Commercial Pilot FAQ’s

Why would I need a Commercial Pilot certificate?  The Commercial Pilot certificate is required if you want to fly for compensation or hire, basically to be paid as a pilot. This is a legal requirement from the FAA. The Commercial Pilot certificate is the first step towards a professional flying career.

Do I need an instrument rating?  No, but your Commercial Pilot certificate will come with restrictions on its use, specifically that you will not be allowed to carry passengers more than 50 nautical miles from the point of their departure or at all at night, which greatly hampers an employers use of you, and hence your chances of hire . Since you need 250 hours of flight experience to qualify for the commercial pilot certificate, the instrument rating is usually obtained first and allows full Commercial Pilot flight privileges once you obtain the Commercial certificate. There are some commercial flying jobs, such as traffic reporting and banner towing, that do not require an instrument rating.

Can I fly multi-engine airplanes?  No, you will have to add the Commercial Multi-engine rating to your Commercial Pilot certificate in order to fly multi-engine aircraft for hire. 

Is there any benefit from getting the Commercial certificate if I am not planning to fly commercially for a living? Yes. A Commercial Pilot is considered a professional who has more experience and has demonstrated a higher standard in every aspect of flight operations than a Private Pilot, who is strictly an amateur. If you own an aircraft, insurance rates are usually reduced. The added confidence that comes from being a Commercially rated pilot will also be appreciated by both you and your passengers.

As a Commercial Pilot, am I automatically qualified to fly jets?  No. Most jet powered aircraft and aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 lbs require additional and specific training for each make and model called a type rating. Type ratings are additional add-on ratings to your certificate and tend to be quite expensive. Because these costs can be so prohibitive to a pilot advancing in their career, most employers will usually cover the cost of typing a pilot for the aircraft in their fleet.

As a Commercial Pilot, am I automatically qualified to fly for an airline?  Unfortunately, no. Since August 1, 2014, before a Commercial Pilot can be hired and fly for an airline, they must be qualified for the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, which requires a minimum of 1500 hours of total pilot time. While that number may seem daunting, remember that an airline pilot is a PROFESSIONAL, and all professions require some dues paying. Doctors intern and resident for years before they can be fully certified, lawyers usually serve as clerks, etc.  A pilot has to earn their stripes, too. The good news is that a Commercial Pilot can usually get those hours and move towards an airline career within a year or two by working for other types of commercial operators, getting paid and logging hours towards that goal. That’s the nice thing about the Commercial certificate – you get to log every hour, you’re not paying for those hours, and you get paid for those hours – not a bad deal!

What types of flying jobs will I be able to get as a Commercial Pilot?  Some of the typical time-building jobs a new Commercial Pilot can fly are: Certified Flight Instructor, Banner Towing, Charter Pilot, Crop Dusting, Fire Patrol, Pipeline Patrol, Parachute Jump School Pilot, Traffic Patrol, Glider Tow Pilot

Wayne as a corporate pilot flying a Sabreliner 65