Ratings Offered
Private Pilot Certificate
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Must be at least 17 years old, read/speak/understand English, and hold a valid FAA medical certificate
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Minimum 40 flight hours (average: 50–60), including 20 hours of flight training and 10 hours of solo flight.
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Fly single-engine aircraft for personal or recreational use and carry passengers (not for compensation or hire).
Instrument Rating
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Must hold a Private Pilot Certificate and a current FAA medical certificate.
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At least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command. At least 10 of these hours must be in airplanes for an instrument-airplane rating.
A total of 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time on the areas of operation listed in 61.65(c).
At least 15 hours of instrument flight training from an authorized instructor in the aircraft category for the instrument rating sought.
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Fly in low-visibility conditions under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), improving safety and utility.
Commercial Pilot Certificate
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Must be at least 18, hold a Private Pilot Certificate, and pass FAA written and practical exams.
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250 hours of flight time, 100 hours of which must be in powered aircraft, and 50 must be in airplanes.
100 hours of pilot-in-command time, 50 of which must be in airplanes.
50 hours of cross-country time, 10 of which must be in an airplane.
20 hours of training, including 10 of instrument, 10 of complex or TAA, and a smattering of cross-country and practical test preparation.
10 hours of solo training, including a smattering of cross-country and night.
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Fly in low-visibility conditions under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), improving safety and utility.
Certificated Flight Instructor
Instrument Instructor
Multi-Engine Instructor
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You must:
Be at least 18 years old
Read, speak, write, and understand English
Hold either:
a Commercial Pilot Certificate, or
an ATP Certificate
Hold the appropriate category/class and instrument privileges for the instructor rating sought (e.g., Airplane Single-Engine Land CFI).
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There is no FAA total time requirement to become a CFI.
The FAA only requires that you have:
15 hours PIC in the aircraft category and class for the instructor rating sought.
For example:
CFI-Airplane Single Engine
15 PIC hours in ASEL
MEI
15 PIC hours in AMEL
Most pilots already exceed this by a wide margin.
**The FAA specifies no minimum hours of dual instruction for the CFI certificate.
You simply train until your instructor determines you're proficient and endorses you for the checkride.
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Once certificated, you may:
Train student pilots
Endorse students for solo flight
Endorse knowledge tests
Endorse practical tests
Give flight reviews
Conduct instrument proficiency checks (if you also hold a CFII)
Provide commercial training
Build instructional flight time
Many airlines also value CFI experience because it demonstrates teaching ability, leadership, and deep systems knowledge.
Multi-Engine Rating
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Hold at least a Private Pilot certificate (ASEL or another airplane class)
Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English
Receive and log training from an authorized flight instructor
Receive the required instructor endorsements
Pass the FAA practical test (checkride)
No FAA written knowledge test is required.
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Most pilots finish in approximately:
6–10 hours if already instrument proficient and current
8–15 hours is common for most private pilots
Occasionally 15–20+ hours if more time is needed
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Once you earn the AMEL rating, you may act as PIC of:
Twin-engine piston airplanes
Multi-engine airplanes within the limitations of your certificate
Examples include:
Piper Seminole
Beech Duchess
Piper Seneca
*Flying additional Multi-Engine airplanes will most likely require additional training in each type of plane one seeks to fly and operate as PIC.
*An AMEL rating does not constitute the ability to fly for hire.