COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT
The Commercial Certificate is the gateway to a career in aviation.
For those looking to make a career out of their aviation journey, a commercial license is the next big step. A commercial license enables pilots to fly for hire or compensation within the bounds and regulations of the FAA.
Training for a commercial license is some of the most fun flying we do in our instruction careers. The maneuvers are designed to demonstrate total mastery of the plane and our instructors and students alike love going up and pushing the plane to the limits of its flying capacity.
Students who enroll in this course can expect to learn the regulations regarding commercial flight, the duties and expectations of a commercial pilot, and of course, how to fly the plane like an experienced professional.
Simply put, If you want to be paid to fly in any capacity, a commercial pilot certificate is required. A pilot must obtain ratings for each category and class of airplane she wishes to be paid to operate. For example, if a pilot aspires to fly skydivers in a Cessna 182 and cargo in a King Air C90, she must have commercial certificate with a single engine and a multiengine rating.
A 2018 FAA rule change made obtaining the commercial certificate easier and more relevant. Now instead of training in an older retractable-gear aircraft, pilots can train in new, modern technically advanced aircraft that will better mirror what they fly as a professional.
To obtain a commercial certificate in an airplane under FAR Part 61 rules a pilot must have:
250 hours of flight time, 100 hours of which must be in powered aircraft, and 50 must be in airplanes.
100 hours of pilot-in-command time, 50 of which must be in airplanes.
50 hours of cross-country time, 10 of which must be in an airplane.
20 hours of training, including 10 of instrument, 10 of complex or TAA, and a smattering of cross-country and practical test preparation.
10 hours of solo training, including a smattering of cross-country and night.
Additional class ratings, such as adding a multiengine rating to single-engine commercial pilot certificate or adding a single-engine rating to a multiengine commercial pilot certificate, will take additional training in that class. FAR 61.129 has all the specifics.
Training in a TAA
In July 2018 the FAA published new rules that created new options for pilots training for the commercial pilot certificate. Previously an applicant had to train 10 hours in a complex airplane, an airplane with a retractable gear, controllable-pitch propeller, and flaps. Responding to feedback from the training community, the FAA now allows that training to take place in a technically advanced airplane. A TAA is one that has:
An electronic primary flight display with all six primary instruments.
An electronic multifunction display that includes a GPS-based moving map with the aircraft displayed on the screen.
A two-axis autopilot with heading and navigation modes.
Beyond Aviation’s primary training fleet are all TAA aircraft.
Requirements:
18 Years of Age
Total Flight Time: 250 Hours
Instruction Flight Time: 20 Hours
Attend a ground school or self study
Complex/TAA Flight Time: 10 Hours
Pass FAA Commercial Pilot Written Exam
Pass the Checkride
