| All prospective pilots must complete high school. A | | | | period of flying. Student pilots must fly with a flight |
| college-preparatory curriculum is recommended | | | | instructor and can only fly solo after receiving |
| because of the need for pilots to have at least some | | | | appropriate endorsements from their flight instructor. |
| college education. | | | | Recreation pilot certificate - Limits the pilot to specific |
| Most companies that employ pilots require at least two | | | | classes and categories of aircraft, a limited number of |
| years of college training. Courses in engineering, | | | | passengers, the distance that may be flown from the |
| meteorology, physics and mathematics are helpful in | | | | point of departure, and flight into controlled airports. |
| preparing for a pilot's career. Flying is taught in military | | | | Private pilot certificate - Allows a pilot to carry |
| and civilian flying schools. There are approximately 600 | | | | passengers and use his or her aircraft for limited |
| civilian flying schools certified by the FAA, including | | | | business purposes. |
| some universities that offer degree credit for pilot | | | | Commercial pilot certificate - Allows a pilot to fly for |
| training. Pilots leaving the military are in great demand. | | | | compensation and hire |
| Certification or Licensing | | | | Airline transport pilot certificate - Required to fly as |
| To become a pilot, certain rigid training requirements | | | | captain by some air transport operations. |
| must be met. Although obtaining a private pilot's license | | | | All pilots and co-pilots must be licensed by the FAA |
| is not difficult, it may be quite difficult to obtain a | | | | before they can do any type of commercial flying. An |
| commercial license. Before you make your first solo | | | | applicant who is 18 years old and has 250 hours of |
| flight, you must get a medical certificate and an | | | | flying time can apply for a commercial pilot license. You |
| instructor-endorsed student pilot certificate. In order to | | | | must pass a rigid physical exam and a written test. |
| get that, you must pass a test given by the flight | | | | Before you receive an FAA license, you must also |
| instructor. The test will have questions about FAA | | | | receive a rating for the kind of plane you can fly |
| rules as well as questions about the model and make | | | | (single-engine, multi-engine) and for the specific type of |
| of the aircraft you will fly. If you pass the test and the | | | | plane such as Boeing 747 or 707. |
| instructor feels you are prepared to make a solo flight, | | | | Sound physical and emotional health are essential |
| the instructor will sign and endorse your pilot certificate | | | | requirements for aspiring pilots. Emotional stability is |
| and logbook. | | | | necessary because the safety of other people |
| To apply for a PPL (private pilots license), you must | | | | depends upon a pulot remaining claim and levelheaded, |
| take a written examination. To qualify, you must be at | | | | no matter how trying the situation. Physical health is |
| least 17, successfully fulfill a solo flying requirement of | | | | equally important. You must have 20/20 vision with or |
| 20 hours or more and meet instrument flying and | | | | without glasses, good hearing; normal heart rate and |
| cross-country flying requirements. | | | | blood pressure, and no physical handicaps that could |
| Types of Pilot Licenses | | | | hinder performance. |
| Student pilot certificate - Used for the initial training | | | | |