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What is a Commercial Pilot Certificate?

Commercial Airline Pilots in CockpitIn the United States a Commercial Pilot Certificate is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the Pilot in Command (PIC) of a single pilot aircraft, or as co-pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft and be paid for his/her work.

What Pilot Certifications/Ratings do you need to become a Commercial Airline Pilot?
1. Private Pilot Certificate
2. Instrument Rating
3. Commercial Pilot Certificate
4. Airline Transport Pilot Certificate

Introductory Flight

Step 1: Take an Introductory Flight

Before you start your flight training to become a commercial airline pilot; you need to make sure you like flying. If you have never flown an airplane before then you should probably go to your local flight school and take an introductory flight lesson (Find the Largest List of Flight Schools Here).

An Introductory Flight Lesson is your first flight lesson. Usually you can find a flight school that offers introductory flight lessons for as little as $99(the flight usually lasts for about 30-45 min). For your first flight lesson all you have to do is show up with money, state issued id, and a birth certificate or passport that shows you are a legal Citizen of the United States.

If you are not a United States Citizen then you will have to complete the TSA's Alien Flight Training/Citizenship Validation before you show up at the flight school. You can read more about the TSA's Flight Training/Citizenship Validation Rules Here

On your introductory flight you will actually be able to fly the airplane for the first time. All training aircraft have two sets of controls, so don't be scared that you will mess up. Your introductory flight lesson will begin with the instructor explaining everything to you. You will go out to the aircraft and do a pre-flight inspection with the instructor. After everything checks out you will both get in and fly away. I would say that 99% of people that go up for the introductory flight end up loving it.

Step 2: Choose what type of flight school you would like to attend?

Now you have to decide what type of flight school you would like to use to complete your flight training. You have your Local Flight School, Aviation College or Airline Academy. Each aviation school is regulated by FAA regulation: Part 61 or Part 141.

Here's what each one means:

Part 141 flight schools have more FAA oversight, more rigid schedules, and more paperwork. For the added requirements, they are allowed to reduce the minimum required hours of private pilot training to 35 hours, rather than the 40-hour minimum required when training at a Part 61 flight school. Most colleges fall under part 141 training because you get college credits for the flight training and you can follow a fixed schedule in college.

The Part 61 flight school, on the other hand, is able to be more flexible with training schedules, and has the ability to tailor the curriculum to meet individual students' training needs.

Either school must train you to pass the very same practical test. So it doesn't really matter if you do your training at a local flight school or at a University because you will get the same training at both schools.

- If you work full time and can't be on a set schedule then you should think about training at your local flight school
-If you already have a college degree then I would either attend a local flight school or think about joining an aviation flight academy. An aviation academy usually has one set rate for the entire program. You pay the rate and you should be able to complete your entire pilot training from start to finish.
-IF you're fresh out of high school and decided you wanted to become a commercial airline pilot then I would strongly recommend attending college. Most airlines require a 4 year degree before they will higher you. You also need a degree to be competitive in the aviation job market. A lot of students choose to complete their flight training at a local flight school while going to college to complete a degree in something else besides flight training. It's a good Idea to have something to fall back onto in case you ever lose your medical certificate and can't fly anymore.

Now you have to start your flight school research. Go to FlightSchoolList.Com and start searching for flight school. Flight school List has one of the largest lists of aviation training school on the entire internet.

Step 3: Your Aviation Medical Requirements

Aviation Medical CertificateBefore you start spending any money on your flight training I would recommend that you go and get a First Class Medical Certificate. If you ever plan on becoming a captain for a major airline, you will need a first class medical certificate. The reason I'm telling you to do this now and not wait is that if you end up not being able to pass your 1st class medical certificate, you will save yourself a lot of time and money and will already know that you can't become a captain on an airliner in the future.

Step 4: Do you have the money to complete your flight training?

The cheapest way to complete all your flight training is to make sure that you have all the money up front. If your consistently flying a few time a week you will complete your flight training a lot faster and you will pay a lot less. If you take a few weeks off every month then it will cost you more and take you a lot longer.

If you're looking for ways to finance your flight training then you should read this page: Financing your Flight Training

Step 5: Order in which you should complete your Pilot Certification

You should complete your pilot certification in the following order.

-Private Pilot Certificate - Allows you to fly without the supervision of an instructor day or night, with passengers, in good weather. You cannot get compensated for your pilot services; but you can split the cost with your passengers.

-Instrument Rating - Allows you to fly in and around clouds and in low visibility. Without an instrument rating, you are limited to flight in visual conditions and are subject to minimum cloud clearance and visibility requirements. Your instrument rating opens up a whole new world of flying.

-Commercial Pilot Certificate - Allows you to get paid to fly. You may not charge passengers directly, but you may work for an air carrier that can.

- Certified Flight Instructor Certificate - The flight instructor certificate allows you to teach someone how to fly. This is how you build your hours so you can get hired by the airlines.

-Airline Transport Pilot Certificate -The Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate is considered the "PhD" of pilot certificates. This certificate allows you to act as Pilot-in-Command (Captain) of a commercial aircraft weighing more than 12,500lbs.

Step 6: Apply for a Job

Now go and search for a flight school at http://www.flightschoollist.com