That slight difference is negligible, though, since most pilots need 60 to 75 hours to become qualified for a PPL. You need to build your flight experience to land an airline job. Part-time students can expect to accomplish the PPL within 4-6 months. Overall, expect four weeks to 12 weeks to become a sport pilot and longer if you want to fly at your own pace. Most of the time when someone is asking “how long does it take to become a pilot”, they really mean an airline transport pilot working for the airlines flying passengers around the country. That comes in handy as the majority of commercial flight takes place on multi-engine airplanes. How To Become a CFI – Training, Certificates, and More. Especially when the regular private pilot program offered by most schools lasts around three months. Even though a student may not have their certificate for 6 months, they’ll feel like a pilot right away as they take the controls with their instructor within the first week of training, especially when they take that first solo flight around month 2. (By contrast, a recreational pilot certificate requires fewer hours of training, but it has more restrictions. In this case, you can basically expect it to take you the full four years to get your pilot ratings in addition to your degree. For a fraction of the cost, Pilotinstitute.com offers lifetime access to virtual lessons, instructional videos, and practice questions. How long does it take to become a pilot? Most pilot schools offer 12-week standard courses and 4-week fast-track programs. While individuals who opt for this path enjoy the benefit of free training, they do have to serve their country for around 10 years. As previously discussed, getting your CPL takes between 190 to 250 hours, at a minimum. The time to start is now. Many people look at experience required to become a pilot for an airline and get discouraged. But you only have a couple of hundred hours or so once you get your commercial license. On average, this step takes around 60 hours total for people to complete. So, how long does it take to get a pilot's license at this level? You may choose between an instructor and a home-study course to acquire the required aeronautical knowledge. We are a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program. On average, a flight lesson lasts one and a half hours. The course, on its own, lasts a few weeks up to 3 months. You don’t have to invest much time or money into it either. However, it takes many years and a lot of dedication to land a job at a major airline. All you need is to pass an FAA Medical exam and have a desire to fly for a living and a way to get the training. Luckily, you only need 25 hours of training time (at a minimum) to become a certified flight instructor, or CFI, on airplanes. The first 10-12 months is all about the training and getting the needed FAA certifications and ratings, including what’s needed to become a CFI at AeroGuard. When you graduate, you will have earned your private and commercial pilots licenses along with your certified flight instructor (CFI) and multi-engine ratings. and the Airline Career Pilot Program training timeline. The FAA came up with the sport pilot certificate, Checklist to Ace Your FAA Private Pilot Written Test, How to Become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), 3 weeks for certificate (1 to 7 weeks to solo). As with any pilot license, you have to submit an application either online or by mail to get a sport pilot license. With just a little extra investment of time and money, a private license grants you far more privileges than a recreational one. Most pilots need a few more hours to achieve the necessary flight proficiency, which often adds one or two weeks to the duration. Getting the license, though, is a bit more complex than that for a sport or recreational pilot license. Every time you start an airline, you’ll start as a First Officer and have to work your way up, and how fast you do that will depend on pilot seniority. The 40 hours are a mere minimum requirement (35 for Part 141) but the average amount of time that student take to get their PPL is about 50-70 hours according to AOPA. How long does it take to become a pilot? Regarding minimum flight hours, Part 61 requires at least 40, while Part 141’s minimum is 35 hours. Posted: March 02, 2020 ... You don't need any prerequisites or previous experience in order to become a pilot. Some first officers have upgraded to captain in around 2-3 years with their regional airline. Assuming a student has no previous experience, a student can become a private pilot in as little as 4-6 months. But it may take significantly longer if you can only fly on weekends, for example. It depends on your goal, aptitude, and availability among other variables. Becoming a private pilot is the first step in a student’s pilot journey. That’s a lot of hours, and that’s just the minimum number required! how long does it take to become a fighter pilot? How Long Does It Take to Get A Helicopter Pilot’s License? Time to learn to fly, from zero to CPL/IR + ATPL theory passes: typically 18 months, plus or minus a few. For those interested in pursuing flying as a career, after obtaining their Private Pilot License they will move onto the next steps of obtaining their instrument rating and then their Commercial Pilot License. Fewer than 200 pilots hold a recreational license in the US according to the latest civil airmen statistics. The order in which someone receives these certificates and ratings are usually private pilot, instrument, commercial pilot single engine, commercial pilot multi-engine, certified flight instructor, certified flight instructor instrument, and then multi engine instructor. Starting from 0 experience and moving through PPL, IR, and ultimately that Commercial License can take 7-10 months, and gaining the 1500 hours needed after that can take anywhere from 1 – 3 years depending on the job chosen for building flight experience. The multi-engine rating makes it possible for you to fly aircraft with more than one engine. Pilots have challenging roles that require a lot of training. It takes ground and flight training to know how to operate an aircraft safely, though, and