Everything you need to know about building your pilot career in iFly Schedules
Start as a First Officer at a Tier 1 airline, build hours, get promoted, and work your way up to premium international carriers.
When you start Career Mode, you'll pick a region, then choose from airlines in that area.
Pick one of six regions: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, or Oceania to filter available airlines.
You'll see two types of starter positions:
Regional Programs: Regional program pilots fly in the major airline's livery, but internal fleet upgrades (cross-training to narrowbody/widebody) are not available. To go mainline, build hours and apply through the Job Center. However, your parent airline knows you — their mainline positions appear 75 hours earlier than normal (e.g., Tier 4 at 475h instead of 550h) as a purple "Flow-Through" card, plus you get a +5% acceptance bonus when applying.
Focus on these priorities:
Multi-Device Sync: Your career progress automatically syncs across all your devices. Start a flight on your desktop, check your stats on mobile!
Airlines are organized into four tiers, each with different pay scales and prestige:
Air Arabia, Air Corsica, Air Tahiti, AirAsia, AJet, Akasa Air, Arajet, Avelo Airlines, Azores Airlines, Bahamasair, Breeze, Caribbean Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Citilink, Flair Airlines, Flybondi, flydeal, HK Express, jetSMART, Jetstar, Kenya Airways, Loganair, Norwegian, Nouvelair, Pegasus Airlines, Ryanair, Scoot, Silver Airways, Sky Airline, Sun Country, SunExpress, Tigerair Taiwan, VietJet Air, Viva, Volaris, Winair, Wizz
Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Algerie, Air Canada Rouge, Air Caraibes, Air Europa, Air Mauritius, Air Transat, Allegiant, Azul, Brussels Airlines, Condor, Copa Airlines, Discover Airlines, easyJet, Eurowings, Fiji Airways, flydubai, Frontier, Garuda Indonesia, Gol, Hainan Airlines, Icelandair, IndiGo, Jet2, JetBlue, Royal Air Maroc, Spirit, Sunclass Airlines, Transavia, Transavia FR, TUI, Tunisair, Volotea, Vueling, WestJet
Aegean, Aer Lingus, AeroLogic, Alaska Airlines, Atlas Air, Avianca, Edelweiss, EgyptAir, Ethiopian, Finnair, French Bee, Hawaiian, ITA Airways, LATAM, LOT Polish Airlines, Philippine Airlines, SAS, Saudia, South African Airways, Southwest, Starlux, TAP Air Portugal, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Australia
Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Emirates SkyCargo, Etihad, EVA Air, FedEx, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, UPS, Virgin Atlantic
Within each airline, you progress through four ranks based on your total career hours:
| Position | Total Hours Required | Pay Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| First Officer (FO) | 0 hours | 1.0x base |
| Senior First Officer | 150 hours | 1.5x base |
| Captain | 400 hours | 2.0x base |
| Senior Captain | 750 hours | 2.5x base |
Note: Your position is based on total career hours, so when you change airlines you keep your rank — unless the job includes sponsored training. If you join an airline on a type you don't have a rating for, you always start as First Officer regardless of total hours. Once you build hours on that type, internal promotions advance you normally. Promotions at your current airline appear as competitive slot-based opportunities (30-40% chance once eligible) with seniority-based approval (20-95%). Apply and wait 2-18 hours for a decision.
Each airline tracks pilot seniority using a hybrid score — 35% tenure (time at airline) and 65% airline hours flown:
See the top 10 pilots at your airline ranked by flight hours. Compete with colleagues to climb the ranks!
