Learning To Fly: Not As Unattainable As Most People Think
Guest Blog by Paul Guerrier
You know the basics for your private license. You’re over 17, English is your primary language (or you’ve mastered it, if it’s not), and you have done all of the minimum requirements. You can fly, just not for an airline. Being a commercial pilot means you have to do more than the bare minimum. In fact, you’ll probably work harder than you’ve ever worked to get your commercial license. However, it’s not as unattainable as you think. Hard work, yes. Impossible? Hardly.
You Need Flight Time
To say that you’ll need a lot of flight time is an understatement. In the U.S., even if you attend a Part 141 school, and get your 190 minimum total flight hours (in Canada, you need 200 hours minimum), you’re kidding yourself if you think this will land you a sweet job. Here’s what you really need:
At minimum, you must have 250 total flight hours, with 100 hours as a pilot-in-command (the 100 hours PIC is a requirement for Canadian CPL, with 20 hours of PIC cross country). You must have 50 hours of cross country flight time as a pilot-in-command. You must also pass an FAA written exam (in Canada, Transport Canada written exam), and pass the Commercial Pilot Oral and Practical Exam. For U.S. requirements, you can get all the details you need from sites such as Phoenix East Aviation Flight School.
Now for the fun stuff. For a single engine plane, you must travel 100 nautical miles, perform 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop. You also need to complete 3 hours of instrument training and preparation for a practical test. After 10 hours of solo flight, and 150 nautical miles of cross country flying, you’re ready for entry-level work.
Possible Ratings You Can Obtain
- Flight Instructor Rating/Certification: Coveted by many pilots – when you obtain this rating, you are allowed to train others how to fly. Not only that, you’re able to do checkrides and performance reviews for students. You can also administer exams.
- Single-engine: This rating is acquired when you get your private license, and it lets you fly small planes – single-engines to be exact. It’s not much, but it may get you in the door at a regional airline.
- Multiengine: When you want to work for a major airline, you need a multiengine rating. Most companies also want you to have 800 or more flight hours in a complex aircraft before hiring you, so this is going to take some time.
- Land: A land rating means that you may take off and land on a conventional runway or landing strip.
- Sea: A sea rating means you may take off and land from the water – handy if you’re working for an airline or private company that has you flying to remote locations. This is especially useful in the Virgin Islands.
- Instrument Rating: Your instrument rating is absolutely required before you can fly. The Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) require additional training beyond normal commercial training. Specifically, you have to acquire 50 hours of pilot-in-command (cross country, same requirement in Canada), 15 hours of instrument-based flight instruction, and 40 hours of virtual of actual instrument time (same in Canada). Finally, you must have at least a 2nd class medical certificate (this is Category 1 in Canada). This certificate requires a comprehensive exam including ears, nose, throat, equilibrium, an eye exam, neurological examination, cardiovascular exam, and an assessment of your general health.
Thanks to Paul Guerrier for the article. Paul has helped many pilots gain their flying credentials. Now retired he enjoys sharing his experiences through blogging.
