Training to become a commercial pilot can be an extremely joyous and rewarding experience. However, it is easy to get overwhelmed if you are just beginning your journey. In this article, we lay out the requirements and certifications needed to become a commercial pilot. We also dive into the estimated cost of training, best practices for selecting a flight school, and potential employment opportunities.
What is a Commercial Pilot?
A commercial pilot is a pilot who is licensed by the FAA to charge for their services. Commercial pilots can be airline pilots, cargo pilots, tour pilots, flight instructors, ferry pilots, and much more. Obtaining a commercial pilot certificate will allow you to get paid while living your dream of flying. What is better than that? Depending on the type of job you choose, there are many different benefits of becoming a commercial pilot. Firstly, commercial pilot jobs pay very well! As a commercial pilot, you will have a job that allows you to constantly challenge yourself while perfecting your craft. And lastly, as a pilot, work stays at “the office” and your place of work is your favorite aircraft.
On average, the process of becoming a commercial pilot takes roughly two years, give or take depending on your training schedule. There are many steps you will need to take to achieve your goal of becoming a commercial pilot, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Take a Discovery Flight
If you have already taken a discovery flight and fell in love with the idea of flying an aircraft, then you can skip this step. If you have not, I recommend taking a trip to your local airport and signing up for a discovery flight. Ensure that you are comfortable in the air and that this is something that you truly want to pursue as a career. If you need help finding a flight school near you, check out the Pilot Pipeline Flight School Finder.
Basic Requirements for Flight Training
In order to begin your training, you must meet a few basic requirements. Firstly, you must be at least 17 years old (to obtain your Private Pilot License) and be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
You must also be a healthy individual in order to fly an aircraft – makes sense! Therefore, you will need to pass a medical exam with an FAA-approved Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). You can find an AME near you by going to the FAA website. Receiving a Commercial Pilot Certificate requires you to obtain at least a 2nd Class FAA medical certificate. If you plan on becoming an airline pilot (fly Part 121 scheduled air service like Delta, Southwest, FedEx, etc.), you will need a 1st Class FAA medical certificate. Although only a 2nd Class is required to become a commercial pilot, it may be worth getting a 1st Class initially to ensure there are no unknown medical issues that will preclude you from holding a 1st Class down the road. It’s better to find out now rather than a couple of years and several thousands of dollars later!
Once you get your medical out of the way, you are ready to begin your flight training!
Finding a Flight School
There are many factors to consider when selecting your flight school, and believe it or not, it is not all about time and money.
First, you should consider the number of aircraft and instructors available at each flight school. This gives you a backup plan if an instructor leaves or an aircraft is grounded for maintenance.
Maintenance and safety are also critical factors. You shouldn’t select an inexpensive option at the expense of safety! I highly recommend visiting prospective flight schools. While you’re there, speak with instructors and students, take an introductory flight, and check out the operation.
Another major consideration is proximity. The further the flight school, the more excuse to procrastinate and push off your training. If possible, choose a flight school that is close to home if you are not training full-time in an accelerated program.If you are looking at accredited or collegiate programs, moving to their location, at least temporarily is a good idea.
The Pilot Pipeline Flight School Finder is a great tool to help you search for flight schools and make an informed decision. This tool allows you to sort through schools based on rating, location, military needs, and much more.
Feeling confused on your next steps? Sign up for a free 1-on-1 consulting session to discuss your goals and formulate a forward-looking strategy.
Cost of Flight Training
Flight training can be expensive, but do not let that deter you, as there are many financing options available. Becoming a commercial pilot can cost anywhere between $30,000 and $60,000 depending on the school you attend.
Instructor fees can vary between $50 per hour up to $90 or more. For the sake of our calculations, we will use an average of $65 per hour.
| Certificate / Rating | Estimated Cost |
| Private Pilot Certificate | $10,000 to $15,000 |
| Instrument Rating (recommended but not necessary for Commercial) | $10,000 to $15,000 |
| Commercial Pilot Certificate | $3,000 to $5,000 |
| Multi Engine Rating | $2,000 to $4,000 |
However, there is something important to note. To obtain your commercial certificate, you will need 250 hours of total flight time If you’re training under Part 61 regulations (Part 141 schools vary, but at a minimum require 190 total hours). When you complete your private pilot and instrument ratings, you still might find yourself 150 hours short. This is what they call time building. The good news is that during the majority of this time you won’t be paying a flight instructor and you can plan long instrument flights to view great locations and airports.
You will likely be renting a Cessna or Piper aircraft, which can cost between $120 to $170 per hour depending on a variety of factors. Therefore, plan on spending an additional $18,000 to $25,000 to gain the necessary flight time needed to pursue your commercial certificate.
There are a few other cost factors that you should consider: logbook, headset, electronic flight bag (EFB), and exam costs. If you attend a Part 141 school, examination fees are usually included in the cost, however, under Part 61, expect to pay between $500 and $1,200 for the practical exam with the FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).
The price is starting to add up, I know. Luckily, there are plenty of financing options available to you. Pilot Pipeline offers a Scholarship Finder to its Premium members, which allows you to sort and filter through over $25 million worth of scholarships based on demographics, ratings, organization, and much more. If you are interested in learning more about other financing options, read this article.
