Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

6 Answers

Am I too short to fly commercially?

Asked by: 6329 views , , ,
Commercial Pilot

I am planning to go to ATP next year to get the rest of the ratings needed to fly commercially (I know about ATP's reputation, but I think it will work for me). My biggest concern however is about my height. I am 5'4" and have never really had a problem in general aviation. I am fine in most airplanes I've flown, but depending on the year of Cessna 172, I am more comfortable with a back rest. I also know you should be able to fully extend the rudder pedals without shifting your body weight. I am usually fine, but like I said, sometimes I have to shift my weight in a 172. Will this be a problem getting hired by a major airline? Are there limitations I should know about? I don't want to start expensive flight training at ATP if it won't lead to a job because of my height. Thank you very much.

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

6 Answers



  1. John D. Collins on Nov 03, 2011

    I don’t know the limitation, but I have a friend who flies an RJ for the airlines and he is 5 foot 1 and 1/2 inches and considers anyone above five foot two as abnormally tall.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. CFI Academy on Nov 03, 2011

    At 5’4″ you are completely fine! You wont have any problems. I know many who are much shorter than you.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. Earl Kessler on Nov 03, 2011

    I am an inch taller than you.  To look on the bright side, we well never get the “diamond headache” that people a few inches taller than us get running into the back of side of the Cessna wings.  I have always seen my height as an advantage in aviation and you should too. Being smaller, we can carry more fuel, fit in older Mooney’s and generally never worry about a head strike in moderate turbulence.  You will be fine with the airlines and commercial carriers, they generally look at your qualifications, not your physical size.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  4. Mike Auten on Nov 05, 2011

    On the FAA’s site – for Medical Examiners – they state:
    Although there are no medical standards for height, exceptionally short individuals may not be able to effectively reach all flight controls and must fly specially modified aircraft. If required, the FAA will place operational limitations on the pilot certificate. 
    http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/app_process/exam_tech/item21-22/
    So, like the others have said, you should be fine.  Good Luck!

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  5. JamesCFI on Nov 06, 2011

    Seems like shorter groups (like alot of folks in asia and india) done have a issue

    0 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 1 Votes



  6. Rob Porter on Oct 11, 2015

    I\’m 64\” tall and was a captain for Midwest (Express) Airlines for 21 years. There is a noticeable bias towards stature in the field by management, particularly human resources personnel who aren\’t pilots. Now since the disgraceful dissolution of Midwest, I face stature and age discrimination (I\’m 60). Discrimination comes in many forms and guises; it\’s up to the individual whether it makes a difference in their life.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.