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

I know the exact situation you are in right now. You see a landed ship in the distance and take out the enemies patrolling outside. You sneak into the ship and take out the remaining enemies. The prize is finally yours: a new ship. However, when you go to the cockpit and sit down in the pilot’s chair you get an error message. It can be frustrating that’s all the information given, but thankfully we’ve figured out how to fix the ‘You are not authorized to pilot this ship’ error in Starfield.

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

Essentially, this message just means you do not have the proper Piloting skills needed to fly the ship. More specifically, Ranks 3 and 4 of the Piloting skill actually allow you to fly Class B and C ships. In order to rank up Piloting, you will need to destroy enemy ships. Unfortunately, this can take some time to do each rank, so it’s not a quick fix.

The best thing to do is to make sure you put a point into Piloting, which has no prerequisites. From here just keep killing ships and unlocking each successive rank as you unlock it. Once you hit Rank 3 you can pilot Class B ships, and at Rank 4 you gain access to Class C ships.

Another option is to find a crewmate for hire with a higher Piloting skill. Constellation companion Sam Coe actually has a four-star piloting skill. Make sure you assign the crewmate to your ship in order to get the benefit of their skills.

Even though neither of these options is a quick solution to allow you to pilot the ship now, it’s great to know for the future. Make sure you are ready the next time you find a ship you want to take, so you don’t get the ‘You are not authorized to pilot this ship’ message.