How to Become a Pilot: FAA Requirements and Paths to Private, Commercial, and Airline Flying

By Chris Gaglardi
| Last Updated August 28, 2026

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Learning to fly is not one career path with one finish line. A person who wants to fly a small airplane for personal trips needs a very different level of certification and experience than someone who wants to get paid for aerial work or eventually sit in an airline cockpit.

The smartest first step is therefore not choosing a flight school. It is deciding what kind of pilot you want to become and understanding what that goal requires.

For most airplane pilots in the U.S., the progression looks something like this:

1. Start flight training and obtain a student pilot certificate before solo flight.
2. Earn a private pilot certificate.
3. Add an instrument rating if professional flying is the goal.
4. Earn a commercial pilot certificate.
5. Add the ratings and experience needed for the jobs you want, often including multi-engine training.
6. Build flight experience through instructing or another legal commercial-flying route.
7. Qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate or, when eligible, a Restricted ATP (R-ATP).
8. Meet an employer's hiring and training requirements.

That sequence is common, not universal. Military pilots, collegiate aviation students, career changers, and pilots pursuing non-airline commercial work may take different routes.

Private pilot, commercial pilot, and airline pilot are not the same thing

These terms describe different levels of certification or employment, and mixing them together causes a lot of confusion.

A commercial pilot certificate does not automatically make you an airline pilot. It is an important professional milestone, but airline flying generally requires much more experience and ATP-level qualification.

Likewise, a commercial certificate is not a blank check to perform any paid flight. FAA rules require both the pilot and the operation to meet the regulations that apply to the specific activity.

Step 1: Decide what kind of flying you actually want to do

Before comparing schools, answer a more basic question: Are you learning to fly for yourself, for paid professional work, or specifically for an airline career?

If you want to fly for personal reasons

Your main target may be a private pilot certificate. You can later add an instrument rating, additional aircraft ratings, or advanced certificates if your goals change.

If you want to fly professionally outside the airlines

You will generally need a commercial pilot certificate and the ratings appropriate to the work. Commercial-pilot jobs can include activities such as charter, instruction, aerial survey, agricultural aviation, corporate flying, or other specialized operations, but each job can carry additional regulatory and employer requirements.

If you want to become an airline pilot

Think of the commercial certificate as an intermediate step. A typical civilian route progresses through private, instrument, commercial, experience building, and then ATP or R-ATP qualification.

This distinction matters because the cheapest or most convenient way to earn a private certificate may not be the best route for someone whose real goal is a structured airline-career pathway.

Step 2: Check the basic FAA eligibility requirements

For airplane pilots, the minimum ages depend on the certificate.

The FAA allows younger minimum ages for glider and balloon certificates. That exception is why you may see age 14 quoted on pilot pages, but 14 is not the minimum age for an airplane student pilot certificate.

Applicants also need to meet applicable English-language requirements and the knowledge, training, experience, and testing standards for the certificate or rating they seek.

There is no general FAA maximum age for beginning private or commercial flight training. However, pilots in Part 121 airline operations cannot serve as pilots after reaching age 65. That airline rule should not be confused with a blanket age limit on learning to fly or working in every commercial-pilot job.

Step 3: Investigate FAA medical eligibility early

Medical qualification can affect whether a professional pilot path is realistic, so it is a bad issue to discover after spending a large amount on training.

The FAA says students who need a medical certificate must have it before solo flight and suggests obtaining it before beginning flight training so a potentially disqualifying issue can be identified before paying for lessons.

The three traditional FAA medical classes align broadly with different flying privileges:

• First-class medical: used when exercising ATP privileges, including airline flying.
• Second-class medical: generally required when exercising commercial-pilot privileges.
• Third-class medical: generally sufficient for student and private-pilot privileges when a medical certificate is required.

A pilot can apply for a higher class of medical certificate than currently needed. For someone considering an airline career, investigating first-class medical eligibility early can be sensible because the professional goal ultimately depends on meeting that standard.

Medical privileges and duration rules are more nuanced than saying a certificate simply "expires" after one fixed period. The privileges available from a medical certificate can change with the holder's age and the type of flying being performed.

The FAA also permits some private flying under BasicMed instead of a current FAA medical certificate when all BasicMed requirements and operating limitations are met. BasicMed is not a substitute for the medical qualification needed to exercise commercial or airline privileges.

