Becoming a Newly Rated Commercial Single-Engine Pilot

The climb to commercial ensures you are proficient, knowledgeable, and thorough in your flying.

Richard Donaldson

Wednesday, March 01, 2023 at 06:35 PM ET

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The climb to commercial ensures you are proficient, knowledgeable, and thorough in your flying. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The author achieved their commercial single-engine pilot certificate in under two years (266 hours, ~$55-60k), with plans to pursue CFI and multiengine ratings to offset costs and meet the 500-800+ hour requirement for Part 135 operations.
Achieving the commercial certificate represents the "apex" of flying knowledge, demanding deep understanding and placing pilots in an exclusive club able to earn money in aviation.
The author advocates for Part 61 training for self-motivated individuals due to its flexibility and potential cost savings (estimated $65k to commercial vs. $140k for a Part 141 university program), while noting Part 141's benefit of a restricted ATP at 1,000 hours for Part 121 careers.
Pilot certifications are lifetime achievements that ensure proficiency and open doors to high-demand job opportunities in the aviation industry.

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I just passed my commercial single-engine airplane check ride on January 6. I started flying with the initial intent of just passing my private, but got hooked as I progressed. I always have enjoyed teaching as a way of hyper-learning, so I knew I was interested in going the CFI route (I have been a ski & scuba instructor in the past).

My first actual logged lesson was March 31, 2021. I then received my private pilot certification on October 15, 2021, and then went on to complete my instrument rating on August 22, 2022. This was all through Part 61 schools at Leopard Aviation and Scottsdale Executive Flight Training at Scottsdale Airport (KSDL). Most of my instructors came from Part 141 programs.