Can a pilot with a private pilot license become a commercial pilot? And can i get one at the age of 17?

Anonymous

In the civilian world one always has to obtain the private pilots license first before it is possible to become a commercial pilot. And the answer is yes, you can get a private pilot certificate at age 17, but the commercial pilot certificate minimum age is 18, and the minimum age for an airline transport pilot certificate is 23, with some exceptions.

rob

A commercial license is not much good without an instrument rating

Anonymous

Yes. No. To be commercial airline pilot, 23, And much training. This is Legal requirements. Costs about $80 grand.Note, a commercial pilot can also be agricultural, airlift, bush league pilot. Not necessarily a major airline. To get Hired as CAP, usually a BS degree , 4 years experience.

Creation Detective

I think you would have to go back to flight school to get more flight time

Mike M

Yes, most defiantly you can!! As you know PP you need 40 hours, commercial you need 220 (might have changed since its been awhile for me)

JetDoc

FAA rules say you can get a PRIVATE pilot's license at 17. You must be at least 18 for a commercial pilot's license. And yes... You CAN upgrade from private to commercial, but you'll need several hundred hours more of VERY EXPENSIVE training.

Anonymous

Unless you can come up with about $200,000 it an't going to happen!

John R

Short answer is yes to both, but I suspect "commercial pilot" does not mean what you think it means, and we will get to that in a moment. Unless the military teaches you to fly, you have to be a private pilot first. A commercial pilot certificate is not that difficult to obtain, but it does have experience requirements that can only be met by someone licensed to fly as a private pilot. The commercial written and practical tests are not that different from the private pilot tests - but it does require at least some of the practical test occur in an "advanced" aircraft- one with retractable gear, flaps, and a controllable prop. But here's where I think your misunderstanding comes in. A "commercial pilot" is not an airline pilot, it's just someone that can be paid for flying a plane. If I want to charge you money for a sightseeing tour in a Cessna 172, I have to have a commercial license. And if you just have a commercial license, the type of operations you can charge for are extremely limited. To be employable, you need to have additional ratings on the license - an instrument rating at very least and preferably a multi engine rating, and perhaps a type rating. The ratings suck up more cash than the commercial license. Most people get these ratings before the commercial, since the time logged while earning them counts toward the total time you need to log for the commercial. To become an airline pilot you need an ATP certificate, which takes several years of flying as a commercial pilot in smaller aircraft to qualify for. In summary, you must be a private pilot before being a commercial pilot, and you need to be a commercial pilot with several additional ratings so someone will pay for your flying while you accumulate flight time if you want to become an airline pilot.

mokrie

No. It takes a great deal of specialized training to get a commercial pilots license.

scott b

Yes, but not without a commercial pilot's license. First you have to get a private pilot license. Then an Instrument rating, and then a commercial license. All require additional flight time and training. Just google websites for flight schools, and most will offer those individual licenses and what you have to do for them.

nt

I would wager $50,000 that you will never become a pilot let alone a commercial one.