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How to become a pilot: certificates, tests and the airline path

From first lesson to airline transport pilot: what the FAA requires at each step, with every fact sourced.

This guide walks through the FAA path for airplane pilots, from your first lesson to the airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate. Each fact is paraphrased from the FAA's rules or its own pages, with a numbered source; the rules themselves are in 14 CFR Part 61.

Getting started

You can take a first lesson right away: the FAA says you don't need a student pilot certificate or a medical certificate just to take flying lessons. To fly solo, you need both.[25] A student pilot certificate for airplanes requires you to be at least 16 and able to read, speak, write and understand English.[1]

For the medical, see how to get your first FAA medical and the AME finder by state.

The certificates and ratings, in order

  1. Private pilot. At least 17 years old for an airplane rating.[2] The minimum is 40 hours of flight time, including at least 20 hours of training with an instructor and 10 hours of solo training.[3]
  2. Instrument rating. At least 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command (10 of them in an airplane) and 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time, of which 15 must be with an instrument instructor.[4]
  3. Commercial pilot. At least 18 years old,[5] and for a single-engine airplane rating at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot, with set amounts of pilot-in-command, cross-country and training time.[6]
  4. Flight instructor (CFI). At least 18, holding a commercial or ATP certificate with the matching category and class rating, plus an instrument rating (or matching privileges) for an airplane instructor certificate.[7]
  5. Multi-engine. The ATP rules below are written for an ATP with an airplane multiengine class rating.[10][11] For ways to log twin time, see how to build multi-engine time cheaply.
  6. Airline transport pilot (ATP). At least 23 years old, or 21 for a restricted ATP; you must already hold a commercial certificate with an instrument rating (or qualify through military experience or a qualifying foreign license).[8]

Knowledge tests and checkrides

Knowledge test (the written). Before a knowledge test you need an instructor endorsement where Part 61 requires one, showing you finished the required ground training or a home-study course, and photo ID showing your signature and date of birth. The FAA sets the minimum passing grade.[13] The FAA lists PSI Services as its knowledge testing centers and links to scheduling and sample tests.[21]

Practical test (the checkride). In general you must pass the knowledge test within the 24 calendar months before the month you complete the practical test, have the required training and experience, hold at least a third-class medical if one is required, and have an instructor endorsement showing training within the 2 calendar months before the month you apply.[14] On the checkride you perform the tasks in the FAA's Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for the certificate or rating, and must show mastery of the aircraft, proficiency within the standards and sound judgment.[15][22] The FAA's testing page has a tool to find an FAA examiner.[21]

The ATP and the 1,500-hour rule

To fly as captain or first officer for a Part 121 airline you need an ATP certificate and a type rating for the aircraft; a captain's ATP can't carry the restricted-privileges limitation, and a Part 121 captain also needs 1,000 hours in certain prior air carrier roles.[18]

The standard ATP with an airplane rating takes at least 1,500 hours of total time as a pilot, including 500 hours of cross-country, 100 hours of night, 75 hours of instrument time and 250 hours as pilot in command (or second in command under supervision), among other minimums.[9]

Restricted ATP (R-ATP): 14 CFR 61.160

A restricted ATP lets you apply for an ATP with an airplane multiengine class rating with fewer total hours. The FAA describes it as letting a pilot serve as a co-pilot (first officer) until reaching 1,500 hours.[20] The minimums in 61.160, verified in the eCFR on October 23, 2026:[10]

PathMinimum total timeMain conditions
U.S. military pilot (current or former)750 hoursGraduated from U.S. Armed Forces undergraduate pilot training with a military pilot rating; honorable discharge (DD-214) or current service; not removed from flying status for proficiency or discipline.[10]
Bachelor's degree, aviation major1,000 hoursFrom a school the FAA has authorized under 61.169; 60 semester credit hours of FAA-recognized aviation coursework; commercial certificate and instrument rating earned through the school's Part 141 curriculum (or a partner Part 141 school).[10]
Bachelor's degree, 30 to 59 credits1,250 hoursOtherwise meets the bachelor's path, with at least 30 but fewer than 60 qualifying credit hours.[10]
Associate's degree, aviation major1,250 hoursFrom an FAA-authorized school; at least 30 semester credit hours of FAA-recognized aviation coursework; commercial and instrument through Part 141 as above.[10]

From first lesson to airline transport pilot: what the FAA requires at each step, with every fact sourced.

Every R-ATP path still needs the rest of the 61.159 experience, except that 200 hours of cross-country time is enough.[10] The certificate is marked “Restricted in accordance with 14 CFR 61.167” until you meet the full 61.159 experience and the age-23 requirement.[10][12] The FAA publishes the list of authorized institutions on its ATP training page.[20] See aviation universities with flight degrees and military pilot to civilian.