Private Pilot Certificate
A Private Pilot Certificate allows you to fly a small plane with a few passengers accompanying you. As mentioned previously, a Private Pilot Certificate requires you to have 40 hours of flight time before taking the practical exam.
Private Pilot is your first step in flight training. You’ll start as an average pedestrian and graduate as someone capable of taking your friends and family on cross country trips in day or night.
When your instructor gives you a study assignment, hit it hard! You’re in charge of your own schedule. Do your best to fly often and consistently because your skills will degrade quickly on long breaks between lessons.
Once you complete your private pilot training, you can move on to your other certificates and ratings. If you want to learn more about becoming a private pilot, read this article.
Instrument Rating
You need an Instrument Rating to safely (and legally) fly through clouds. Professional aviation would not be possible without this capability, and these skills are fundamental to the work you’ll be doing for the rest of your career.
This is all about precision aviation and learning good habit patterns. There is nothing like the first time you fly an ILS approach to minimums, look up, and suddenly see the runway when a moment before there was nothing but grey in front of you.
There’s a lot to learn for this rating, but study hard. It will save your life almost every time you fly. Read this article to learn all there is the know about obtaining your Instrument Rating.
Commercial Pilot Certificate
Until you become a Commercial Pilot, you’re not allowed to fly “for compensation or hire.” This means you’ve been paying out of pocket for all your flying (hopefully with the help of grants or scholarships.) Earning this rating is an important step because it will finally allow you to get a flying job and let someone else pay for your flight hours.
The biggest part of this rating is just making sure you have the hours and experience needed to start flying as a professional.
Multi Engine Rating
As the name suggests, a multi engine rating allows you to fly an aircraft that has multiple engines.
Thankfully, the FAA is realistic about the requirements for adding a category, class, and/or type rating to a level of pilot certificate you already hold. Since you already hold Commercial Pilot – Airplane Single Engine Land, you can add a category (multiengine) and class (land) fairly easily.
As long as you meet the overall flight experience requirements, adding on Commercial Pilot – Airplane Multiengine Land requires you to accomplish some specific training in multi engine aircraft and take a check ride in a multi engine airplane.
Written and Practical Exams
Throughout your training, you will have to complete a written and practical exam for every rating and certification. However, you will not need to complete a written exam for your Multi Engine Rating!
FAA written exams are multiple choice tests that you will take at an official FAA testing center (find one here). Your flight instructor must endorse your logbook recommending you for the test. A passing score is 70% – if you fail, you must review the missed questions with your instructor who will then re-endorse your logbook and recommend you for a retake. Your test results will be good for 24 months. Please remember to keep the initial paper test results, which can be expensive and difficult to replace.
Practical exams (checkrides) can be a pain, but they are necessary. For your practical exam, you will fly with a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) authorized by the FAA to give checkrides.
When the time for your checkride comes, you’ll fly with a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). The FAA publishes a document called the Airman Certifications Standards (ACS) that specifies exactly what you’ll be tested on during your checkride. I recommend that you download a copy and take notes as you prepare for your checkride. (PDF | Paperback)
Your checkride will start with an oral exam that tests your pilot knowledge. Then, you will have your practical (flying) exam where you will fly the aircraft and perform maneuvers while the instructor watches.
Check out our Master Index of Study Materials to find reference materials you need to successfully prepare for the practical exam for any FAA pilot rating. Additionally, read this article to learn how you can ace any checkride in your future.
Employment Opportunities for a Commercial Pilot
Once you complete all the training to obtain your Commercial Pilot Certificate, there are plenty of employment opportunities.
Within the agricultural industry, you can work as a crop duster or surveyor. You might also be interested in flying cargo. Many small airports have regional cargo operations that hire low-time pilots to fly twin piston, single, or multi engine turboprop aircraft. The hours are not always great, but these jobs often pay well and yield a lot of flight hours.
Additionally, you could work as a Certified Flight Instructor, or CFI. Flight instructing is a fun and rewarding job, and the demand is strong and constant. This is usually the most common step for those who are pursuing a career as an airline pilot.
If you are interested in law enforcement, there are pilot jobs available there as well. Most police departments offer some sort of air support. Although helicopters are ideal for law enforcement, there are plenty of fixed wing jobs available.
You might also be interested in building time by flying as a tow pilot or aerial tour pilot. Both of these jobs yield a lot of flight time and offer great experience.
In addition to all of the jobs listed above, there are plenty of other industries that have a demand for commercial pilots.
Conclusion
As you can see, becoming a commercial pilot is a very complex process. However, it is worth the hard work and dedication! It is understandable to be overwhelmed by all of the information. Luckily, you will have a flight instructor who will guide you through the process. I wish you the best of luck – stay safe and have fun!
Career Guidance and Planning
If you are looking for a way to manage your career and navigate the process of becoming a pilot, check out Pilot Pipeline. The software uses your current experience and end-goal to curate a custom pathway that will guide you through the process. The best part? It’s completely free! Sign up for a free account or commit to a Premium account that will grant you access to the Timeline Assistant and Scholarship Finder.
If you ever feel that you need further guidance from someone with a great deal of experience, check out Pilot Pipeline Consulting. Services range from General Career Guidance to Application Review and Interview Preparation. Set up a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your goals and develop a strategy moving forward.
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