Aircraft categories An
aircraft category is defined by the
International Civil Aviation Organization as a "classification of
aircraft according to specified basic characteristics". Examples of aircraft categories given by ICAO are aeroplanes, helicopters, gliders, or free balloons. A pilot licensed to fly aircraft in one category may not necessarily fly aircraft in another category, without an additional licence. Categories in the United States are:hours of flight time, including at least 20 hours (25 in UK) of dual instruction and 10 hours of solo flight. (Age requirements for gliders and balloons are slightly lower.) Pilots trained according to accelerated curricula outlined in Part 141 of the
Federal Aviation Regulations or at a UK ATO approved for an accelerated course may be certified with a minimum of 35 hours of flight time. In
EASA states, a private pilot licence requires at least 45 hours of flight instruction. This must include at least 25 hours of dual flight instruction, at least 10 hours of supervised solo flight time, and at least 5 hours of solo cross-country flight time. Up to 5 hours of instruction may be undertaken in a simulator. Pilots must also undergo a solo flight of at least 150 nautical miles, including full stop landings at two aerodromes different from the departure aerodrome. Most private pilot certificates are issued as "private pilot: airplane single-engine land," which means the pilot may fly any single-engine, land-based airplane they are qualified in. A pilot is only qualified in the category and class of aircraft in which they successfully complete their
checkride (for example, a pilot who takes a commercial pilot checkride in a multi-engine, land-based aircraft and passes, may only exercise the privileges of a commercial pilot in multi-engine, land-based aircraft; the pilot may not exercise the privileges of a commercial pilot in single-engine or sea-based aircraft without passing the appropriate parts of a checkride in those particular categories of aircraft).
Commercial pilot licence Commercial pilots can be paid to fly an aircraft. To obtain a
commercial pilot license in the United States, one must be at least 16 years old with parent permission or 18 years old without parent permission and have a minimum of 250 hours of total flight time (190 hours under the accelerated curriculum defined in Part 141 of the
Federal Aviation Regulations). (Age requirements for gliders and balloons are slightly lower.) This includes 100 hours in powered aircraft, 50 hours in airplanes, and 100 hours as
pilot in command (of which 50 hours must be cross-country flight time). In addition, commercial pilots must hold an instrument rating, or otherwise they would be restricted to flying for hire only in daylight, under visual flight rules (VFR), and within 50 miles of the originating airport. In India, CPL applicants are also required to pass written examinations in Air Regulations, Aviation Meteorology, Air Navigation, and Technical General as specified by the DGCA.
Airline transport pilot licence Airline transport pilots (ATP) must be at least 18 years old and have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time, including 500 hours of cross-country flight time, 100 hours of night flying, and 75 hours in actual or simulated instrument flight conditions. ATPs must also have a commercial certificate and an instrument rating. ATPs may instruct other pilots in air transportation service in aircraft in which they are rated. ATPs must have a current Class I medical exam (which is more stringent than Class II or Class III), which must be renewed every six months or one year (depending on age). Like all pilots, they must re-validate their certificates every 24 months with a flight review but U.S. airlines require training at least once every 12 months, at which time a test is conducted that satisfies this bi-annual flight review. After the 2009 crash of
Colgan Air Flight 3407, Congress passed legislation, subsequently signed into law, requiring any pilot flying for a
Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 121 airline (all United States major airlines and their regional affiliates), that requires three or more pilots to include new-hire first officers, must have had at least an "ATP certificate with restricted privileges" license except if you were licensed after July 31, 2013, then you must have an ATP certificate.
Multi-crew pilot licence The Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) is a licence which allows a person to act as co-pilot in a
Commercial Air Transport operation. It is available in the United Kingdom and
EASA states. It does not exist in the United States or Canada. MPL pilots must be at least 18 years old. They must have a minimum of 240 hours of flying training, the majority of which may be in a full-motion flight simulator with 40 hours and 12 takeoffs and landings total required in an actual airplane before flying passengers (per JAR-FCL 1.120 and 1.125(b)), and 750 hours of classroom theoretical knowledge instruction. The licence is typically achieved in approximately 16–18 months total time from no flight experience to flying for an airline. It was developed by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the requirements were included in the 10th edition of Annex 1 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Personnel Licensing), which superseded all previous editions of the Annex on 23 November 2006. The MPL is a significant development as it is based on competency-based approach to training professional pilots. It represents the first time in 30 years that ICAO had significantly reviewed the standards for the training of flight crew. The MPL licence is restricted to the specific airline that the training was completed with, until a conversion course is completed. The course is completed in one continuous course with an Approved Training Organisations (ATO) that has an agreement with the airline.
Country-specific licenses The following country-specific licences are issued in addition to the standard ICAO licences. They are rarely recognised outside the issuing country.
Australia In Australia, the
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) issues the recreational pilot licence (RPL) for flying
ultralights. The
Recreational Aviation Australia, the governing body for ultralights, issues the RA-Aus pilot certificate. The two licences are equivalent and the RA-Aus pilot certificate can be converted into an RPL. The RPL is not recognised in other countries.
Canada In addition to the standard ICAO licences, Canada issues the student pilot permit, gyroplane pilot permit, ultra-light pilot permit, and the recreational pilot permit.
EASA EASA states issue the
light aircraft pilot licence (LAPL), which permits holders to fly light aircraft, helicopters, sailplanes or small balloons.
United Kingdom The United Kingdom issues LAPLs, and the
National Private Pilot Licence, which permits holders to fly light aircraft within the United Kingdom.
United States In the United States,
ultralight aircraft,
powered parachute, and
weight-shift-control aircraft require no specific training and no certification. To operate small drones commercially, the United States issues the Remote Pilot Certificate.
India In India, the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is responsible for issuing pilot licences and overseeing standards of certification in line with
ICAO guidelines. The DGCA grants
Private Pilot Licence (PPL),
Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), and
Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). A
Student Pilot Licence (SPL) is issued when a student joins a flying school. To qualify for these licences, candidates must pass written examinations in core subjects including Air Regulations, Aviation Meteorology, Air Navigation, and Technical General.
Rating and certificates To fly a specific aircraft, a pilot must have the relevant
class rating or
type rating. A class rating is defined as "a classification of aircraft within a category having similar operating characteristics": • Single-engine • Multiengine • Land •
Water •
Gyroplane •
Helicopter •
Airship •
Free balloon A type rating rating is required for particular aircraft over 12,500 pounds, or aircraft that are
turbojet-powered. Further logbook endorsements are required for high-performance (more than 200 horsepower), complex (retractable
landing gear,
flaps, and a
controllable-pitch propeller), or
tailwheel-equipped aircraft, as well as for
high-altitude operations. A
night rating enables a private pilot to fly at night. It is a prerequisite for a Commercial Pilot Licence. In the United States, there is no night rating; it is a prerequisite for the Private Pilot Licence. An
instrument rating allows a pilot to fly in conditions of reduced visibility known as
instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). When flying in these conditions, pilots follow
instrument flight rules (IFR). The training provides the skills needed to complete flights with less than the VFR minimum requirements. In the US, all pilots who fly above 18,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL) (a lower limit of Class A airspace) must have an instrument rating, and must be on an IFR flight plan. This rating requires highly specialized training by a certificated flight instructor (CFI) with a special instrument instruction rating (CFII), and completion of an additional written exam, oral exam, and flight test. Pilots applying for an instrument rating must hold a current private pilot certificate and medical, have logged at least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as
pilot-in-command, and have at least 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time including at least 15 hours of instrument flight training and instrument training on cross-country flight procedures. A
flight instructor certificate permits a pilot to teach people to fly. ==Statistics==