ATP certification training program (CTP): 14 CFR 61.156

Before you can take the knowledge test for an ATP with an airplane multiengine class rating, you need a graduation certificate from an authorized training provider under Part 121, 135, 141 or 142 showing you finished an approved ATP CTP.[11][13] The course includes at least 30 hours of classroom instruction (aerodynamics including high-altitude operations, meteorology, air carrier operations, and leadership, crew resource management and safety culture) and at least 10 hours in flight simulation training devices, of which at least 6 hours are in a Level C or higher full flight simulator of a multiengine turbine airplane of 40,000 pounds or more.[11] You must be at least 18 to take the ATP multiengine knowledge test,[13] and after the CTP that test result stays usable for 60 calendar months instead of the usual 24.[14]

Medical certificates, and why BasicMed doesn't cover airline flying

Using an ATP certificate's pilot-in-command privileges takes a first-class medical; a Part 121 first officer needs at least a second-class medical (first class in some cases, including at age 60 and over); and using commercial pilot privileges in an airplane needs at least a second-class medical.[16]

BasicMed is an alternative to a medical certificate only for private pilot privileges, within limits on the aircraft, altitude and speed.[17] The FAA says BasicMed flights may not be operated for compensation or hire.[19] So BasicMed can't be used for airline or other paid flying: plan for a first- or second-class medical early, before you spend money on training. Start with the AME finder.

How long it takes

The FAA doesn't publish a calendar timeline; it depends mostly on how often you fly. The FAA advises training as regularly and frequently as possible, which it says saves both time and money.[24] What the FAA does publish is hours:

Ways to train

Part 61 or Part 141. You can train with an independent instructor or training company, or at an FAA-approved (Part 141) pilot school. The FAA notes approved schools must meet set standards for equipment, facilities, staff and curricula, and can qualify you with fewer minimum hours.[24] Find both in the flight school directory.

Full-time career programs. Zero to Commercial/CFI programs: full-time programs that take you from zero time to commercial and instructor ratings, sorted by each school's published price.

Aviation degrees and the military. A degree from an FAA-authorized school or military pilot training can lower the ATP hour minimum, as shown above. See aviation universities and military to civilian.

Airline cadet and pathway programs. Some airlines run cadet or pathway programs, often with partner flight schools. Terms, costs and any job offer differ by program and change over time, so read the airline's own program page and get the terms in writing.

Building time. Renting an airplane is one way to log hours. Compare aircraft rental rates ranked by all-in cost, rentals by state, what it costs to rent a plane and how to build multi-engine time cheaply.

Free FAA resources

Sources

  1. 14 CFR 61.83, student pilot eligibility (eCFR)
  2. 14 CFR 61.103, private pilot eligibility (eCFR)
  3. 14 CFR 61.109, private pilot aeronautical experience (eCFR)
  4. 14 CFR 61.65, instrument rating requirements (eCFR)
  5. 14 CFR 61.123, commercial pilot eligibility (eCFR)
  6. 14 CFR 61.129, commercial pilot aeronautical experience (eCFR)
  7. 14 CFR 61.183, flight instructor eligibility (eCFR)
  8. 14 CFR 61.153, airline transport pilot eligibility (eCFR)
  9. 14 CFR 61.159, ATP aeronautical experience, airplane (eCFR)
  10. 14 CFR 61.160, ATP restricted privileges, airplane (eCFR)
  11. 14 CFR 61.156, ATP certification training program (eCFR)
  12. 14 CFR 61.167, ATP privileges and limitations (eCFR)
  13. 14 CFR 61.35, knowledge test prerequisites (eCFR)
  14. 14 CFR 61.39, practical test prerequisites (eCFR)
  15. 14 CFR 61.43, practical test procedures (eCFR)
  16. 14 CFR 61.23, medical certificates: requirement and duration (eCFR)
  17. 14 CFR 61.113, private pilot privileges, incl. BasicMed conditions in (i) (eCFR)
  18. 14 CFR 121.436, airline pilot certificate and experience requirements (eCFR)
  19. BasicMed (FAA)
  20. ATP certification training program and restricted ATP (FAA, last updated June 8, 2026)
  21. Airman Testing (FAA, last updated September 17, 2026)
  22. Airman Certification Standards (FAA)
  23. What are the hourly requirements in becoming a pilot? (FAA)
  24. Pilot Schools Information (FAA, last updated June 9, 2026)
  25. Become a Pilot: frequently asked questions (FAA)
General information, not legal, medical or training advice. This page paraphrases FAA rules and pages as checked on October 23, 2026; rules change. Verify in the eCFR and with the FAA, your flight instructor, examiner or AME before you rely on it.

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