Earn Your Pilots License!

So, you want to get a learn to fly and earn your pilots license?

Excellent!

The FAA (in the US) has a smorgasboard of certificates and ratings. Depending on the kind of flying you want to do, there is bound to be one that will suit your flying needs.

Ultralights

In my humble opinion, flying ultralights is one of the last bastions of true freedom-of-flight that exists today.

Not to be confused with the newly FAA blessed Light Sport Aircraft which requires certification of both the aircraft and the person flying it, flying ultralights - or microlights as they are sometimes called especially in parts of Europe - requires no real training or pilots license in the US.

Now, am I advocating just jumping in and taking off without any kind of training or instruction???

Absolutely not!

After all, this web site is all about flight training. Right?

Obviously, for anyone to be able to safely fly any aircraft, there needs to be some training. Again, no certification is required, but certification or not, crashing one of these beautiful birds into the ground or someone's house is certainly not the best way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Sport Pilots License

Recently, the FAA has introduced a whole new classification of aircraft called Light Sport Aircraft, or LSA for short - not to be confused with Ultralights, which we just discussed above.

Aircraft which qualify as LSA may be operated by holders of the new FAA Sport Pilot certificate and is a great deal less costly way for those desiring to learn to fly to earn their wings!

The FAA defines a light sport aircraft as an aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of less than 1320 pounds for aircraft designed to operate from land or 1,430 pounds for seaplanes; a maximum airspeed in level flight of 120 knots (138 mph); a maximum stall speed of 45 knots (52 mph); either one or two seats; fixed undercarriage and fixed-pitch or ground adjustable propeller; and a single reciprocating engine.

Pilots with a Sport Pilot License as well as holders of private pilot, recreational pilot, or higher pilot certificate may also fly LSA, even if their medical certificates have expired, so long as they have a valid driver's license to prove that they are in good enough health to fly. LSA also have less restrictive maintenance requirements and may be maintained and inspected by traditionally certificated Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, by individuals holding a Repairman: Light Sport certificate, and (in some cases) by their pilots and/or owners.

Private Pilots License

A Private Pilots License is probably the all around best personal aviation certification for those who are truly serious about their flying and who need to fly longer distances and carry more passengers.

A person who holds a Private Pilots License may do almost anything and everything that a Commercial Pilot may do - except flying for hire. A Private Pilot (with the proper ratings and endorsements) may fly higher performance airplanes - including multi engine airplanes and jets, fly cross-country flights - even to other countries. Private Pilots can carry multiple passengers, fly at night and - properly rated with an FAA Instrument Rating - fly in less-than-ideal weather conditions.

Private Pilot Training Requirements

The basic FAA requirements - in a nutshell - involved for obtaining a Private Pilot License are as follows:

Must be at least 17 years of age.
Be able to read, speak, write and understand the English Language.
Obtain an FAA medical certificate.
Log at least 40 hours of flight training.
Receive at least 20 hours of flight training from an authorized flight instructor.
Log at least 10 hours of SOLO flight time.
Pass the required knowledge test.
Pass a Practical Test consisting of both an oral examination and a flight test.

King Air in flight

Commercial Pilots License

Again, the Commercial Pilots License basically has all of the above mentioned flying privileges - plus - the privilege of being able to fly-for-hire!

Commercial Pilot Requirements

To be eligible for an FAA Commercial Pilot certificate a person must:

Be at least 18 years of age.
Be able to read, speak, write and understand the English Language.
Receive ground instruction on the aeronautical knowledge areas listed in 14 CFR 61.125.
Pass the FAA aeronautical knowledge test.
Receive flight training on the areas of operation listed in 14 CFR 61.127.
Meet the following aeronautical experience requirements (see 14 CFR 61.129 for complete list).
1. 250 hours of total time as a pilot.

2. 10 hours of instrument training.

3. One solo cross-country flight of at least 300 nautical miles total distance with one leg being at least 250 nautical miles in length and with landings at a minimum of 3 points.

4. 10 takeoffs and landings at a towered airport at night.

Airline Transport Pilots License

Many people not familiar with the different pilot certifications available under the FAA mistakenly call all airline pilots "commercial pilots".
It's kind of like the old horse and pony analogy. All airline pilots are by necessity a "commercial pilot" but not all commercial pilots are airline pilots.

The Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL or ATP) is the highest level of aircraft pilot certification. Those certified as Airline Transport Pilots are authorized to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of an aircraft in scheduled air carrier service in an aircraft with a maximum gross weight of more than 12,500 pounds.

A pilot who desires to become an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) must first hold a Commercial Pilots License (CPL). The actual ATP license can normally only be obtained after logging at least 1500 (airplane) or 1200 (helicopter) total flight hours.

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