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I was a civil engineer in a 9-5 with the pilot dream in the back of my head since I was 18. I started training at 27, got my airline job at 30, and today I fly the Boeing 737 as a First Officer. These are the 7 steps I wish someone had shown me at the start. One step a day, about 15 minutes each. Europe (EASA) and the US (FAA) are both covered. — Rasmus

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Get the next steps in your inbox. Join the free waitlist for my course From Zero to the Flight Deck. You'll get updates, new free tools and first access when it opens. Join the waitlist →

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Day 0: Find your route

Take the Pilot Career Fit quiz. It takes 5 minutes and tells you which route fits your life.

• [ ] Take the quiz →

Day 1: Do the cheapest step first

Before you pay for a single lesson, get your medical.

• Europe (EASA): Class 1 medical
• US (FAA): First-class medical

It's the cheapest step on the whole journey, and it protects everything you'll spend after it. If something comes up, you want to know now, not after your PPL.

• [ ] Open the checklist and book your medical: Class 1 Medical: Prep Checklist (EASA + FAA)

Day 2: EASA or FAA?

The rule is simple: train in the system of the country you want to fly for a living.

• EASA: cadets get hired at around 200–250 hours with a "frozen" ATPL.
• FAA: you build to 1,500 hours for the ATP, usually by working as a paid flight instructor.

Both lead to the right seat. They're just very different roads, and switching later means re-sitting exams, checkrides and paperwork.

• [ ] Read the side-by-side: EASA vs FAA: The Pilot Path Cheat Sheet