Type ratings are earned per aircraft family, not individual variants. One "A320 Family" rating covers the A319, A320, A321 and their neo variants.
| Tier | Examples | Pay Range |
|---|---|---|
| Regional | ATR, CRJ, Embraer, Dash 8 | $78-105/hr base |
| Narrowbody | A320 Family, B737 Family | $110-215/hr base |
| Widebody | A330, A350, B777, B787 | $230-420/hr base |
Your starter airline gives you a free rating for their primary aircraft. Beyond that, there are three ways to get additional type ratings:
When you apply to a job that requires a rating you don't have, the airline will provide training. The tradeoffs:
Purchase ratings on your own from the Career Development section:
Your airline covers 40% of training for aircraft in their fleet:
If you leave an airline that sponsored your training before the contract ends:
| Contract Progress | Amount Owed |
|---|---|
| 0-50% | 100% of training cost |
| 50-85% | 50% of training cost |
| 75-100% (buyout period) | 25% of training cost |
| Contract complete | Nothing - bond cleared |
Important: You cannot cancel training once started. Make sure you want the rating before purchasing!
Tip: Self-funding a type rating before applying gives you a shorter contract, no training bond, and a +10% acceptance bonus. If you can afford it, it's worth it!
Bonus: Having any type rating for a widebody aircraft also increases how often job offers for that type appear in the Job Center — airlines are more likely to show you positions you're already qualified for.
The Schedule Generator lets you customize:
Chain of flights: A → B → C → D. Great for exploring new destinations. Does not return to base — see below.
Multiple roundtrips from base. Different destinations each pair!
Loop home: A → B → C → A. Visit multiple cities, return to base.
Random variety of routing patterns. May or may not end at base.
Away from Base: If your last schedule ended at a different airport (Continuous or Mixed), the generator will detect this automatically. Your next schedule will start from your current location, the type selector will be locked to Continuous, and your final leg must land back at base. Add more legs if needed to make the connection.
Schedule Lock: You can generate a new schedule when you have 1 or fewer flights remaining. This simulates real airline operations.
Widebody Odds = chance that any single visible job slot shows a widebody entry aircraft. Widebody jobs are gated until 250 hrs — before that, Tier 2 airlines only offer regional & narrowbody entries. Odds grow as higher tiers (which skew widebody) make up a larger share of the slot mix. If you hold a type rating for a widebody family, that specific type appears more frequently across offers.
The Job Center shows positions at other airlines with a realistic review process.
One application at a time: Click "Apply", wait 1-4 hours for a decision. You cannot apply elsewhere while an application is pending.
Acceptance is not guaranteed. Your odds depend on:
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Base acceptance rate | 70% |
| Flight experience | +1% per 25 hours (max +20%) |
| Same tier airline | +10% |
| Moving up 1 tier | -10% |
| Moving up 2+ tiers | -10% per tier |
| Already have type rating | +10% (not applied if airline provides training) |
Every time you join or transfer to an airline — including your starter hire, external applications, and renewals — you choose from three contract tiers. Longer commitments pay a higher hourly rate and include a signing bonus, but increase the maximum early-exit fee.
| ★ Novice | ★★ Intermediate | ★★★ Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Length | 14–21 days | 21–28 days | 29–36 days |
| Rate Multiplier | ×1.00 (base) | ×1.08 (+8%) | ×1.15 (+15%) |
| Signing Bonus — Regional | None | $200 | $500 |
| Signing Bonus — Narrowbody | None | $400 | $800 |
| Signing Bonus — Widebody | None | $750 | $1,000 |
| Max Buyout Fee | $5,000 | $5,000 + 50% of bonus | $5,000 + 50% of bonus |
How it works: The tier cards are pre-generated when you open the apply screen — each one shows a specific random day count within its range (e.g. "18 days", "24 days", "32 days"). The rate multiplier is permanent for as long as you're at that airline, and the signing bonus is credited to your balance immediately on hire.
Once you're hired, your contract progresses through three phases:
| Contract Phase | When | Can Apply Elsewhere? |
|---|---|---|
| Locked | First ~85% of contract | No — must wait |
| Early Exit | Last ~25% of contract | Yes — buyout fee starts at its maximum when the window opens and scales down each day (as low as $300 near contract end). For Intermediate/Professional tiers, the max fee includes 50% of the signing bonus you received. Training bond also applies if your airline sponsored your type rating. The exact fee is shown before you confirm. |
| Free | After contract ends | Yes — no fee |
Promotions appear as competitive slot-based opportunities once you reach the airline hour threshold for your next rank.
