A commercial pilot licence (CPL) is a type of

pilot licence Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits for operating aircraft. Flight crew licences are regulated by ICAO Annex 1 and issued by the civil aviation authority of each country. CAA’s have to establish that the holder has met a specifi ...

that permits the holder to act as a pilot of an aircraft and be paid for their work. Different licenses are issued for the major aircraft categories: airplanes,

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...

s, gliders,

gyroplane An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. Whi ...

s and

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

s. Depending on the jurisdiction these may all be on the same document. A CPL will typically have no expiry date. However, a valid medical certificate and valid rating will be required to use it. A pilot's ratings may be listed on the licence, including the types of aircraft that can be flown (single-engine or multiengine), whether flight under

instrument flight rules In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR). The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument Fly ...

is allowed (instrument rating), and whether instructing and examining of trainee pilots can be done (instructor or examiner rating).

Requirements

The basic requirements to obtain the license and the privileges it confers are agreed internationally by the

International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sc ...

(ICAO). However the actual implementation varies quite widely from country to country. According to ICAO, to be eligible for a commercial pilot license, the applicant must; * be able to read, speak, write, and understand

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

* already hold a

private pilot license A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately (not for remuneration). The licence requirements are dete ...

* have received training in the areas of a commercial pilot * successfully complete the relevant written exams. The JAA has several approved courses leading to the issue of a JAA commercial pilot's license with an instrument rating without first obtaining a private pilot's license. Upon completing those prerequisites the applicant will then receive an exam from the governing aviation body that consists of an oral and practical flight test from an examiner. Applicants for a CPL (aeroplanes) must also have completed a solo cross-country flight of at least 300 nm with full-stop landings at two airfields other than the pilot's airfield of origin. In the United Kingdom, a pilot must have flown 200 hours for the issue of a CPL, including 100 hours as

pilot in command The pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the captain in a typical two- or three-pilot aircrew, or "pilot" if there is only ...

. They must have completed a qualifying cross country flight of at least 300 nautical miles as

, including full stop landings at two aerodromes different from the departure aerodrome. In Canada, a pilot must be at least 18 years old, and must hold a Category 1 Medical Certificate. They must complete at least 80 hours of classroom instruction on a variety of topics, and pass a written exam with a score of at least 60%. They must also have logged at least 200 hours of flying experience. The experience must include 100 hours as the pilot in command, as well as specific experience at night, flying cross-country, and instrument time.

References

Aviation licenses and certifications Flight training {{Aviation-stub

Requirements

See also

References