Pilot Qualifications

Commercial
Minimum Age: 18
Privileges: May act as pilot in command of any aircraft for which rating is held.
Medical Certificate: Second Class medical certificate.
Education: In addition to education requirements of a private license, commercial pilots must have extensive aeronautical experience. The requirement is at least 250 hours of flight time, including at least 100 hours as pilot in command, 50 hours of cross country, 10 hours of instrument instruction and an instrument rating.
Experience: Must pass a detailed written examination and demonstrate to an examiner most of the skills required for a private certificate, but performed with a higher degree of precision.

Air Transport
Minimum Age: 23
Privileges: May serve as pilot in command of an airline aircraft.
Medical Certificate: First Class medical certificate.
Education: Air transport pilots must have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours, 500 of which must be cross-country, 100 at night, 75 in instrument categories, and 50 in actual instrument weather conditions. An instrument rating is required.
Experience: Must successfully pass a written examination and demonstrate to an examiner the ability to pilot an aircraft under the complex situations applicable to airline-type flying.

By law, pilots must complete FAA specified recurrent training every year, or every six months in the case of pilots in command or captains. Recurrent training normally takes two to four days, depending on the type of aircraft and relies heavily on the use of simulators to train and evaluate proficiency. In addition to taking regular six-month FAA and company flight checks, and simulator and medical exams, an airline pilot is subject to unannounced spot checks by federal inspectors.

The development of flight simulators has propelled airline training to new heights of excellence. Inside these complex machines, pilots can train for conditions that are hard to find or could be dangerous in a real plane. For example, pilots use simulators to practice landing and takeoffs in strong cross winds, in windshear conditions, or with an engine or hydraulic failure.