Which flight hours do airlines care about most?

Recruiters screen on total time first, then pilot-in-command (PIC) hours, multi-engine time, and instrument time. This builder breaks hours out by category so the numbers that matter are easy to find at the top.

How should I list aircraft type ratings?

List each type rating by its ICAO type designator or common name (for example A320, B737, DHC-8). The builder lets you enter a comma-separated list and formats them into a clean ratings line.

Should I include my medical certificate?

Yes. A current Class 1 medical is a hard requirement for commercial flying, so stating the class and validity date reassures recruiters you are immediately employable. The builder includes a medical-status line.

Do simulator hours count?

Simulator and synthetic-training hours are logged separately from actual flight time and should never be added into total flight hours. This builder keeps a dedicated simulator field so your real total stays accurate.

Is the output ready to paste into a document?

Yes. The builder produces plain-text CV sections you can paste straight into Word, Google Docs, or an airline application form, then style with your own template.

What is the Commercial Pilot CV Builder?

Aviation CV builder with ATPL/CPL details, total flight hours by category, aircraft types flown, simulators, and medical certificate status — formatted for airline recruiters. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Commercial Pilot CV Builder

Name: Commercial Pilot CV Builder
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A pilot CV that leads with the numbers recruiters screen on

Airline and charter recruiters scan a pilot CV for a small set of figures before reading anything else: total flight time, pilot-in-command hours, multi-engine and instrument experience, and current type ratings. This builder collects those details and assembles a clean, recruiter-friendly CV so your hours and endorsements are impossible to miss.

How airlines and charter operators screen pilot applications

The aviation hiring process involves two distinct stages of screening, and understanding both shapes how the CV should be structured.

Automated screening — Large airlines that receive thousands of applications first filter by hard minimum thresholds. Common examples include a minimum total time (which varies significantly by operator size and route type), a minimum PIC time, and a minimum multi-engine or instrument time. An application that fails any single threshold is typically rejected before a human reads it. This is why the flight hours section must be accurate, clearly labelled, and placed at the top of the CV.

Human review — Once past the minimums, a recruiter or chief pilot reads for fit. They want to understand the trajectory of your career: a series of progressive upgrades (first officer to captain, turboprop to jet) tells a coherent story, while unexplained gaps or jumps raise questions. The aircraft types you have flown and the environments (scheduled, charter, cargo, instructing) tell them whether your experience matches their operation.

How it works

The tool keeps each flight-hour category separate — total time, PIC, multi-engine, instrument, and night — because airlines apply minimum thresholds to each independently and never want them blended. Simulator hours are stored in their own field so they are reported alongside, but not added into, actual flight time. Your licence type and ratings are formatted into a qualifications header, aircraft types flown are joined into a single endorsements line, and your medical certificate class and expiry are stated explicitly so a recruiter can confirm you are ready to fly.

What each section signals

Licence type — ATPL (Frozen or Full) is required for airline first officer and captain roles. CPL is sufficient for many charter, cargo, and instructing roles. A Frozen ATPL holder who has not yet logged the command hours for a Full ATPL should note that it will convert on reaching the requirement.

Type ratings — Each type rating represents a significant investment and qualification. List them using the official ICAO aircraft type designator (A320, B738, E175) rather than manufacturer marketing names, since that is what operations departments and HR systems match against their requirements. Ratings on similar aircraft in the same family (A319/320/321) are typically covered by a single rating.

Multi-engine time — Recruiters look at this independently from total time because single-engine background, however extensive, does not substitute for multi-engine systems knowledge and crew resource management in a multi-crew environment.

Instrument time — Actual instrument time (not simulated) is the most valuable kind. If you have a significant split between actual and simulated, note it.

Medical — A Class 1 medical is a regulatory requirement for commercial operations. State the class, issuing authority (EASA, FAA, CAAC, etc.) and validity date on a single line. Recruiters need to see it is current before scheduling an interview.

Tips and example

Put your highest licence first: ATPL outranks CPL, which outranks PPL.
Quote hours as whole numbers rounded down — 3,250 reads more credibly than 3251.4.
List type ratings using standard ICAO designators, for example A320, B737-800, DHC-8-400.
Keep simulator time out of your total: if you have 3,000 flight hours and 200 sim hours, the total stays 3,000.
State your medical as Class 1 (EASA) — valid until 2027-03 so its currency and jurisdiction are obvious at a glance.
Include a brief employment history even for short roles — recruiters reconstruct your flying career from it.