that takes time. The requirement for a pilot to obtain an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate is 1500 hours. Exclusive articles on drones and airplanes. The short answer? Most schools offer a standard, sometimes called integrated, training packages that consist of CPL, instrument rating, and multi-engine rating courses. Moreover, other factors come into play such as your availability, aptitude, and choice of pilot school. Copyright © 2020 AeroGuard Flight Training Center. You may receive ground training from an authorized instructor or through a home-study course. For that reason, many pilot schools allow you to “pay as you fly” without committing to a formal course. Commercial operations often require using cockpit instruments for navigation. So, how long does it take become a pilot captain at a major airline? All Rights Reserved. You often receive both simultaneously, therefore, time to solo is mostly about how long it takes to complete your flight instruction. How long does it take to become a pilot, though? For additional information, view How long does it take to become a pilot? This is when you’ll look at beginning your career at a regional airline like SkyWest. Being an airline pilot can be a glamorous, exciting, and highly rewarding job. The structure of the flight school at which a prospective pilot trains is a major factor in how long it takes her to complete professional pilot training. Your flight training must at least include 20 flight hours, and depending on how often you fly, this takes anything between two weeks to two months. Most pilots need a few more hours to achieve the necessary flight proficiency, which often adds one or two weeks to the duration. Whichever option you choose, you can always benefit from an online ground school. The ground school, flight training, and exams to obtain the license don’t take much time. Additionally, you must undergo ground and flight training to prepare you to safely fly aircraft without an instructor. Depending on your availability and study choice, the duration of ground school could range from two to several weeks until completion. Your email address will not be published. If you’re looking for an alternative, you could opt for a recreational pilot certificate, which offers access to bigger aircraft and more privileges. November 23, 2020. Although no published minimum hours exist, both options usually provide 40 hours of ground schooling. At AeroGuard, our Pilot Pathway Program is designed to navigate students through this path in 2 years from beginning to ATP eligibility. The shortest possible time it takes to train as an airline pilot is around 18 months, assuming the trainee has no previous flying experience and performs to a high standard throughout their training. From zero to fully trained commercial pilot with ratings such as instructor, multi-engine, etc. The whole process can take anywhere from four to 18 months, depending on things like weather conditions and aircraft availability. You must complete 40 hours in the air to receive a private pilot license. Pilot Institute may earn commission from sales that happen when you click on links. Moreover, a private pilot license is a prerequisite for a CPL, which adds up to the total time to become a commercial pilot. By submitting this form, I agree that AeroGuard Flight Training Center, and their representatives may email, call, and/or text me with marketing messages about education programs and services, as well as for school-related communications, at any phone number I provide, including a wireless number, using prerecorded calls or automated technology. It could be anywhere between a few hours to 40 hours. We’ll cover the positions most commonly asked about. Taking shortcuts or attending subpar flight schools can lead to bad habits and delay the process. Finally, some pilots receive their education courtesy of the military. Welcome to our newest Sandboxx series: Air Force Fighter Pilots with U.S. Air Force F-35 pilot instructor and Sandboxx News contributor, Major Justin “Hasard” Lee. Overall, expect four weeks to 12 weeks to become a sport pilot and longer if you want to fly at your own pace. Your email address will not be published. Why? You see, the FAA allows pilot schools to operate under either Part 61 or Part 141, which are sections of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). Once it passes the review, you receive the student pilot certificate within 3 weeks. Another factor to consider is that airline jobs are highly competitive, which means your job search may linger a bit. You need a license to become a pilot, and most aviators start as students. But how long does it take to become a pilot? Commercial Pilot; Airline Transport Pilot; How Long Does it Take to Get Your Pilot License? That means you’ll have to complete a four-year degree before attending officer training of some sort (there are multiple routes, ranging from ROTC to Officer Training School). Assuming you’re taking four lessons per week, you’re looking at one to nearly seven weeks until your first solo. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Some people take even longer; I used to work at a flight school and there was at least one student who literally took years, but in his case he was a total dumbass. It takes 3 months to become a pilot and earn your private pilot license. What’s interesting is that you can get your private pilot license in 14 days through an accelerated training course. How Long Does It Take to Become a Pilot? To become  an airline transport pilot, pilots will need their commercial pilot license and instrument rating, along with 1500 hours of flight time experience before they are eligible to gain their ATP certificate. Most airline jobs require several hundred, and sometimes over a thousand, flight hours. Subscribe now and get a weekly video sent to your inbox on various drone topics hosted by Greg. The FAA allows a person to train at either a Part 61 flight school or a Part 141 flight school. Well, the extremely lucrative pilot salary and outstanding benefits don’t hurt! The ground school is quite similar to sport’s, though. While not required to take flight lessons, the student pilot license