As a commercial pilot, the sky is not the limit—it’s the beginning. Pay is climbing. Opportunities are rising. In the full light an oncoming pilot shortage, there’s never been a better time to let your career aspirations take flight. According to Boeing, 115,000 pilots are needed in the next 10 years. Would you like to be one of them?
Piloting has been the property of an older generation. Welcome the winds of change. Commercial pilots are increasingly a younger person’s field. Between the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam, the military churned out pilots for decades. Nowadays those pilots are getting on in age. The majority of pilots are 50 to 54 years old. The mandatory retirement age is 65, leaving an employment gap.
Get your head out of the clouds. A career as a commercial pilot is at your fingertips—provided you have the right qualifications, education, and training. Here is everything you need to succeed in getting your career airborne.
Qualifications for Becoming a Commercial Pilot
A commercial pilot boasts a great income and world travel, but there are a number of requirements. Because so much is in your hands, there are strict rules about physical requirements, conduct, education, and experience.
Age requirement: 18 years old
Language proficiency: Fluent in spoken and written English
Must have a private pilot license
FAA medical certificate, 2nd class or above
Logged training hours from an officially authorized instructor
Pass 3 FAA tests
Pilot knowledge test
Written flight exam
Checkride flight exam
250 hours of recorded flight time:
100 minimum hours in a powered aircraft
100 minimum hours flying in a PIC (Pilot in Command) training
In order to get a Private Pilot License prior to earning your Professional Pilot License or Commercial Pilot Certificate, you must qualify for a Student Pilot Certificate, which has to be issued by an official FAA Medical Examiner. There are three levels of FAA Medical Certificates. However, a Commercial Pilot has to have a Class I or Class II. If medical conditions prohibit you from getting a Class II or above, you can correct conditions if possible and get the higher clearance.
TSA Requirements
In order to enroll in a flight training program, a student must pass Transportation and Security Administration requirement of proof of identity. These can include one of the following:
Valid US passport
Government-issued birth certificate and government-issued photo identification, like a driver’s license or state ID
Official foreign birth certificate, original US Naturalization Certificate, or US citizenship certificate. All documents must be official originals with raised seals.
For LETU, non-citizens should give at least 60 days of notice. LETU will help you file with TSA. You’ll also need an official passport or visa.
Commercial Pilot Education
LETU is the only university-level, comprehensive aviation program in Texas. Our College of Aviation and Aeronautical Science can get your commercial piloting career off the ground with the best education and mentorship. Unlike non-university training, we give you the skills to excel by providing you a degree, hands-on education, and real-world insights and resources from industry leaders and seasoned professionals.
LETU also provides the certifications needed to become a commercial pilot, including commercial certifications for:
Single Engine Rating
Multiengine Certificate with Instrument Rating
Types of Commercial Pilots
There are various types of pilots licenses, all regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The license you need depends on the type of commercial pilot you plan on becoming. For example, there are cargo pilots, airline pilots, crop-dusting pilots, etc.
You can earn a Private Pilot Certificate and then earn your Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating for both single and multi-engine aircrafts at LETU.
Training and Air Hours
Only go to an accredited flight school. There are trade schools and other non-accredited businesses that offer Private Pilot Certification. However, these may do more damage than good in becoming a commercial pilot.
Do not skimp on training or go with subpar training courses. Poor training builds dangerous habits. The cost of retraining can be higher than coming into a training program without experience.
There are a number of ways to earn your Commercial Pilot Certificate, including what kind of plane to learn on. Training on a tailwheel aircraft, like LETU, is more difficult than other planes. However, the difficulty is a certain benefit to pilots in training. Mistakes are exposed more easily, making for more thorough and safer training. As a commercial pilot you want to be absolutely aware of where your weaknesses are before taking on a responsibility as large as flying.
Aviation Management, Professional Pilot Concentration, B.S. (AVMF)
At LETU, getting a Professional Pilot Certificate comes as part of a larger Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management. The advantages of getting a bachelor’s are tremendous. It helps accelerate career advancement, increase job opportunities, and leave room for non-pilot career paths in the event that you can no longer fly.
The requirements for your B.S. include:
30 semester hours of general education
36 semester hours of core classes
34 semester hours of classes within the flight concentration
12 semester hours of theology and vocation courses
9 semester hours cognate courses
That’s a total of 121 hours of accredited education. During that, you will earn:
Private Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating
Commercial Pilot Certificate for
Instrument Rating
Multi-engine Airplane
Single-engine Airplane
B.S. in Aviation Management
Optionally, you can also graduate with:
Flight Instructor Certificate
Instrument Rating
Multi-engine Airplane
Single-engine Airplane
Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate
As a LETU student, you also have amazing student resources and opportunities, including internships and fast-tracks to careers after graduation.
