PPL, instrument rating, commercial license?

Question

Okay so during your PPL you learn to fly a single engine prop airplane, but what do you learn to fly during your commercial pilot license? Do you start getting into jets? Multi engine planes?


What exactly are you learning during the commercial license?

Answer 1

You usually earn the instrument rating in the same, or a very similar aircraft to what you earn your PPL in. After PPL and IR training, you'll probably have logged about 100 hours.



After that, you'll spend about 100 hours building cross-country time in a similar aircraft. If you can afford it you might start flying more powerful and complex single engine planes with controllable propeller and retractable gear. You need a minimum of 10 hours in such aircraft, during which time you'll be practicing various commercial pilot flight maneuvers to pass the single-engine commercial pilot flight test. (see here, starting on p27: http://www.hsvwings.com/Pvt-Com%20Maneuvers.pdf)



After that, you'll transition to light multi-engine trainer but most people cannot afford more than 10-20 hours in them. You'll probably fly just enough in one to be competent to pass the multi-engine commercial and instrument flight tests.



By this time, you'll have logged somewhere between 200 to 250 flight hours and will have spent somewhere between $50,000 and $80,000 (USA prices), depending on where you train and what you fly. Only then, if you have the money, could you get an opportunity to do some training in a small jet or turbo-prop aircraft, probably for another $10,000 to $20,000. Most of it will be in a simulator and you might get 1 or 2 hours in an actual aircraft.



Finally, because you won't have enough flight time to be competitive for the vast majority of flying jobs, you'll realize that you need to spend another $10,000 or so to earn your single, multi-engine and instrument flight instructor certificates so you can get a job as an instructor at a flight school, teaching new students how to fly the same small, piston-powered airplanes you trained in yourself.



After a couple years of that you'll finally have enough flying experience to get a shot at flying something larger, perhaps at a regional airline or smaller cargo company, or charter company. This is where you'll most likely get your first opportunity to fly a medium-size multi-engine plane, a turboprop or smaller jet aircraft. The company that hires you will provide the training in the airplanes they fly. In return, you'll be paid ridiculously low wages.



From the beginning of flight training to this point, plan on it taking 5 years. Not what you expected? Get used to it, this is what most civilian-trained pilots face around the world.

Answer 2

It is determined by your best goal. That you may get a business license without an instrument score or an instrument ranking with out a business license. You do need a commercial license to get a flight instructors certificate which can also be with out an instrument ranking (CFI) or with an instrument score (CFII) if you are instrument rated. Which you could get a multi engine score any time although you simplest have a PPL. To reply your question i'd suggest getting your industrial subsequent so as to in all likelihood start getting paid to construct time while engaged on the rest of your scores.

Answer 3

You can fly pretty much anything you can afford to pay for, with just a private pilot's certificate. You don't NEED a commercial license to fly multi-engine, turbo prop or high performance aircraft. Movie actor John Travolta flies his own Boeing 707 (with a commercial co-pilot) with just a private license, and there are thousands of private pilots out there who fly "war birds" or high performance aircraft.



The MAIN reason why students going from private to commercial certificates use simulators and build time in single engine aircraft is to save money. If you rented a twin engine aircraft, or a high performance single for every hour required to meet the 250 hour minimum for a commercial pilot, it would cost a lot more money to reach your goal, and it's expensive enough already.

Answer 4

Ppl Commercial

Answer 5

you could learn your commercial license in a piper cub, or in a Cessna 310, if you so choose. it doesn't matter, as long as it's an airplane. You are learning maneuvers. to fly commercially, for money, the FAA wants to know you can handle the airplane correctly and thoroughly, and you need to be able to make the plane do what you want it to do. Hold your heading +- 5 degrees and your altitude +- 25 feet maintaining straight and level flight. it's flying the airplane precisely how you want it to fly.

Answer 6

You don't usually transition into multi-engine or jet aircraft until after you've gotten your commercial rating. You CAN fly multi-engine aircraft before getting commercial, but that is a separate endorsement and has no minimum time requirements. In fact, I believe you can get this endorsement while still working toward your private rating, provided, of course, you can find an instructor who will do this. Generally, it is not recommended you get into multi-engine aircraft until you at least have your private rating, as they are typically more complex and are more challenging to fly.



As for jets, these require several additional endorsements. You need a high-performance aircraft endorsement as well as a complex-aircraft endorsement. If I'm not mistaken, you can get these once you have your private. You do not need instrument or commercial ratings to fly jets, though they are highly recommended, and in fact I would say if you don't get these before transitioning into a more advanced plane it would be unwise, as pilots with only the bare minimum training are almost always too inexperienced to be safe in faster/more complex aircraft.



Unless you are getting a type rating (you will not train for one of these unless you are planning to fly professionally. In this case, the training for this endorsement is often paid for by the company you fly for), the type of training you receive does not necessarily correlate to any particular aircraft, except in the case of instrument training. In this case you will receive training in an aircraft that is equipped with the appropriate avionics for said training. Other than that, you can often choose what plane you fly, though if you are just starting out, I'd stick with a basic Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee or the equivalent. From there, move up to retractable gears, high-performance aircraft (greater than 200 horsepower), and maybe after starting training for commercial, then you can get in to multi-engine aircraft. You could, of course, start it sooner, but it's better when you have more hours under your belt, otherwise it could be a bit more...well, it's just not the greatest idea. Plus the only thing you're gonna get out of starting to fly multi-engines too soon is a bigger gas bill. And those things suck gas like none other! As for jets, I wouldn't even consider going to them unless you plan to fly professionally, as they are just so damn expensive it's basically pointless otherwise.

Answer 7

you learn a lot of the same stuff as your ppl, but at a much more detailed level. you learn aspects of commercial aviation. you learn to handle the airplane like a professional pilot.



multi and instrument ratings are separate (you do these yourself), as are type ratings for bigger planes (through your employers).



it's perfectly possible to do one's commercial training and flight test in a cessna 152...