Types of pilot licenses and certifications explained

Different types of pilot licenses and selecting the RIGHT license for your needs

There are various types of pilot licenses you should know about when thinking of a career in flying or even for personal hobby flying. Below, you’ll find the type of training you'll need and which type of pilot license will work best for your future needs and goals. Selecting the appropriate pilot license ensures success in the air and on any other potential career paths.

What are the different types of pilot licenses?

There are various types of pilot licenses and certifications that allow a person to operate an aircraft:

• Commercial Pilot Certificate: Also known as a Commercial Pilot License or CPL, the Edge: Commercial Pilot Certificate will allow you to get paid for flying. If you're looking to become a professional pilot quickly, the Excel: Accelerated Pathway to Pilot is the lowest-priced professional pilot program in the market and a great way to go. Common careers include cargo transportation, aerial surveys, and helicopter sightseeing. 
• Private Pilot License (PPL): The Embark: Part 141 Private Pilot Certificate is for those who want to fly for fun! While you'll be able to take people up and fly, as well as do limited business ventures, you will not be able to accept payment for your services. 
• Flight Instructor Certificate: Whether you want to teach others or simply build hours as an instructor, the Elite: CFI / CFII Certificate allows you to do so and provides transferable teaching hours on your resume when looking for future employment. 
• Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate: The Airline Transport Pilot is the highest level of certification that the FAA offers. It is the necessary license for flying as a captain or first officer on a commercial airline, proving that the pilot has extensive flying hours and experience. 
• Student Pilot Certificate: The Student Pilot Certificate is the first certificate that someone will ever get before learning to fly. It allows someone to practice with an instructor and later fly solo after they obtain the proper required hours. This step is necessary to begin training for one's pilot's license.
• Sport Pilot Certificate: The Explore: Your First 10 Flight Hours program is a terrific first step for those that want to fly for leisure. An SPL allows the pilot to fly light sport aircraft and has fewer training and medical requirements compared to other licenses, allowing for an easier and quicker process to obtain.

How do I choose the right pilot license for my goals?

Choosing what type of pilot license you need to become a pilot in the U.S.A. is based upon your anticipated flying career and flying needs down the line. For example, should you want to fly for a living with a commercial airline, you'll need a Commercial Pilot Certificate or License (CPL) and the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate. Should you only want to fly for fun, you'll need a Private Pilot License (PPL) or a Sport Pilot Certificate.

If you keep in mind how much a pilot earns in the U.S., it'll make the decision easier. There is a great deal of money to be made flying professionally with commercial airlines, so your CPL and ATP will be well worth it.

Consider your future flying needs. If you'll want to fly just for leisure, or if you anticipate making it a career, it is a responsible decision to make now. That way, you can join the most effective training program and have the most enjoyable flying experience in the future. 

What are the requirements for each type of pilot license?

The FAA requires certain requirements* for different types of pilot licenses:

• Student and Sport Pilot Certificates: Minimum age 16-17; minimal medical requirements; minimal training flight hours.
• Private Pilot License: Minimum age 17 (to complete a checkride); 40* training flight hours required; 10 hour solo requirement
• Commercial Pilot License: Minimum age 18; 250* training flight hours required; Extensive training and FAA testing required.
• Airline Transport Pilot Certificate: Minimum age 23; 1,500 flight hours required; Extensive ATP training and testing required.

*Attending an Academy with a Part 141 program (like us) may reduce the hours required.

There's no college requirement for certification. 

In general, the necessary levels for quality piloting include being part of an established aviation school to get trained, accredited, appropriately hour-logged, and experienced (typically as a Certified Flight Instructor), and then hired by regional airlines before larger, more central airlines.

What certificates and ratings will make me a better airline candidate?

While there are other ways to keep your credentials up to date, certain certificates and ratings are essential to occupying higher-level positions:

• Instrument Rating: This rating allows a pilot to fly in poor weather and low visibility, which is key to operating many flights. It is a necessary addition to your pilot's toolbox to operate for any airline.
• Multi-Engine Rating: This rating allows a pilot to operate multi-engine aircraft and is crucial for any commercial airline work as well as for corporate flying.

The easiest pilot license to get is a Sport Pilot Certificate because the training hours and requirement level are low. Yet, an SPL alone limits employability. Starting with Private Pilot License and adding further ratings and certifications gets your foot in the door earlier and allows for greater earning potential.