
Only then will the seniors and even the student himself acknowledge that he is a cadet.
Finally, you begin your life as a real cadet.

--- From "Chapter 7: A Thorough Guide for Prospective Pilots"