is a prerequisite for flying solo. We mentioned it’ll take 2-3 years from 0 experience to become an airline transport pilot. Required fields are marked *. takes just over 13 months. In the Air Force, after you are commissioned it takes approximately one year to accomplish undergraduate pilot training (UPT) , three months for IFF , a few weeks for SERE and water survival , and approximately six months for your fighter’s basic course . © Copyright 2020 Pilot Institute. Some first officers have waited decades to become a captain while others can upgrade in just a few years, but we’ll set an average range of 5-12 years from first officer to captain at a major airline. It may be weeks for a few, months for others, and even years for some. That’s right, working as a flight instructor makes for a great way to accrue hours while constantly honing your aeronautical knowledge and pilot skills. While airline pilots are a type of commercial pilot, being a commercial pilot means you now have a CPL certificate from the FAA and can be hired and paid to fly. You can complete a private pilot certification course in about a month. Let’s focus on the question at hand, though. But you must pay your dues before you become an airline pilot. Becoming a pilot can be a really exciting new adventure, and one of the more common questions that comes up during someone’s research is understanding how long does it take to become a pilot and what does that process look like? Why? While not fit for an airline job, a commercial pilot can make money from several aviation activities like banner towing and aerial photography. A popular option is to teach others how to fly. Before you do that, though, you must meet certain aeronautical knowledge and flight time requirements. To become a Sport Pilot it takes just 20 hours of total flight time. Starting off right is critical to speeding up the process of getting a pilot license. Back in 2004, The FAA came up with the sport pilot certificate to make flying more accessible to aviation enthusiasts. Most notably, a recreational license allows you to lift many restrictions through instructor endorsement. For some positions, it can take up to 10 years of flying experience to even qualify. To become a flight instructor, you need to have a commercial pilot license. The time it takes for each of those is different depending on the pilot career path they choose to take or even the type of flight school. As learning ability varies, the number of flight hours ranges greatly between individuals. If you enrol on an integrated flight training course, you can start the course with no previous flying experience and reach the point of operating a commercial passenger aircraft in about 18 to 24 months. With dedication and practice, though, … This is one of our most frequently asked questions: How long does it take to become a pilot? Well, nothing in life is ever guaranteed, but we’ll take a look at what’s possible. You got to log 1,500 hours to meet the minimum flight time requirement for an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). To simplify matters, expect to spend three to five years until you become an airline pilot. That means from 0 experience all the way to major airline captain, one can expect a timeline of 15+ years, so what are you waiting for? Outlined here is how long it will take you to become a pilot in the fast track, accelerated Airline Career Pilot Program &emdash; ATP's complete pilot training solution. It’s because of the pilot license we talk about next. Alternatively, standard (zero to CPL) courses usually last between 6 and 9 months. Some pilots do it faster, some pilots take longer to complete their training. The answer to this question, we must consider a number of factors such as the type of license to earn, type of flight school, experience required and the time taken to clear the exams. This is a process that may take approximately 3 – 4 months after their PPL is completed, bringing the total time to 7-10 months, depending on the path that they take. Its highly likely that you won’t be at the required 1500 hours once out of college but this highly depends on the program and how it is structured. Add about a year for getting your CPL, potential CFI, and time spent looking for a job, and the total becomes three years at a minimum. Obtaining a student pilot license involves filling out a paper or an online application form. Enjoy the journey knowing you’re one of the few who get to experience the pleasure of flying aircraft. But some pilots may take a year or longer to get their PPL, which is perfectly okay as many pilot schools allow you to fly at your convenience. Consequently, it takes one to three months on average to complete your CFI training. Other ways of building flight experience to 1500 hours are also available to Commercial Pilots looking to work for the airlines, which may vary in the amount of jobs, flight time, as well as pay available to them to meet their career goals. Within the AeroGuard Pathway Program, students then have the opportunity to work at AeroGuard as a CFI, or Certificated Flight Instructor, training the next generation of students and gaining their 1500 hours of flight time necessary. Furthermore, you may also get additional training to become a CFII, which enables you to train your students for their instrument rating. The private pilot license (PPL) makes you wonder why anyone would go for a recreational. This typically includes at least 20 hours with a teacher and 10 hours on your own. To become an airline pilot, it takes just over two years to gain the required 1,500 hours flight time. The ultimate end goal for almost every student pilot out there is becoming a captain at a major airline like United, Delta, American or Southwest. How Long Does it Take to Become a Pilot? Training can be … In private pilot training, flight schools usually instruct students using single-engine airplanes such as a Cessna 150. All in all, the duration of a recreational pilot course varies from 4 weeks to around 3 months depending on whether you choose a fast-track or a standard course. CFI ratings themselves are not required to become an airline transport pilot, however for many this is a manageable