Commercial Pilot

Your commercial certificate allows you to get paid for flying depending on the specific operation. This is a great way to build your hours and make money while doing it.

Commercial Pilot Requirements

Course Prerequisites

  • Hold at least a private pilot certificate

  • Ability to read, write and speak English

  • Be at least 18 years old at the time of the checkride

Training Requirements

The commercial pilot certificate has a minimum number of hours but like all other ratings, these are just minimums set by the FAA and it is very likely to overfly these minimums. Building commercial pilot time is fun because a lot of the time is cross country.

Why get a commercial pilot’s license?

A commercial pilot certificate allows you to get paid for flying and is required for any of the following occupations:

  • Airline Pilot

  • Certified Flight Instructor

  • Charter Pilot

  • Ferry Pilot

  • Banner Tow Pilot

  • Pipeline Patrol

  • Aerial Survey Pilot

  • Agricultural Pilot

  • Cargo Pilot

Instead of paying for flight time, a commercial pilot certificate will allow you to get paid for flying and allow you to fly more often.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Cost of commercial training fluctuates greatly depending on the person. Most of your commercial training will consist of solo time building which reduced per hour costs. Your commercial pilot’s license should cost around $15,000 but that number is in no way set in stone.

  • Not quite yet, you will have to accumulate 1,500 flight hours to be eligible to work at a regional airline. However, the commercial pilot certificate allows you to make money at a low time pilot job to get paid for your 1,500 hours instead of paying for them.