Approval is seniority-based — ~95% for the most senior pilot, ~20% for the newest hire. The longer you stay and the more pilots join after you, the better your odds.
Tip: You can only have one pending application at a time — a promotion blocks internal job applications and vice versa. Plan ahead!
Bid for a different aircraft family at your current airline.
Your airline may offer to train you on a new aircraft family in their fleet - completely free! These are rare but powerful opportunities.
Approval follows the same seniority-based scale as Promotions — ~95% for the most senior pilot down to ~20% for the newest hire. Build hours and tenure to improve your odds.
The tradeoff: Your airline sponsors the training for free, but your contract is extended by 35-45%, a training bond applies, and your next 4-6 flights have a 30-40% pay reduction to help cover the airline's training investment. If you leave early, you'll also owe back a portion of the training cost.
Tip: Internal jobs are a great way to move from Regional to Narrowbody aircraft without saving up for the type rating yourself. Build hours and tenure at your airline to improve your seniority and wait for the opportunity!
Request a transfer to a different hub at your current airline.
Occasionally, your airline will offer you a free transfer to another base:
Tip: Keep your safety record clean! Safety strikes reduce your approval chance by 10% each.
All scheduled flights are cleared when you relocate or change airlines.
When your contract expires and you enter free status, your airline may want to keep you. Look for an emerald green Contract Renewal card at the top of the Internal Opportunities section — it's your airline's offer to lock you in for another term with a permanent pay raise and a cash signing bonus.
Only appears when you're free. The renewal offer is shown once your contract has expired (free status). It won't appear while you're locked in or in the early-exit window.
Each renewal presents three contract tiers to choose from — the same Novice / Intermediate / Professional system used when you first joined:
In all cases the renewal also includes:
The quality of the raise and bonus is calculated from three factors about you:
| Factor | Effect on Raise | Effect on Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Seniority (hybrid rank at your airline) | Up to +3% extra | Up to +25% extra |
| Safety Strikes | −1.5% per strike | −15% per strike |
| Loyalty (times renewed here before) | +0.5% per renewal (max +2%) | +10% per renewal (max +30%) |
Tip: The raise is permanent — it compounds every time you renew. A pilot who has renewed three times will earn significantly more than one who keeps their original rate.
Base raise is 3%–5% (random), then adjusted by the stats above. Always between 1%–10%; rate rounds to the nearest $5. The signing bonus scales with your aircraft tier, position, and the same multipliers — higher rank and seniority means a larger bonus.
The renewal offer is valid for 3–5 days (deterministic for your account — you'll always see the same window on a given offer). After it expires, the offer is removed and you remain in free status.
| Action | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Accept | Choose your tier (★ Novice / ★★ Intermediate / ★★★ Professional) from the renewal card, then confirm. New contract starts, hourly rate permanently raised (with tier multiplier applied), signing bonus credited to your balance, renewal count increments (improves future offers) |
| Decline | Offer is removed, you stay in free status — you can still leave or wait for external job offers. Renewal count is NOT affected. |
| Leave for another airline | Renewal count resets to 0 at the new airline (loyalty is airline-specific) |
Loyalty is airline-specific. If you leave and come back, your renewal count restarts from zero. Staying at one airline long-term is the most rewarding path.
Strategy: Keep your safety record clean — each strike cuts your raise by 1.5% and your bonus by 15%. A pilot with zero strikes at a senior seniority rank will receive the best possible renewal terms.
You earn money for each completed flight based on:
Paychecks deposit every Friday at 0600Z. Your earnings accumulate throughout the week and are paid automatically.
Your career bank tracks all earnings. Use it for:
Your complete financial history is tracked:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Flight Pay | Payment for completed flights |
| Training | Type rating purchases |
| Relocation | Base transfer fees |
| Contract Buyout | Early exit penalty |
| Airline Departure | Career history when leaving |
The sidebar tracks two stat sections:
Note: "Earned" figures only show deposited pay, not pending pay waiting for Friday.
Go on-call for potential flight assignments, simulating real-world reserve scheduling.
