A pilot cover letter carries more weight than many applicants realize. Hiring managers at regional carriers and major airlines review it alongside your logbook summary and ATP certificate to assess whether you communicate professionally and understand the standards of commercial operations. A well-written letter demonstrates situational awareness off the flight deck: it shows you researched the airline, understand its fleet and route structure, and can articulate your qualifications precisely. Whether you are transitioning from the military, moving up from a regional carrier, or applying to a legacy airline for the first time, the guidance below will help you build a letter that stands out. For a broader framework on structure and length, our how to write a cover letter guide is a useful starting point. If you are making a significant career shift into commercial aviation, our career change cover letter guide covers how to position transferable experience effectively.
What employers look for in a pilot cover letter
Airline recruiters and chief pilots spend very little time on each initial application. Your letter needs to surface the right qualifications and signals quickly and clearly.
- ATP certificate and total flight hours. State your Airline Transport Pilot certificate status and total logged hours in the opening section of your letter. If you hold a restricted ATP or are working toward ATP minimums, name that clearly rather than leaving the reader to infer it from your logbook.
- Type ratings and aircraft endorsements. Airlines hire for specific fleet types. Name every type rating you hold, whether it is a Boeing 737, Airbus A320, or Embraer E175, and indicate whether you hold a current PIC or SIC qualification on each type. Specificity signals readiness.
- FAA medical certificate class and currency. A first-class medical certificate is a non-negotiable requirement for commercial airline operations. Confirm its status and currency in your letter so the recruiter does not have to ask.
- Crew resource management and safety culture. Airlines place CRM at the center of their operational philosophy. Reference specific CRM training you have completed, how you apply it across multi-crew operations, and any line check or simulator evaluation results that reflect your standards.
- Simulator training and recency. Recent level-D full-motion simulator time is a strong indicator of currency. If you have completed airline-specific simulator programs, ATP-CTP, or recurrent training on a type the carrier operates, mention it by name.
- Airline-specific knowledge. Naming the carrier's operating certificate structure, base hubs, fleet composition, or codeshare partners shows genuine research. Recruiters notice when a letter is written for their airline versus when it is a generic submission that could have been sent to anyone.
How to write a pilot cover letter that gets interviews
1. Lead with your core credentials, not your enthusiasm
The opening paragraph is not the place for a statement about your lifelong passion for flight. Lead instead with your ATP certificate status, total hours, relevant type ratings, and the most compelling qualification you bring to the specific role. Airline recruiters screen on hard minimums first. A first line that confirms you meet those minimums and then adds something differentiating, such as 4,200 hours in type or a line check result, immediately earns continued reading.
2. Use precise aviation terminology throughout
Vague language undermines credibility in a technical hiring environment. Use industry-standard terms accurately: PIC and SIC time, instrument currency, ATP-CTP completion, CRM proficiency, simulator evaluations, dispatch release review, SOP adherence, and FAR Part 121 or Part 135 experience, depending on your background. This vocabulary signals that you belong in a professional flight deck environment and distinguishes your application from candidates without the same depth of operational background.
3. Connect your experience to the carrier's specific operation
Generic pilot cover letters read as evidence that the applicant did not do their research. Study the carrier's fleet, base structure, and route network before you write a single word. If the airline operates a single-type narrowbody fleet on high-frequency short-haul sectors, speak to your experience in that environment. If the carrier runs wide-body international operations, reference your long-haul experience, international procedures, or ETOPS familiarity where relevant. For context on how aviation professionals in adjacent roles frame their applications, the flight attendant cover letter and cabin crew cover letter guides both address airline-specific research in detail.
4. Address your CRM approach with a concrete example
Crew resource management is not a box to check, and airline recruiters know the difference between a candidate who has completed the training and one who has internalized it. Include a brief, specific example of how CRM principles shaped a decision or interaction in the flight deck. This could involve threat and error management on an approach in IMC, workload distribution during a non-normal procedure, or effective communication with dispatch and ATC during a divert scenario. One well-chosen example does more than a paragraph of abstract claims. For context on how professionals in related service-sector roles position team coordination experience, see the hospitality cover letter for a comparable approach.
Pilot cover letter example
Replace airline names, fleet types, hour totals, and certificate details with your own background.