If you have a medical history or medication question that could affect certification, use current FAA guidance and discuss your situation with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). A general career guide cannot determine individual medical eligibility.

Step 4: Choose between Part 61, Part 141, college, and other training routes

The biggest mistake here is treating Part 61 and Part 141 as "casual" versus "professional." Both can produce excellent pilots. The regulatory structure is different, and the better route depends on the student.

Part 61 training

Part 61 training is commonly offered through independent flight instructors and flight schools. It generally gives the instructor and student more flexibility in scheduling and training progression.

For an airplane single-engine private pilot certificate, the Part 61 minimum is 40 hours of flight time, including the required instructor and solo experience. The minimum is only a regulatory floor, not a promise that every student will be checkride-ready at 40 hours.

Part 61 can be a strong fit when you:

• need a flexible schedule;
• want to train around work or family obligations;
• have access to a good local instructor and aircraft;
• are paying as you go;
• or want the training pace to adapt closely to your progress.

Its flexibility can also be a weakness if long gaps between lessons cause you to spend extra time relearning skills.

Part 141 training

Part 141 pilot schools are FAA-certificated schools using an FAA-approved structured curriculum and syllabus. They must meet prescribed standards for areas such as facilities, equipment, personnel, and curricula.

Approved Part 141 courses can have lower regulatory flight-time minimums in some cases. For example, an approved airplane private-pilot course includes a minimum of 35 hours of flight training. An approved airplane commercial-pilot course under Appendix D includes at least 120 hours of training within that curriculum, compared with the 250-hour total-time requirement that applies to the standard Part 61 airplane commercial route.

Those lower minimums do not mean every Part 141 program will be cheaper or faster for every student.

Part 141 can be a strong fit when you:

• want a more structured progression;
• expect to train frequently;
• want a school with a formal syllabus and stage checks;
• are considering a college aviation program;
• or need a pathway tied to specific education, financing, veteran-benefit, or R-ATP considerations.

College aviation programs

A two-year or four-year aviation program can combine academic study with flight training. This route may make sense if you want a degree anyway or if you are evaluating a qualifying collegiate R-ATP pathway.

But an aviation degree does not automatically reduce the ATP flight-time requirement. Reduced-hour collegiate R-ATP eligibility requires a qualifying aviation major, an FAA-authorized institution, specified aviation coursework, and approved Part 141 ground and flight training that meets §61.160.

Airline cadet or partner programs

Cadet and airline-partner programs can provide a defined training ecosystem or recruiting relationship, but the details are employer-specific and change. Treat promises about interviews, employment pathways, financing, and flow agreements as current-program claims that need to be verified directly with the airline or provider before enrolling.

A cadet program should never be described as an FAA certificate category. It is an employer or training pathway layered on top of FAA requirements.

Military pathway

Military aviation can provide intensive training and a route to civilian airline qualifications, but it is not simply a cheaper version of civilian flight school. Military pilot selection, officer requirements, training obligations, service commitments, and career control are fundamentally different. It makes sense only for someone who genuinely wants the military commitment as well as the flying.

A practical training-path comparison

Step 5: Earn a private pilot certificate

For the common airplane single-engine Part 61 route, the FAA requires at least 40 hours of flight time, including at least 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo flight, plus specific cross-country, night, instrument-reference, and practical-test preparation experience.

To earn the certificate, you also need to complete the applicable aeronautical knowledge preparation, pass the FAA knowledge test, receive the required instructor endorsements, and pass the practical test.

A private pilot certificate allows substantial personal flying, but its compensation rules are deliberately limited. If your end goal is a paid flying career, the private certificate is the foundation rather than the finish line.

Step 6: Add an instrument rating for a professional path

An instrument rating teaches you to operate under instrument flight rules and rely on aircraft instruments, navigation systems, procedures, and air traffic control rather than outside visual references alone.

For most professional airplane-pilot paths, it is a critical qualification. It also matters legally for the privileges of an airplane commercial pilot: a commercial pilot without the appropriate instrument rating receives limitations on carrying passengers for hire on certain cross-country and night flights.

The exact aeronautical-experience requirements depend on the training route and rating sought, so prospective students should compare the current Part 61 requirements with the approved curriculum of any Part 141 program they are considering rather than assuming one universal hour total.

