How to Become a Professional Pilot in 2026

Good afternoon! Apologies on the delayed email—I currently have a few deals pending and more aircraft I’m about to list soon. It’s been a busy first few months for the aircraft brokerage side of Flybuyer (and I’m just getting started)! 🛩️

-Rob Roy

In today’s email:

• Launching a Pilot Career in 2026

• Around the Skies: UPS faces legal fire after MD-11 disaster, Cirrus unveils new trade-in program, Malaysia restarts search for missing flight, New Sheltair facility elevates KSRQ operations, Hydrogen-electric seaplane testing moves forward

• PilotTube: Behind the Scenes of Flexjet’s Flight Control Hub

THE BUSINESS OF AVIATION

What It Takes to Become a Professional Pilot in Today’s Fast-Changing Aviation World

Becoming a professional pilot in 2026 is both a structured journey and an adventure that blends rigorous training with the thrill of mastering flight. The path begins with a fundamental choice between FAA Part 61 and Part 141 training, two routes that teach the same skills but offer different styles. Part 61 offers flexibility for students who need to train around work or personal commitments, while Part 141 provides a university-style curriculum that can accelerate training through reduced hour requirements. After choosing a path, students begin with the student pilot certificate, the learner’s permit to the sky, and advance through increasingly complex stages.

Once a student earns a Private Pilot License, they gain essential experience in navigation, aircraft control and safety that prepares them for more demanding flying. The next milestone, the Instrument Rating, allows pilots to operate in low-visibility conditions and rely on instruments rather than visual references. From there, pilots work toward their Commercial, where they learn to operate advanced aircraft and begin flying for compensation. Many then choose to become Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs), using teaching as a way to build flight time while passing along valuable knowledge.

The highest qualification, the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, requires 1,500 hours of experience and advanced simulation training. This credential opens the door to airline flying or charter captain roles and represents the culmination of years of disciplined study and practice. Although the financial commitment can range from roughly $30,000 in flexible Part 61 programs to more than $100,000 for accelerated university pathways, the investment leads to a career with steady demand and global opportunity.

For those who complete the journey, the skies become both workplace and frontier, with each flight offering fresh challenges and a chance to put hard-earned training to meaningful use.

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AROUND THE SKIES

🛩️ The first wrongful-death lawsuits have been filed after the November 4th crash of a UPS MD-11 in Louisville, alleging negligence by UPS, GE, Boeing and a major maintenance provider. Attorneys for the victims’ families say the tragedy reflects a broad failure of safety systems and have drawn comparisons to the 1979 Flight 191 engine-separation disaster. Veteran aviation lawyer Robert Clifford also questioned whether the aging aircraft signaled “profit over safety.” The filings set the stage for a high-stakes legal fight over accountability in one of cargo aviation’s most serious recent crashes.

🛩️ Cirrus has launched Cirrus Next, a new trade-in and upgrade program designed to simplify aircraft ownership for SR Series and Vision Jet operators. The program accepts late-model SR aircraft and all generations of the Vision Jet, with Cirrus specialists managing valuation, logistics and paperwork for a streamlined experience. Trades are timed to match new aircraft deliveries so owners are never stuck with two airplanes or left without one.

🛩️ Malaysia will restart the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, partnering with U.S. marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity for a 55-day deep sea effort. The mission operates on a “no find, no fee” basis, with Ocean Infinity receiving $70 million only if it locates the Boeing 777’s main body and wings. Officials say the renewed effort reflects a commitment to providing closure to families of those lost. Despite earlier international searches and scattered debris discoveries, the primary wreckage of MH370 has never been found, leaving one of aviation’s greatest mysteries unresolved.

🛩️ Sheltair Aviation has opened a new FBO at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, expanding its footprint across a 24-acre site in the airport’s north quadrant. The facility includes a 10,705-square-foot terminal, two large hangars with 46,000 square feet of storage and more than 9,000 square feet of office space, along with dedicated lounges, snooze rooms and flight planning areas. A Customs and Border Protection inspection station is under construction next door and is expected to open in spring 2026. Sheltair also plans further growth at the site, including additional hangars and a 60,000-square-foot MRO facility.

🛩️ Jekta is preparing to fly its second 1:9 scale demonstrator of the PHA-ZE 100, a hydrogen-electric amphibious aircraft designed to carry up to 19 passengers. The remotely piloted model, equipped with an eight-motor electric powerplant and full aerodynamic configuration, will begin testing in Italy in January. Data gathered will shape the final design as Jekta targets a full-scale prototype by 2028 or 2029 and entry into service by 2030. With more than $1.35 billion in prospective sales and growing interest from the Middle East, the company is advancing its vision for a next-generation electric seaplane.

PilotTube

Flexjet operates a fleet of roughly 340 aircraft, supported around the clock by its Global Command Center at Cuyahoga County Airport in Cleveland. With dozens of aircraft airborne at any given moment, the center serves as the nerve hub for flight coordination, weather monitoring, maintenance support and crew logistics. VP of Operations Control Jason Christensen offers a behind-the-scenes look at the systems and specialists who keep the operation running smoothly.

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