Subject: Application for the Pilot position
Dear Captain Whitfield,
I hold an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate with 5,800 total flight hours, including 3,200 hours PIC on the Boeing 737-800 under Part 121 operations with Skyway Regional Airlines. My first-class medical certificate is current, and I completed recurrent 737 NG simulator training in January of this year with a satisfactory line check result across all evaluated maneuvers. I am writing to apply for the First Officer position on the Airbus A320 fleet at Horizon Air.
Skyway Regional's operation gave me a demanding foundation in high-frequency narrowbody flying. Over four years on the 737, I flew an average of 85 hours per month across hub-and-spoke routes in the Southeast and Midwest, managing regular exposure to complex weather environments, tight turn times at congested airports, and high-tempo ATC environments. I completed ATP-CTP certification in 2021, and I hold a current instrument rating with no lapses in instrument currency since initial certification. In my most recent 12-month period, I completed every dispatch with zero deferred MEL items pending from prior crew findings that had not been addressed before departure.
My approach to crew resource management has been shaped by a line event in 2022 involving a pressurization abnormal during climb-out. Clear division of duties, structured use of the QRH, and direct communication with dispatch and ATC led to an uneventful divert and a debrief commendation from our chief pilot. I carry that framework into every rotation.
What draws me to Horizon specifically is your A320 family operation and the airline's reputation for developing its pilot workforce through structured career progression. I have followed your network expansion into Pacific Northwest and Alaska markets and believe my solid IFR proficiency, SOP discipline, and CRM record position me well to contribute from day one.
I am available to begin ground school at your standard hiring lead time and happy to provide full logbook documentation and reference contacts on request. I would welcome the opportunity to speak with your hiring team at your convenience.
Sincerely, Marcus T. Henley
Before you send your application
Run through this checklist before submitting your pilot application:
- Core credentials confirmed. Have you stated your ATP certificate status, total flight hours, and relevant type ratings clearly in the first paragraph?
- FAA medical class and currency noted. Does the letter confirm your first-class medical is current and valid?
- Airline named throughout. Does the letter reference the specific carrier, its fleet type, and its operation rather than reading as a generic submission?
- CRM example included. Have you provided at least one specific example of crew resource management in practice rather than claiming CRM proficiency in the abstract?
- Simulator and recency details present. Have you mentioned your most recent simulator evaluation, completion date, and result?
- Length and tone. Is the letter under one page, written in direct professional language, and free of the kind of personal narrative that belongs in an interview rather than a cover letter?
For related guidance in the sales and service sector, review the flight attendant cover letter for perspective on passenger-facing service writing, or the cabin crew cover letter if you want to see how aviation professionals across the operation approach airline-specific applications.
FAQ
How is a pilot cover letter different from other aviation cover letters?
A pilot cover letter is credentials-first. Unlike a cabin crew cover letter or flight attendant cover letter, which balance operational knowledge with service skills and interpersonal competencies, a pilot cover letter must lead with hard qualifications: ATP certificate, total hours, type ratings, medical class, and simulator recency. Soft skills and CRM experience are important but they are supporting evidence, not the headline.
What flight hours should I include in a pilot cover letter?
Always include your total logged hours, your PIC hours, your time in type on the most relevant aircraft for the role, and your total instrument time. If you have multi-engine turbine time that is relevant to the carrier's fleet, include it. Do not pad the letter with every subcategory from your logbook. A clean summary of the most relevant figures is more effective than a comprehensive list.
Should I mention my ATP-CTP completion in the cover letter?
Yes. ATP Certification Training Program completion is a regulatory requirement for airline first officers under the current FAA rule, and confirming it removes a compliance question from the recruiter's mind. Include the completion date and the training provider if it adds credibility, such as a carrier-affiliated flight academy or a well-known ATP-CTP program.
How do I write a pilot cover letter if I am transitioning from the military?
Focus on the direct operational equivalents of your military experience. Total flight hours, aircraft type, PIC time, and any instrument or low-visibility currency translate directly. Convert military designations to FAA equivalents where possible, such as noting that your military instrument rating aligns with FAA IFR standards, and explain your progress toward or status of your ATP certificate. Our career change cover letter guide provides a full framework for positioning experience from a non-commercial context into a civilian airline application.
How long should a pilot cover letter be?
Keep it to one page, roughly 300 to 400 words. Airline chief pilots and HR reviewers are evaluating whether you communicate precisely and professionally. A concise, well-organized letter that confirms your credentials, demonstrates airline-specific research, and includes one strong CRM example is more effective than a longer letter that restates your logbook. For detailed formatting guidance, our how to write a cover letter guide covers structure, length, and layout in full.