Step 7: Earn a commercial pilot certificate

For an airplane commercial pilot certificate, the applicant must be at least 18 and meet the applicable eligibility, training, knowledge, experience, and practical-test requirements.

Under the standard Part 61 airplane route, §61.129 requires 250 hours of flight time with specified experience inside that total. Approved Part 141 commercial courses can use a different structured curriculum with lower course minimums.

A commercial certificate allows compensated flying when the pilot and operation meet the applicable FAA rules. It does not by itself qualify someone for an airline cockpit, and it does not make every paid operation legal.

Your next requirements depend on the kind of work you want. A professional pilot may need an instrument rating, multi-engine rating, aircraft-specific training, additional experience, or employer/operator qualifications.

Step 8: Add multi-engine training when your goal requires it

Many airline and professional flying paths involve multi-engine airplanes, so pilots commonly add a multi-engine class rating during professional training.

There is not one universal number of multi-engine training hours required simply to add the rating to an existing pilot certificate. What matters is receiving the required training and endorsements and meeting the applicable practical-test standards.

The more important budgeting question is how much multi-engine experience a future employer or later certificate pathway expects, because multi-engine aircraft typically cost more to operate and train in than basic single-engine trainers.

Step 9: Build the flight experience your next job or certificate requires

This is where the professional path stops being a simple series of certificates.

Many pilots earn a flight instructor certificate and build experience by teaching. Others build time through legal commercial operations such as survey, charter, cargo, corporate, aerial application, or other specialized work when they meet the requirements for those jobs and operations.

Do not choose an hour-building plan based only on the fastest-sounding advertisement. Compare:

• how much flying you can realistically get;
• how much of that time counts toward your next FAA requirement;
• whether the work builds useful instrument or multi-engine experience;
• compensation and living costs;
• schedule and geographic requirements;
• and the actual hiring prerequisites for the job.

Step 10: Qualify for ATP or Restricted ATP privileges

The Airline Transport Pilot certificate is the highest pilot certificate level in the FAA system and is central to airline-career qualification.

Standard ATP

For an unrestricted airplane ATP under the standard aeronautical-experience rules, the applicant must generally be at least 23 and meet the applicable ATP experience requirements. The familiar 1,500-hour figure is important, but it is not the whole rule; §61.159 also contains required categories of experience within the total.

For an airplane multiengine ATP, applicants also have ATP Certification Training Program requirements before the applicable knowledge test.

Restricted ATP (R-ATP)

A qualifying pilot can obtain an ATP with restricted privileges at 21 under §61.160. The restriction affects the privileges that can be exercised until the pilot meets the unrestricted ATP age and experience requirements.

Reduced total-time pathways include:

• 750 hours: qualifying U.S. military pilots or former military pilots;
• 1,000 hours: qualifying graduates with a bachelor's degree in an aviation major, at least 60 recognized aviation-related semester credits, and the required FAA-authorized collegiate/Part 141 training;
• 1,250 hours: qualifying graduates with an associate degree in an aviation major and at least 30 recognized aviation-related semester credits;
• 1,250 hours: certain qualifying bachelor's graduates with at least 30 but fewer than 60 recognized aviation-related semester credits.

There is also a restricted-privileges route at 1,500 hours with reduced cross-country time under §61.160(f).

The big takeaway is simple: "I have an aviation degree" is not enough to claim a reduced-hour R-ATP path. Verify that the institution and coursework actually satisfy current FAA authorization requirements.

Do you need a college degree to become an airline pilot?

The FAA does not universally require a college degree for pilot certification.

That is different from saying a degree never matters.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, while commercial pilots typically need flight training rather than a bachelor's degree.

Individual airlines set their own hiring standards. A degree may be required, preferred, or simply considered alongside experience depending on the employer and hiring environment. Employer policies can change, so verify the current qualifications of the airlines you actually want to work for rather than relying on an old blanket statement that "major airlines require a four-year degree."

A degree can also matter through the R-ATP rules if it is part of a qualifying FAA-authorized collegiate aviation pathway.

If you are deciding whether to pay for an aviation degree, ask two separate questions:

1. Does this specific degree create an FAA-recognized R-ATP advantage?
2. Would I still value this degree if airline hiring conditions changed or I could no longer fly professionally?

