Commercial Pilot Certificate

Your Career Is Waiting!

The Commercial Pilot Certificate is the gateway to your aviation career, and is a requirement for an airline pilot career. With this certificate, you can apply to and fly for certificated operators throughout the United States and abroad and get paid to fly. Commercial pilots possess a deeper, more intimate level of knowledge of aviation, and are also able to fly more precisely and operate their aircraft professionally. In addition to a rigorous ground and flight training regime, commercial pilots embody the exemplar of professionalism in aviation.

To become a commercial pilot, you need to have at least 250 total hours of flight experience under your belt, which is divided into cross-country, night, and solo PIC requirements. Specifically, the FAA requires that commercial single engine land pilots possess 100 total hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes, 100 hours of PIC time, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes, 60 hours of cross-country PIC time, of which 10 hours must be in airplanes, 10 hours of solo flight time that consists of a long cross-country and 5 hours of night VFR with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings, and a minimum of 20 hours of flight instruction. Additionally, it is highly recommended that all commercial pilot applicants possess an instrument rating to avoid limitations on the types of flying you can and cannot do. In addition to a practical examination, commercial pilot applicants must take and pass the knowledge test and receive the required ground instruction on the various topics that are required. The average completion time for these requirements and the training can be anywhere between 1 and 3 months, depending on the student.

How Much Does It Cost?

The cost for a commercial pilot certificate, like all certificates, is difficult to estimate. If the pilot has many of the solo, PIC, and cross-country requirements met by the time they begin their commercial training, the cost would be less than those who did not. Therefore, understanding your aviation goals is important. If from the outset of your training you know that you wish to become a commercial pilot, many of the solo and cross-country requirements can be met earlier in the training regime, saving you both time and money. The costs for the commercial pilot training program varies, and I encourage you to contact me to help you put together a plan that works for you.