COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENSE

For you to qualify as a CPL candidate you will need the following:

• A valid PPL
• A Night Rating
• An Instrument Rating (Optional)
• A valid Class 1 Flight Medical Certificate
• Be 18 years or older

The training for a commercial pilot is separated into two sections, theoretical and practical.

The theoretical section will see you being briefed on the various subjects surrounding a CPL.

These subjects include:

• Radio Aids and Communication (How the communication equipment work)
• Aircraft Technical and General (How aircraft are designed)
• Meteorology (Weather and how it affects flying)
• Air law (The do’s and don’ts of flying)
• Human Performance (How the body reacts to flying)
• Flight Planning and Performance (How to plan and check aircraft performance)
• Instruments and Electronics (How to use the various instruments in the aircraft)
• General Navigation (How to fly from one airfield to another)
• General Radiotelephony (How to communicate effectively over the radio)

Each exam is a set question paper with a multiple-choice answer sheet, the pass mark is 75%.

The practical section is a minimum of 200 hours of flight. Of these 200 hours. 100 hours will be solo flight which will include 5 hours of flying solo at night and 20 hours of navigation flight. The rest of the flight training will include at least 10 hours of training using only the aircraft instruments. Also, training will be done on an aircraft referred to as a complex aircraft, this is an aircraft with retractable landing gear and variable pitch propeller. Having the abovementioned Ratings, along with Multi-Engine Rating, makes you more employable as a pilot.

As part of the CPL you are required to attend a Ground School on all of the above-mentioned subjects and to pass their applicable Examinations. You must also pass a Practical Flying Test with a Designated Flight Examiner (DE) assigned by the NCAA.