That second question is easy to ignore when everything is going well. It matters if medical, economic, or personal circumstances change.

How much does it cost to become a pilot?

There is no responsible single national price for becoming a private, commercial, or airline pilot.

Flight-training cost depends on variables such as:

• aircraft rental rate and whether fuel is included;
• instructor and ground-instruction rates;
• how often you fly;
• how many hours you need beyond regulatory minimums;
• aircraft and instructor availability;
• weather delays;
• checkride and examiner costs;
• repeat training or retests;
• simulator use;
• multi-engine time;
• Part 61 versus Part 141 structure;
• college tuition and institutional fees;
• financing costs;
• and how you build flight experience after the commercial certificate.

That makes a simple package price a poor comparison tool.

Ask each school for an all-in training estimate

Before enrolling, ask for a written estimate showing:

• the flight hours assumed at each certificate/rating stage;
• aircraft hourly rates and whether they are wet or dry;
• instructor rates for flight and ground time;
• simulator rates;
• fuel or fuel-surcharge assumptions;
• books, supplies, headset, insurance, and membership fees;
• FAA knowledge-test and practical-test costs;
• likely examiner fees;
• multi-engine costs;
• retest/retraining policy;
• and what is not included in an advertised package.

Then ask what happens financially if you need 10, 20, or 30 percent more flight time than the package assumes.

That sensitivity test is more useful than pretending one nationwide average can predict your bill.

How long does it take to become a pilot?

There is no universal calendar timeline either.

FAA rules are mostly built around eligibility, training, testing, and aeronautical experience rather than promises like "airline pilot in three years."

A student flying several times per week with reliable access to aircraft, instructors, and suitable weather can usually progress more consistently than someone training sporadically. Career timelines then depend heavily on how quickly the pilot earns the commercial certificate, obtains additional ratings, and builds qualifying experience.

College programs add an academic timetable. Career academies may use intensive schedules. Part 61 students may spread training around full-time employment. Hour-building jobs can vary dramatically in how much flying they generate.

Treat any fast-track timeline as a scenario with assumptions, not a guaranteed outcome.

How to evaluate a flight school before spending serious money

Whether you choose Part 61 or Part 141, the school itself matters more than the label.

Ask about:

Aircraft availability

How many training airplanes are actually dispatchable for the number of active students? Ask how maintenance downtime is handled and what happens when the aircraft you normally fly is unavailable.

Instructor availability and turnover

How far ahead do students book lessons? Will you work primarily with one instructor? What happens when an instructor leaves for another flying job?

Training frequency

Can the school support the number of weekly flights you need? A low hourly price is not much of a bargain if you can only get an airplane every other Saturday.

Total expected cost

Compare realistic completion estimates, not just FAA minimum-hour packages.

Part 141 status

If the school claims Part 141 certification, verify it through FAA resources and ask which specific courses are approved. A school can offer different training under different regulatory structures.

Collegiate R-ATP claims

If reduced-hour ATP eligibility is part of the sales pitch, verify the institution's current FAA authorization and exactly which degree, coursework, and training sequence qualify.

Stage checks and progress tracking

Ask how progress is evaluated, how often stage checks occur, what happens when a student needs additional training, and how training records are provided if you transfer.

Financing

Look at the total financed cost, interest, origination fees, refund rules, and what happens if training is interrupted. Financing can make training possible, but it can also turn an expensive program into a much more expensive one.

Safety and maintenance culture

Ask how maintenance discrepancies are reported and resolved, how weather-related go/no-go decisions are handled, and how students are encouraged to raise safety concerns. Avoid trying to reduce safety to one marketing statistic.

Employment claims

If a school advertises placement rates, airline partnerships, guaranteed interviews, or preferred hiring, ask for the exact definitions, dates, eligibility conditions, and current written program terms.

You can explore current flight training schools and programs through Trade-Schools.net, but use the same verification process before making an enrollment decision.

Pilot pay and job outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics separates airline pilots from commercial pilots because they are different occupational groups with very different compensation patterns.

For May 2024, BLS reported median annual wages of:

• $226,600 for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers;
• $122,670 for commercial pilots.

