How to resolve ‘You are not authorized to pilot this ship’ issue in Starfield

Piloting spaceships is one of the coolest parts of playing Starfield. But have you ever tried flying one and got a message saying you are not authorized to pilot it? I bet that’s happened to you, and you were left wondering why. The good news? It’s not a big mystery. There’s a simple reason and an easy fix.

Once you know it, you’ll be flying that spaceship in no time.

What does ‘You are not authorized to pilot this ship’ mean in Starfield?

Encountered the ‘you are not authorized to pilot this ship’ notification during gameplay? Stay calm. It’s not a glitch. It simply means your piloting skills aren’t high enough to fly that particular spaceship. Spaceships come in three classes, including Class A, Class B and Class C. The more advanced the ship, the higher the skill required. Class C is the highest.

How to fix ‘You are not authorized to pilot this ship’ issue in Starfield

If you’re eyeing a higher-class spaceship, you’ll need to boost your piloting skills. This skill has four ranks. The first is unlocked with a skill point. For ranks two to four, you’ll need both a skill point and to complete a skill challenge. To break it down: defeat five enemy spaceships for the first rank, 15 for the second, and 30 for the third.

With ranks one and two, you can command a Class A spaceship. By rank three, you’re cleared for Class B spaceships, and rank four grants you access to Class C vessels. Achieve this, and that pesky message will be history. It’s one of the best skills to level up.

Not keen on the challenge? No problem. Delegate the task to a companion who is a skilled pilot, like Sam Coe, and let him take the helm.  To do that, open the menu, head to the character submenu, click on the ship tab at the bottom, and assign him to the desired spaceship.