Flight Crew Licensing — Page 83, Lesson 131

Right, let's pick this up. We've covered the PPL(A) experience requirements, so now I want to walk you through the medical and privileges side of that licence, and then we'll move straight into the Commercial Pilot Licence. For the PPL(A), the medical requirement is that you must hold a current Class 2 medical assessment. That's the standard for private flying. Now, the privileges: as a PPL(A) holder, you may act as Pilot-in-Command, or PIC, or as co-pilot of any aeroplane engaged in non-revenue flights. Non-revenue means non-commercial — you're not being paid to carry passengers or cargo. There's a catch though: if you want to exercise that privilege at night, you must have received dual instruction in aeroplanes flying at night. Dual instruction means flying with an instructor. And that night training must include take-offs, landings, and navigation. Now let's move on to the Commercial Pilot Licence for aeroplanes — the CPL(A). This is a step up in every way. First, the age requirement: an applicant must be not less than 18 years of age. Next, theoretical knowledge. You have to demonstrate a required level of knowledge by passing examinations in a set list of subjects. Let me run through them: Air Law; Aircraft general knowledge; Flight performance and planning; Human performance and limitations; Meteorology; Navigation; Operational Procedures; Principles of flight; and Radiotelephony. That's the full syllabus you'll be examined on. Now the experience requirements — and this is where the numbers really matter. An applicant must complete not less than 200 hours of flight time. If time in a synthetic trainer is permitted, it's limited to a maximum of 10 hours as part of those required hours. A synthetic trainer is a flight simulator or flight training device. For a student completing an integrated CPL(A) course — that's a full-time, structured course — at least 150 hours, including all progress tests, must be completed, within which up to 5 hours may be instrument ground time. Instrument ground time is time spent practising instrument flying in a ground-based trainer rather than in the air. As with the PPL, flight time as pilot in other categories of aircraft may be credited, but only with authority authorization. Now, within that total, you must have completed specific minimums. Not less than 100 hours as PIC — that's Pilot-in-Command — or 70 hours in the case of an approved course. You need 20 hours of cross-country flight time, with at least one flight of not less than 540 km, which is 300 NM, and that flight must include a full stop landing at two different aerodromes. A full stop landing means you bring the aircraft to a complete halt. You also need 10 hours of instrument instruction time, of which not more than 5 hours may be instrument ground time. And if you want to exercise the privilege at night, you need 5 hours of night flight time, including 5 take-offs and landings as PIC. Medical fitness for the CPL(A) is stricter: you must hold a current Class 1 medical assessment, not Class 2. Finally, the privileges. The CPL(A) holder is permitted to exercise all the privileges of a PPL(A) — so everything we just covered carries over. On top of that, you may act as PIC of any aeroplane engaged in operations other than commercial air transport. You may act as PIC in commercial air transport in aeroplanes certificated for single-pilot operation. And you may act as co-pilot in commercial air transport in aeroplanes that require a co-pilot. That last point is where JAR-FCL comes in — the Joint Aviation Requirements for Flight Crew Licensing — and that's the regulatory framework that defines these requirements.