Private pilot

The private pilot certificate is the certificate held by the majority of active pilots. It allows command of any aircraft (subject to appropriate ratings) for any non-commercial purpose, and gives almost unlimited authority to fly under visual flight rules (VFR). Passengers may be carried and flight in furtherance of a business is permitted; however, a private pilot may not be compensated in any way for services as a pilot, although passengers can pay a pro rata share of flight expenses, such as fuel or rental costs.

The requirements to obtain a private pilot certificate are:

• Be at least 17 years old
• Be able to read, speak, and write the English language
• Obtain at least a third class medical certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner
• Pass a computerized aeronautical knowledge test
• Accumulate and log a specified amount of training and experience, including the following:
  •  40 hours of piloting time including 20 hours of flight with an instructor and 10 hours of solo flight, and other requirements including "cross-country", 10 hours of solo (i.e., by yourself) flight time in an airplane, including at least
    • Solo requirements:
      1. 5 hours of solo cross-country time
      2. One solo cross-country flight of at least 150 NM total distance, with full-stop landings at a minimum of three points and with one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 NM between the takeoff and landing locations
      3. Three solo takeoffs and landings to a full stop at an airport with an operating control tower.
    • Night requirements:
      1. 3 hours of night flight training
      2. One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance
      3. 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport
    • 3 hours of flight training on the control and maneuvering solely by reference to instruments
• Pass an oral test and flight test administered by an FAA-designated pilot examiner.

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