What do I really need to become a pilot and work for an airline?

Really, all aviation programs are extremely complicated to understand. Do I need a CPL? A bachelors degree? How does one become a pilot and work for an airline?

"The programs are extremely complicated to understand" and you want to be a pilot. Put How to become a commercial pilot in the search box and see. This has been answered hundreds of times.

If you find these programs too complicated to understand than you are the last person I want in the cockpit

Contact a training company for more information. Search Internet

Because flight time is so expensive as is flight school, the over whelming majority of commercial pilots are former military pilots. Start talking to recruiters to see what to do.

Yes of course you need a cpl and plenty of experience flying before flying commercial planes. If you find the coursework too complicated you have no business in the cockpit.

1) If the programs are too complicated to understand, you might consider the possibility that you might not be a good aviation candidate

2) A college degree isn't an absolute necessity, but in the USA, if you don't have one, your chances of getting hired by one of the major airlines is greatly diminished. Even the regional airlines prefer to see at least a 2-year degree. The airlines are not concerned about the type of degree you get. It does not have to be an aviation-related degree. In fact, most airlines like to see educational diversity in their work force.

3) Steps: Before all else, you must obtain a medical certificate and student pilots license. Next, you must take flight training to obtain a private pilots license. After that you must obtain a commercial pilot certificate. Along the way to getting the CPL you will need to obtain an instrument rating and a multi-engine rating. Finally, once you have all of those qualifications and have accrued enough flight time, which is gained through having a non-airline flying job, then you can apply for an Airline Transport Pilot certificate (ATP)

4) Once you hold an ATP, you can apply to a regional airline where you can build additional experience. A major airline will generally not consider an applicant who does not have at least 5 years experience as a working pilot and at least one year as a captain with a regional airline, or in a comparable position with a charter company or corporate flight department. The primary exception to that requirement is to be a former military pilot.

The civilian method:

1. Get your private pilot's license.

2. Start gaining some experience. While gaining experience, work on gaining your multi-engine rating and your instrument rating, and also do some cross country flights and fly in complex aircraft (aircraft with retractable landing gear, flaps, and controllable pitch propeller).

3. After gaining 250 hours of experience, an instrument and multi-engine rating, and I believe 50 hours of cross country experience and 10 hours of complex aircraft experience, you may get your commercial pilot's license.

4. Get some non-airline flying jobs to gain further experience. Once you reach 1500 hours, you may apply for an ATP (airline transport pilot's license).

5. At some point, try to get a bachelor's degree. Airlines don't care about the subject of the degree, your GPA, or how good the school is that you got it from. However, you should try to get a degree that you will be able to use if you aren't able to become an airline pilot or if you do become an airline pilot and the airline becomes bankrupt or you lose your medical. Don't get a useless degree such as gender studies. A degree isn't necessarily required, but you won't have as good of a chance to get hired.

6. Apply for a regional airline. If you have the minimum experience required (1500 hours), try to gain some more, because you probably won't get hired with the minimum experience.

7. After you become a regional airline pilot, work for several years to become a captain. After becoming a captain, work for at least one year, then start applying for major airlines.

The military way to become an airline pilot:

1. Get invited to join the Air Force Academy or Naval academy, or go to a college with AFROTC or NROTC if you don't get invited to an academy.

2. While at an academy or college, choose a STEM major. You don't HAVE to choose a STEM major, but choosing a STEM major gives you the best chances of becoming a military pilot.

3. After you get a bachelors degree, apply for military flight school.

4. If you get accepted into military flight school, try very hard to not wash out.

5. Once you become a military pilot, you will be required to be a pilot for 10 years (you may stay longer if you want). After getting out of the military, you may have a lot of desirable experience for an airline, especially if the aircraft you flew was a multi-engine jet.

The advantage of going through the military route is that you don't need to pay for flight school, you will receive much higher pay while gaining experience, your experience may be more desirable, and you will have a lot more fun (flying jets vs. Flying Cessna 172s). The disadvantage is that you have less than a 1% chance of becoming a military pilot, and if you wash out of military flight school then you have to stay in the military for 4 years doing non-pilot jobs that you might not want to do.

You Really need about $100,000 in cold hard American CASH to pay for the training you're going to need in order to become an airline pilot. If you don't have that, you might as well forget about the rest of it!