Note: Assignment results are pre-determined when you start standby - whether you'll get assigned, when, and how many legs are all calculated upfront for fairness.
Tip: The Standby section is hidden when you have scheduled flights. Complete your schedule first to access reserve duty.
Extra flights with bonus pay:
Pick up flights from other pilots who called in sick:
Reposition aircraft to where they're needed next — fly the plane empty for bonus pay.
Flying builds fatigue; rest recovers it:
Rest naturally at -3.54% per real hour, or use items from the Pilot Shop → Rest & Recovery to recover faster.
Your flying quality is monitored — too many violations and you're grounded.
Go to the Flight Safety section → click "Begin Sim Training" → pay $1k–5k → wait 6 hours. Strikes reset to 0 and you're cleared to fly.
Tip: Keep landings smooth (under 500 FPM) and avoid aggressive maneuvers to stay strike-free!
Flying an aircraft outside your assigned type's family is recorded as an Aircraft Violation. These are tracked separately from safety strikes and have their own consequences — the more violations you accumulate, the harder career progression becomes.
You are not required to fly the exact aircraft code on your schedule — you have flexibility within the same family:
Schedule shows A321neo (A21N) → flying an A321, A320, or A319 is fine. All belong to the A320 family.
Schedule shows E190 → flying a B737 or A320 is a violation. Embraer and narrowbody families are separate.
The same rule applies to widebodies — a B777 and a B787 are different families. Only aircraft in the same family (e.g., all B737 variants, or all A330 variants) are interchangeable.
Each violation applies a cumulative penalty to the following systems:
| System | Base Chance | Penalty Per Violation | Effectively Blocked At |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferry Flights | 30% | −3% | ~10 violations |
| Premium Open Time | 40% | −3% | ~13 violations |
| Job Applications | 70% | −4% | ~15 violations |
| Promotions (visibility) | Seniority-based | −5% multiplier | ~20 violations |
| Promotions (approval) | Seniority-based | −5% | ~15 violations |
Aircraft violations reset to zero on the 1st of every month. This gives you a fresh start each month — but consistent pattern of violations across months will keep affecting you until you correct course.
Note: Unlike safety strikes, there is no Pilot Shop item to clear aircraft violations early. The only way to recover is to fly the correct aircraft family and wait for the monthly reset.
Tip: Always check which aircraft family your scheduled flight requires before dispatching. Your Aircraft Type Violations panel in the Career tab shows any violations you've accumulated this month.
Spend your hard-earned salary on items that help manage fatigue, safety strikes, and sick days. Each item has its own independent cooldown — purchasing one item does not lock out others.
Combat fatigue with these options:
Clean up your safety record:
Protect your schedule flexibility:
Tools to manage and expand your job board visibility:
Hire more opportunities permanently. These are one-time upgrades that add always-visible listings on top of your naturally rotating job board. Upgrade anytime — you only pay the difference between tiers.
Tip: Recruiting slots are always visible regardless of the natural job rotation cycle — making them especially valuable when you're hunting for a specific airline tier. The natural board already shows 8–14 jobs depending on timing; recruiting layers guaranteed extras on top.
Each item has its own independent cooldown — purchasing one item does not affect others:
When an item is on cooldown, its button shows the time remaining (e.g. "6h cooldown") — other items remain available to purchase.
Tip: You can buy an Energy Drink and a Quick Vacation on the same day — each has its own cooldown timer. Limits are per-item only, not per-category.
Several reasons this might happen:
Note: You no longer need a type rating to apply. Airlines will provide training if you don't have the rating (look for the "Training Provided" badge).
You can generate a new schedule when you have 1 or fewer flights remaining. Check your flight list - you may have too many incomplete flights.
Pay varies based on:
Check the Transaction History section. "Airline Departure" entries show your history at previous airlines including hours flown, flights completed, and tenure.
Yes! Your career data is stored in the cloud and syncs automatically. You can check your stats on any device.
Choose your airline, pick your base, and begin your journey to becoming a Senior Captain!
Go to Career Mode