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Commercial Pilot Certificate

With a commercial pilot certificate, you’re finally ready and able to start earning income as a professional pilot. This certificate opens numerous doors, whether you’re on the path to becoming an airline pilot or pursuing one of the many other career options available to pilots.

With our commercial pilot certificate program, you’ll build the hours you need in our modern, all-glass fleet and spend time with our instructors preparing for the checkride.

A Commercial Pilot Certificate is the First Step in Launching your Aviation Career

The Commercial Pilot Program Includes:

  • 120 hrs. Total Flight Time
  • 55 hrs. Dual Flight Training
  • 65 hrs. Solo Flight Training
  • 35 Hrs. Personalized Knowledge (Ground) Instruction
  • Jeppesen Commercial Training System

Prerequisites:

  • Hold a Private Pilot Certificate
  • Be able to read, write, and converse fluently in English
  • Hold BasicMed or a 3rd class (or higher) FAA medical certificate. Later, to exercise the privileges of your commercial pilot certificate, you must hold at least a 2nd class medical certificate.
  • Hold an instrument rating. While not strictly required by the regulations, a commercial pilot certificate is extremely limited without an instrument rating.

What is a commercial pilot certificate?

A commercial pilot certificate allows a pilot to be paid to fly an airplane. Without a commercial certificate, a pilot cannot receive compensation to fly passengers or cargo. If you’re planning on a career as a pilot, regardless of if you’ll work for an airline, you’ll need a commercial certificate.

What do commercial pilots do?

A commercial pilot certificate allows a pilot to take any job that pays them as a pilot. The most common job for someone who holds a commercial pilot certificate is airline pilot. If you want to become an airline pilot be sure to check out our guide on becoming an airline pilot.

Other common jobs for commercial pilots include cargo transport, aerial surveying, aerial firefighting, air ambulance, flight instructor and so much more. You can check out our pilot salary article to see what you could be paid as a pilot.

What is the difference between commercial pilots and airline pilots?

An airline pilot holds a commercial pilot certificate so they are commercial pilots. But to become an airline pilot you also have to hold an airline transport pilot certificate, which allows you to fly regularly scheduled passenger flights. 

A commercial pilot certificate simply allows you as the pilot to be paid to fly. So you could consider a commercial pilot certificate to be a lower certificate than an ATP certificate.

Ready to start your training to become an Airline Pilot? Give us a call or fill out our contact form and we’ll help you decide which program is right for you.