What Flight Certificates Can I Earn and What Can I do With Them?
The general progression of earning flight certificates and ratings is detailed below, although there are many routes you may choose to follow.
Private Pilot
A person will first earn his Private Pilot Certificate, which will give him the privileges of flying alone or with family and friends in good weather. A Private Pilot is not allowed to fly for compensation or hire, to fly in and out of clouds or fog, or in areas of very low visibility. This means that the pilot is limited in some of the things they can do, mainly due to safety-related reasons. More info...
Instrument Rating
The next step is to obtain an Instrument Rating, which is basically an amendment to your Private Pilot License that says you may now fly in and out of clouds and low visibility, because you have advanced training in using and relying on only your instruments to fly. However, it is not another license, therefore, you are still limited to the restrictions of your Private Pilot's License of not being able to fly for hire. More info...
Commercial License
The next certificate you will earn will be your Commercial License. This allows you to fly for hire, and it requires a good deal more flight time. The FAA is looking for is more experience. They expect you to demonstrate mastery of the aircraft and, therefore, require you to perform to stricter parameters than what was previously required as a Private Pilot. Now you will be able to fly for money! More info...
Multi-Engine Rating
If you are looking for airline or charter employment and have done all of your training in a single-engine airplane thus far, you will want to get what's called a multi-engine add-on. The requirement here is the ability to fly to Commercial and Instrument standards in a multi-engine aircraft. More info...
Certified Flight Instructor
A great way to build experience, and the flight hours necessary for advancement to an airline position, while earning money is to become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). If you want to teach Instrument students you will want to get an Instrument Rating attached to your Flight Instructor Certificate (Certified Flight Instructor Instrument-CFII). The last of the instructor certificates is your Multi-engine Instructor Certificate (MEI) which allows you to instruct in multi-engine aircraft. More info...
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