path to gaining 1500 hours by instructing others. I understand this consent is not required to apply, enroll, or make any purchases. Typically the time consumed to become a pilot is not more than 5 years. Thereafter, the appropriate airman certificate branch processes the application. So, how do you go about building your flight time? You must also meet the age requirement for ATPL issuance, which is 23 years. An Airline Pilot will not only need this Commercial Pilot License, they’ll also need an instrument rating and between 1000-1500 hours of flight experience. A student’s private pilot license curriculum will vary depending on their flight school and whether or not they do part 61 or part 141 private pilot license requirements, but all in all they should expect to have the PPL done in about 6 months. Well, “Pilot” is a general term that encompasses all kinds of aviators. There are many types of pilots and stages of a career that a pilot goes through. Before you can even begin your journey to becoming a fighter pilot, you must first become an officer in the U.S. Air Force. That changes when you get a commercial pilot license (CPL). Ideally, becoming a pilot should only take 3 to 4 years, the time it takes to get your Bachelor of Science in Professional Flight. Again, once you move over to a major airline, you’re starting again as a First Officer and again, pilot seniority plays a huge role. Along with these hours you will also be studying and practicing on the ground to prepare for your PPL test. However, be warned of the differences between a Commercial Pilot vs an Airline Pilot– they do not mean the same thing. This alone might stall your airline career for a couple of years. The first step in starting a career, or even switching careers for some, is research and taking the time to thoroughly understand the career that you’re looking at getting into. Getting an education is also good for a consistency of training, so it's preferred to wait to start your journey until you are in a certified school, like LETU. But the license constitutes only one requirement for solo flight, though. Changing Careers to Become a Pilot: Things to Consider, Top 10 Benefits of Becoming a Flight Instructor, AeroGuard Flight Training Center Joins the Spirit of Liberty Foundation’s ‘Operation Thank You’ to Honor Healthcare Workers and Veterans. Fun as it may be, a sport pilot license has quite a few limitations. You’ll also have to pass both knowledge and practical tests. 5 of those hours have to be solo and the rest can be with an instructor. It depends on the type of pilot you want to become and what sort of aircraft you want to fly. The Federal Aviation Administration, under part 141 of the Federal Aviation Regulations has set a minimum time for an applicant to obtain the Private Pilot’s License at 35 hours of flight time but the FAA does not set a timeframe to accomplish those hours. Most budding pilots dream of an airline career. However, either course is normally based on the minimum flight time required by the FAA. It’s worth noting that it takes less time if you use the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) website instead of submitting a paper application. What really takes time is getting the required flight hours for the license. All rights reserved. Therefore, the answer varies between a few weeks to several years. Pilot Skills: What Makes a Great Aviator? Aspiring pilots receive their certificates in one or two years after studying and undergoing hands-on training. However, the minimum flight time for license issuance goes up to 30 hours, but most pilots require additional hours before becoming ready for a flight test. Assuming you land a decent pilot job, accumulating those hours takes around two years. Well, that answer can vary depending on what type of pilot is being asked about. Becoming a private pilot is the first step in a student’s pilot journey. For a flat rate of $81,000, dedicated students can go through the training program in as little as 9 months. Private pilots get to fly any aircraft, as long as they receive adequate training on it, for non-commercial purposes. The hour requirement can be reduced to 1,250 or even 1,000 hours depending on if someone has an appropriate college degree. In this series, Justin will be taking us through every facet of the fighter pilot lifestyle, breaking it down for you in a way that you’ve never seen before. This time can be reduced or lengthened depending on if you decide on full-time or part-time study. Yet again, you get to pick between a standard and a fast-track programs to become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). Crazy, right? Although you could complete a fast-track course in 2 weeks, pilot school usually offer tailored courses to fit your availability. FAA regulations require applicants to complete at least 40 hours of flight time. How Long Does it Take to Become a Pilot? Taking this into account, it can take as little as 12 weeks to get your CPL if you choose an accelerated course. So far, none of the pilot license we discussed permits you to get paid for flying aircraft. Assuming a student has no previous experience, a student can become a private pilot in as little as 4-6 months. Once they’ve worked at the regional airline as captain for an additional 2-5 years is generally when they will try to move over to the major airlines. With all these perks, it’s only logical that it’ll take you a bit longer to become a recreational pilot. The time will vary depending on each student’s aptitudes and determination, and whether they participate in full-time accelerated flight training or part-time flexible flight training. Taking funding out of the equation and if you join an integrated ATPL program, and if things go well with the build up programand CAA examination, my guess is that between 18 months to a 2-year period. 190 to 250 hours, at a minimum be anywhere between a standard, sometimes integrated. Take a look at beginning your career at a regional airline at this level multi-engine makes! Be left unchanged instruct students using single-engine airplanes such as your availability, aptitude, and rewarding! 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