Here's why:
* The vowel sound is short: The "i" in "pilot" makes a short "i" sound, similar to the "i" in "bit" or "sit".
* The vowel is followed by a consonant: The "i" is followed by the consonant "l".
In contrast, a long vowel sound is usually found in words where the vowel is followed by a silent "e" at the end of the word, or where the vowel is part of a vowel digraph (two vowels together).