Those are occupation-wide medians, not starting salaries and not guarantees for a newly certificated pilot.

BLS projects employment of airline and commercial pilots combined to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, with about 18,200 openings per year on average over the decade. Within that projection, airline pilots are projected to grow 4 percent and commercial pilots 5 percent.

Compensation varies with employer, aircraft, schedule, union agreement, seniority, type of operation, location, and experience. Airline pilots commonly progress through seniority systems, so an occupation-wide median should not be presented as what a new first officer will immediately earn.

Is becoming a professional pilot worth it?

It can be an excellent career for someone who genuinely likes flying, can meet the medical and certification requirements, is comfortable with recurrent training and evaluation, and understands the financial risk of building a professional qualification.

But the path deserves more due diligence than "pilots make good money."

Before committing, make sure you understand:

• your likely medical-certification path;
• the actual cost under realistic flight-hour assumptions;
• whether you want an airline career or another type of professional flying;
• whether a degree adds value for your specific route;
• how you plan to build experience after the commercial certificate;
• and what happens financially if training takes longer than expected.

A discovery flight is useful because it tells you whether you enjoy the physical reality of being in a small training airplane. The research above matters because enjoying that first hour and financing an entire professional path are two very different decisions.

Frequently asked questions

Can I become an airline pilot without a bachelor's degree?

Yes, FAA pilot certification does not impose a universal bachelor's-degree requirement. BLS describes a bachelor's as typical for airline pilots, and individual airlines may require or prefer one. Check the current hiring requirements of the employers you are targeting.

What is the difference between a commercial pilot and an airline pilot?

A commercial pilot certificate can permit compensated flying under applicable FAA rules. Airline pilot is an employment context that generally requires ATP- or R-ATP-level qualification and additional carrier/employer requirements. A commercial certificate alone does not qualify someone for an airline job.

Is Part 141 better than Part 61?

Not universally. Part 141 uses an FAA-approved structured curriculum and can have lower minimums in approved courses. Part 61 usually offers more training flexibility. The better choice depends on schedule, learning style, career goal, school quality, cost, college/R-ATP plans, and how frequently you can train.

Can I become a commercial pilot at 40 or 50?

FAA rules do not create a general maximum age for starting commercial pilot training. Age 65 applies to serving as a pilot in Part 121 airline operations, not to every commercial-pilot job. Whether a late-career transition makes financial sense depends on training cost, medical eligibility, time available to build experience, and the type of flying you want to do.

Do I need a first-class medical certificate before starting flight school?

Not simply to begin ordinary airplane flight training. A student who needs a medical must have the appropriate certificate before solo flight, and a third-class medical can satisfy student/private requirements. However, someone planning an airline career may choose to investigate first-class eligibility early so a career-limiting medical issue is discovered before a large training investment.

Is 1,500 hours always required before I can get an ATP?

No. The standard unrestricted airplane ATP path is associated with the §61.159 experience requirements, including 1,500 total hours. §61.160 provides restricted-privileges pathways with different total-time thresholds for qualifying military and collegiate applicants, and a restricted pathway at 1,500 total hours with reduced cross-country time. Each route has additional conditions beyond the headline total-hour number.

Sources

Regulatory and factual claims were checked against current authoritative material on August 28, 2026.

• Federal Aviation Administration, Pilot Schools Information
• Federal Aviation Administration, Part 141 Pilot Schools
• Federal Aviation Administration, Pilot Training / ATP and R-ATP
• Federal Aviation Administration, Medical Certification
• Federal Aviation Administration, BasicMed
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.23, Medical certificates: requirement and duration
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.83, Student pilot eligibility
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.103, Private pilot eligibility
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.109, Private pilot aeronautical experience
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.113, Private pilot privileges and limitations
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.123, Commercial pilot eligibility
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.129, Commercial pilot aeronautical experience
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.133, Commercial pilot privileges and limitations
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.153, ATP eligibility
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.159, ATP aeronautical experience
• eCFR, 14 CFR §61.160, Restricted ATP aeronautical experience
• eCFR, Part 141 Appendix B, Private Pilot Certification Course
• eCFR, Part 141 Appendix D, Commercial Pilot Certification Course
• eCFR, 14 CFR §121.383, Part 121 pilot age limitation
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Airline and Commercial Pilots