What are the requirements for obtaining a commercial pilot certificate?
- 18 yrs
- Read/write/speak English
- 2nd class medical
- Pass FAA written. and have required endorsements
- Under Part 141, the required flight time is 190 hours, as the training curriculum is more structured and FAA-approved.
How do you maintain your currency?
Preceding 90 days:
3 Takeoffs/landings as the sole manipulator of controls in an aircraft of the
same category of class
Every 24 calendar months you need a flight review acting as PIC
1 flight review every 24 calendar months
What happens if you go past 90 days?
You can’t carry passengers
What do you need to do if you lose currency?
3 Takeoffs/Landings
Explain the difference between day and night currency.
The same, except at night landings must be to a full stop
What are the different kinds of nights?
Sunset to Sunrise: Aircraft are required to display position (navigation) lights
End of Evening Civil Twilight to Beginning of Morning Civil Twilight : Pilots may log flight time during this period as “night” flight time.
One Hour After Sunset to One Hour Before Sunrise: Night Landings for Currency
What are the privileges & Limitations of a commercial pilot? What are some limitations as a CPL without an instrument rating?
Privileges:
- Operate for hire
- Specific commercial operations: Banner towing, crop dusting, aerial photos, pipeline, corporate
- Ferry/test flights
Limits:
- NO IR: VFR only, XC limits of 50NM from point of departure, no night operations
- Common carriage
Can you operate for hire? Give me some examples:
- CFI if you have the rating
- Banner towing, crop dusting, aerial photos, pipelines, corporate
- Demonstration flights
What is common carriage?
- Can’t do it with CPL. Key word is “Holding out” aspect
- Operator holds themselves out to the public as willing to transport passengers or cargo for compensation. Offers to general public and advertises example: P121 or P135
What is Private Carriage?
Private: limited number of clients under contractual, doesn’t offer to general public. Still requires compliance from FAA
What is holding out mean?
- The act of advertising or presenting yourself or your company as willing to provide air transportation services to the public for hire
- This is what qualifies you as common carriage
EX: advertising, word of mouth, accepting compensation from the general
public for transport
What are some endorsements that affect a commercial pilot?
- Complex: retractable landing gear, flaps, controllable-pitch prop
- High-performance: Engine 200HP+
- High-Altitude: Required for pressurized plane with service ceiling 25k+
What is a wet lease vs dry lease? How does it affect you getting hired?
DRY:
- As long as you’re careful with the stipulations, you can be hired under p91 if you have a dry lease the individual leases the aircraft and separately hires you as the pilot.
- The aircraft operator (lessee) is responsible for the operation, and you are
simply providing piloting services.
Wet:
- Provides plane and the pilot
