FAA Pilot Licenses and Ratings
*The hours requirements listed below are based upon FAA minimums, and not a guarantee of completion times
_________________________________________________________________________
Private Pilot License
Aeronautical Experience: None required
Age: You must be at least 16 years of age before you fly solo (alone), and at least 17 years of age before you take your practical flight examination
Total Time: Minimum of 40 hours of flight time
Dual: 20 hours minimum of flight training with an instructor on the Private Pilot areas of operation including:
- 3 hours of cross country flight training in a single engine airplane;
- 3 hours of night flight training in a single engine airplane, that includes at least:
- 1 cross country flight of over 100 nm total distance; and
- 10 T/O’s and 10 landings to a full stop with each involving a flight in the traffic pattern at an airport.
- 3 hours of flight training by reference to instruments in a single engine airplane; and
- 3 hours of flight training in a single engine airplane within the 60 days prior to the practical test.
Solo: 10 hours minimum of solo flying in a single engine airplane on the Private Pilot areas of operation including:
- 5 hours of solo cross country flying;
- 1 solo cross country flight of at least 150nm total distance with full stop landings at 3 points and one segment of at least 50nm between T/O and landings; and
- 3 T/O’s and landings to a full stop at an airport with an operating control tower.
Examination Requirements: You must take and pass the FAA written examination with a score of 70% or better, and then take and pass the practical flight test examination with a flight examiner
_________________________________________________________________________
Instrument Rating
Aeronautical Experience: Hold a Private Pilot License, and have at least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command. At least 10 of these hours must be in airplanes for an instrument-airplane rating.
Age: There is no FAA-mandated minimum age for the Instrument Rating
Total Time: A total of 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time on the areas of operation listed in FAR 61.65(c)
Dual: At least 15 hours of instrument flight training from an authorized instructor in the aircraft category for the instrument rating sought
For instrument-airplane rating, instrument training on cross-country flight procedures that includes at least one cross-country flight in an airplane that is performed under instrument flight rules. This flight must consist of:
- A distance of at least 250 nm along airways or ATC-directed routing
- An instrument approach at each airport
- Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems (Example: ILS, VOR, GPS, etc).
Recency of Training: At least 3 hours of instrument training that is appropriate to the instrument rating sought from an authorized instructor in preparation for the checkride within two calendar months before the examination date
Examination Requirements: You must take and pass the FAA written examination with a score of 70% or better, and then take and pass the practical flight test examination with a flight examiner
_________________________________________________________________________
Commercial Pilot License
Aeronautical Experience: Hold a Private Pilot License
Age: You must be at least 18 years of age by the time you take the practical flight test
Total Time: By the time you take the Commercial Pilot check ride, you must:
- Have accumulated at least 250 total hours of flight time
- Have at least 100 hours of flight time as pilot in command
- Have at least 50 hours of cross country flight time as pilot in command
Dual: 20 hours total flight time:
- 10 hours complex
- 10 hours instrument
- 2 hours day cross country of at least 100 nm
- 2 hours night cross country of at least 100 nm
- 3 hours checkride preparation within prior 2 calendar months
Solo: 10 hours total solo flight time:
- 300 nm cross country with 3 points of landing, one point of landing being more than 250nm from departure airport
- 5 hours VFR night flight time
- 10 takeoffs and landings at an airport with an operating control tower
Examination Requirements: You must take and pass the FAA written examination with a score of 70% or better, and then take and pass the practical flight test examination with a flight examiner
_________________________________________________________________________
Multi-Engine Rating
Aeronautical Experience: Hold at least a Private Pilot License
Age: There is no FAA-mandated minimum age for the Multi-Engine Rating
Total Time: There are no set requirements for hours of dual training for the Multi-Engine Rating.
Examination Requirements: There is no FAA written exam for the Multi-Engine Rating, just a practical flight test with a flight examiner
_________________________________________________________________________
Flight Instructor Ratings (CFI, CFII, and MEI)
Aeronautical Experience: Hold at least a Commercial Pilot License and Instrument Rating
Age: You must be at least 18 years of age by the time you take your practical flight test
Total Time: There are no set requirements for hours of dual training for the CFI, CFII, or MEI. However, you must have at least 15 hours as pilot in command of multi-engine aircraft before you take the MEI practical examination.
Examination Requirements: You must take and pass the appropriate FAA written examination with a score of 70% or better, and then take and pass the practical flight test examination with a flight examiner. Note: There is no FAA written examination for the Multi-Engine Instructor Rating.
