COMMERCIAL PILOT

Now that you are a private pilot with an instrument rating, several people want you to fly them places for business or pleasure, and they are willing to pay you for that time. But according to the FAA you cannot be paid for these flights unless among other requirements, you are a commercially rated pilot.

A commercial pilot may be compensated for flying. Training for the certificate focuses on a better understanding of aircraft systems and a higher standard of airmanship. A commercial airplane pilot must be able to operate a complex airplane, as a specific number of hours of complex (or turbine-powered) aircraft time are among the prerequisites, and at least a portion of the practical examination is performed in a complex aircraft.

The information below describes the eligibility, training, experience, and testing requirements for the commercial certificate as outlined by the FAA.

To earn a commercial certificate, you must:

  1. Be at least 18 years of age.
  2. Be able to read, write, and converse fluently in English.
  3. Hold a current FAA medical certificate.
  4. Receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course. Subjects include:
    1. FARs
    2. NTSB Part 830
    3. Aerodynamics
    4. Aviation weather
    5. Operation of aircraft
    6. Weight and balance
    7. Performance charts
    8. Effects of exceeding limitations
    9. VFR charts
    10. Navigation facilities
    11. Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM)
    12. Aircraft systems
    13. Maneuvers, procedures, and emergency operations in the airplane
    14. Night and high-altitude operations
    15. National airspace system
  5. Pass the FAA commercial pilot knowledge test with a score of 70% or better.
  6. Accumulate flight experience (FAR 61.129). You must log at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:
    1. 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes
    2. 100 hours as pilot in command flight time, which includes at least:
      1. 50 hours in airplanes
      2. 50 hours in cross-country flight of which at least 10 hours must be in airplanes
    3. 20 hours of training in the areas of operation listed in item 8. below, including at least:
      1. 10 hours of instrument training of which at least 5 hr. must be in a single-engine airplane
      2. 10 hours of training in an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and controllable pitch propeller, or is turbine-powered
      3. One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a single-engine airplane in day-VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 NM from the original point of departure
      4. One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a single-engine airplane in night-VFR conditions, consisting of a straight-line distance of more than 100 NM from the original point of departure
      5. 3 hours in a single-engine airplane in preparation for the practical test within the 60 days preceding the test
    4. 10 hours of solo flight in a single-engine airplane training in the areas of operation required for a single-engine rating, which includes at least:
      1. One cross-country flight of not less than 300 NM total distance, with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 NM from the original departure point
        1. In Hawaii, the longest segment need have only a straight-line distance of at least 150 NM.
      2. 5 hours in night-VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower
  7. Hold an instrument rating or your commercial certificate will be endorsed with a prohibition against carrying passengers for hire on flights beyond 50 NM or at night.
  8. Demonstrate flight proficiency (FAR 61.127). You must receive and log training, and obtain a logbook sign-off (endorsement) from your CFI on the following areas of operation:
    1. Preflight preparation
    2. Preflight procedures
    3. Airport and seaplane base operations
    4. Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds
    5. Performance maneuvers
    6. Ground reference maneuvers
    7. Navigation
    8. Slow flight and stalls
    9. Emergency operations
    10. High-altitude operations
    11. Postflight procedures
  9. Successfully complete a practical test.