NOC 72600: Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors

Air pilots fly fixed wing aircraft and helicopters to provide air transportation and other services such as crop spraying and aerial surveying. Flight engineers assist air pilots with monitoring, troubleshooting and maintenance of aircraft systems and with pre- and post-flight inspections. Flying instructors teach flying techniques and procedures to student and licensed pilots. Air pilots, flight engineers and flight instructors are employed by airline and air freight companies, flying schools and by other public and private sector aircraft operators.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 2.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.5× tier.

TEER 2: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory duties. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

• Transport

  At least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in this occupation within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 72600

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Air pilots
• Conduct pre-flight inspection of aircraft and check passenger and cargo distribution to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met
• Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air-traffic control, inform crew members of flight and test procedures and direct activities of aircraft crew during flights
• Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions and other information
• Conduct in-flight tests and monitor functioning of aircraft equipment and systems during flights, maintain communications with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters and respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions
• Prepare flight evaluation reports
• Train pilots to use new equipment, or prepare them for examinations to revalidate or upgrade existing licences
• May fly new or experimental planes to examine their flight performance and safety
• May participate in search and rescue operations, forest firefighting, aerial surveying, crop dusting and other services.
• Flight engineers
• Inspect aircraft prior to takeoff according to pre-flight checklist and verify passenger and cargo distribution to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met
• Assist air pilots in monitoring aircraft systems, equipment and functions during flight
• Make in-flight repairs, such as replacing fuses and adjusting instruments, and follow emergency procedures to compensate for equipment malfunction or failure
• Perform post-flight inspections, record equipment malfunctions and corrective actions taken during flight and report required repairs to ground maintenance personnel.
• Flying instructors
• Instruct student pilots in procedures and techniques of flying aircraft and in ground-school subjects such as navigation, radio procedures and flying regulations
• Train licensed pilots for additional certification.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• air pilot
• captain - air transport
• check pilot
• chief flying instructor
• chief pilot
• co-pilot
• flight engineer
• flying instructor
• helicopter pilot
• pilot instructor
• relief pilot
• second officer - air transport
• test pilot

Employment requirements

• Pilots and flight engineers
• Completion of secondary school and graduation from a certified flying or aviation school are required.
• A university degree or college diploma may be required.
• A commercial pilot's licence (more than 200 hours of flight experience) or an air transport pilot's licence (more than 1500 hours of flight experience) is required.
• Additional licences or endorsements to fly different types of aircraft are required.
• Flight engineers require a flight engineer licence issued by Transport Canada.
• Structured training is provided by employers.
• Flight instructors
• Completion of secondary school and graduation from a certified flying or aviation school are required.
• A university degree or college diploma may be required.
• A commercial pilot's or an air transport pilot's licence is required.
• Transport Canada ratings and endorsements to provide instructions on different types of aircraft are required.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 72601Air traffic controllers and related occupations
• 41210Ground school instructor