The aircraft categories described by ICAO for the purposes of the PPL are
aeroplane,
airship,
helicopter and
powered lift.
Aeroplanes is an example of an aircraft that would require the
pilot-in-command to have private pilot licence or greater, with an
airplane single-engine land (ASEL) class rating and a
complex endorsement in the United States is an example of an aircraft that would require a
pilot-in-command to have private pilot licence or greater, with an
airplane multi-engine land (AMEL) class rating, a
complex endorsement and a
high-performance endorsement in the United States The aeroplane PPL is the most popular category of PPL. In the United States in 2022, of 164,000 people with PPLs, 158,000 were for aeroplanes only. In the United Kingdom in 2021, there were 22,500 holders of the PPL(A), and 2,200 holders of the PPL(H). According to ICAO, the applicant for a PPL(A) must have at least 40 hours experience as a pilot of aeroplanes (35 hours on an integrated course), of that no more than 5 hours in a
flight simulator. Credit may be given for
flight time in other aircraft categories. The applicant must have at least 10 hours of solo flight time, including at least 5 hours of solo
cross-country flight time with at least one cross-country flight of at least 270 km (150 NM) including two full-stop landings at different aerodromes. Applicants for the PPL(A) must be at least 17 years old. There is no minimum age to begin flight lessons, however, students must be 16 to
fly solo. In the United States, a
student pilot certificate is required to fly solo. In addition to the licence, PPL(A) holders must gain
class ratings or
type ratings appropriate to the aircraft they wish to fly. Typically a PPL(A) holder would first be issued a "single-engine piston land" class rating, which permits them to fly aircraft with a single piston engine. To fly seaplanes or multi-engine aircraft requires further training, and more complex aircraft require a type-specific rating. Other ratings include the
instrument rating to fly in
Instrument Meteorological Conditions, the
night rating to fly at night, and various levels of
instructor rating.
Additional endorsements A number of endorsements are available for specific skills. Endorsements only require instruction and a flight instructor's signature in the pilot's logbook; they do not require any
flight test or submission of documents to the national civil aviation authority. Endorsements available in the United States include: •
Tailwheel (pilots who have logged pilot-in-command time on tailwheel aircraft prior to 15 April 1991 are exempt from this requirement) – Tailwheel endorsement not applicable in Canada •
Complex airplane (aircraft with a
variable-pitch propeller, flaps, and retractable landing gear) • High-performance (more than 200 horsepower per engine) •
Pressurized aircraft endorsement for aircraft that have a service ceiling or maximum operating altitude, whichever is lower, above 25,000 feet MSL (mean sea level). •
Night vision goggle operations Other aircraft operations for which the FAA does not require an endorsement that typically require additional training are glider towing and aerobatics. The FAA also does not require an endorsement for some commercial activities like banner towing.
Aerial application (crop seeding, spraying and dusting), whether conducted by a commercial certificate holder operating for hire or by a private pilot treating a crop in which he is the owner of a substantial share, requires an Authorization under Part 137 of the
Federal Aviation Regulations.
Helicopters According to ICAO, the requirements for a PPL(H) are similar to the PPL(A). The qualifying cross-country flight must be at least 180 km (100 NM), and the applicant must have received at least 20 hours instruction in helicopters. Classes are: •
Hot-air balloon class (divided into four groups) •
Gas balloon class • Mixed balloon class • Hot-air airship class In the United States, the minimum age for a balloon private pilot certificate is 16.
Sailplanes For gliders (
sailplanes), the licence is known as a Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL), and has lower requirements than an aeroplane PPL. In the United States and Europe, the minimum age for a sailplane private pilot certificate is 16. ==See also==