The Commercial Pilot’s License

The Commercial Pilot’s license is often considered a stepping stone to other ratings and allows you to offer your services as a pilot for hire. The FAA requires a minimum of 250 hours of flight experience prior to the completion of the Commercial Pilot practical exam if training is performed under Part 61 and 190 hours if under Part 141.

It is at this stage that many pilots are introduced to more sophisticated aircraft for the first time. A complex aircraft, one with retractable landing gear, flaps, and constant speed propeller, is required for the Commercial Pilot certificate. At Downtown Aviation, we offer two well maintained Piper Cherokee Arrows for your Commercial Pilot training.

What is required to earn the Commercial Pilot’s License?

The FAA lists the following requirements for the Commercial Pilot license:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Hold at least a private pilot certificate.
3. The pilot must be able to read, speak, and understand the English language
4. The pilot must obtain at least a current second-class FAA medical certificate to exercise commercial pilot privileges.
5. Pass the FAA written knowledge test as well as the FAA practical flight test.
6. Accumulate flight experience (FAR 61.129). You must log at least 250 hr. of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:
a. 100 hr. in powered aircraft, of which 50 hr. must be in airplanes
b. 100 hr. as pilot in command flight time, which includes at least:
1. 50 hr. in airplanes
2. 50 hr. in cross-country flight of which at least 10 hr. must be in airplanes
c. 20 hr. of training in the areas of operation listed in item 8. below, including at least:
1. 10 hr. of instrument training of which at least 5 hr. must be in a single-engine airplane
2. 10 hr. 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 hr. 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 hr. 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 hr. in a single-engine airplane in preparation for the practical test within the 60 days preceding the test
d. 10 hr. 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 .
2. 5 hr. 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