Commercial Certificate

A commercial certificate is a requirement for any pilot who wishes to be paid for piloting services. Some commercial operations may require other certifications or ratings in addition to a commercial certificate, but all commercial operations require at least a commercial pilot certificate. As of January 2008, there were 128,540 commercial pilots in the United States. 

An applicant for a commercial certificate must pass a written examination and a practical examination. The practical examination is administered by an FAA examiner, and consists of an oral test and a flight test.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a commercial certificate, a person must be at least 18 years of age, and hold a private pilot certificate. An applicant must also be able to read, write, and speak the English language, and be able to pass a class II physical examination.

Flight Training

An applicant for a commercial certificate must have a minimum of 250 hours of logged flight time. At least 100 hours of the total must be as pilot in command.

The total flight hours required of a commercial pilot applicant consist of the following specific training and experience requirements:

  • 100 hours in powered aircraft
  • 50 hours of cross-country flight
  • 10 hours of training in an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller
  • 2 cross-country flights of more than 100 miles from point of departure. One flight in daylight and one at night
  • 1 cross-country flight of at least 300 miles
  • 10 hours of training at flying solely by reference to instruments
  • 3 hours of flight training specifically in preparation for taking the commercial pilot practical exam

Privileges and Limitations

Commercial pilots may carry passengers or cargo for compensation or hire. Commercial pilots who do not also hold an instrument rating are restricted to daytime flights of no more than 50 miles when carrying passengers or cargo for compensation or hire.

Cost of Obtaining a Commercial Certificate

Assuming that all of the experience requirements are already met, the estimated cost of the specific training for a commercial certificate would be $4000 to $6000.