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What can a commercial pilot do and not do?

As a commercial pilot, you may act as pilot in command of an aircraft for compensation or hire, with or without passengers or property onboard. A commercial pilot who does not hold an instrument rating will be limited to flying passengers for hire during the day and within 50 NM of the departure airport.



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Privileges. A licensed commercial pilot may act as pilot-in-command of an aircraft for compensation or hire, as well as carry persons or property for compensation or hire. To put another way, holding a commercial pilot license means you are legally allowed to get paid as a pilot.

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  • Long and sometimes unpredictable hours. Pilots work different numbers of hours depending on several factors. ...
  • Training. You need a lot of training to be a pilot. ...
  • Flight school and training can be expensive. ...
  • Stress of the job.


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What Might Prevent You From Becoming A Commercial Airline Pilot
  • Age. In the USA, according to the FAA, you must be at least 23 years of age before obtaining your commercial pilot license. ...
  • Flight Hours. ...
  • Medical Problems. ...
  • Color Blindness. ...
  • Mental Health. ...
  • Criminal Background. ...
  • Drug Tests.


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What medical conditions does the FAA consider disqualifying?
  • Angina pectoris.
  • Bipolar disease.
  • Cardiac valve replacement.
  • Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant.
  • Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medications.


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The FAA encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.

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In most cases, pilots are required to have vision correctable to 20/20 or better in each eye with or without glasses or contact lenses. As long as your vision can be corrected to meet these standards, you are eligible to become a commercial pilot. Myth 3: It takes a long time to become a pilot.

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There are short and tall professional pilots who might need aircraft modifications to ensure they can reach and operate the controls safely. While there are BMI guidelines that are considered part of your general health, there is no specific minimum or maximum weight required to become a pilot.

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In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65.

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In the May 2021 report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the range of salaries for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers from less than $100,110 a year, to the highest 10 percent earning more than $208,000.

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Do pilots go home every night? Flight instructors and pilots who fly short-haul domestic flights are able to be home every night more or less; however, airline pilots who fly longer routes are unable to go home every night and can be away from home for up to two weeks at a time.

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Pilot Career Cons
  • You need a deep bank account. While you will earn a lot of money as an airline pilot later down the years, the first few years might cost you up to $100 000. ...
  • A steep learning curve. ...
  • Missing out on holidays. ...
  • A lot of stress. ...
  • Losing your career in an instant because of medical reasons.


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Due to the risks to flight safety posed by ADHD, regulatory authorities worldwide consider ADHD a disqualifying condition for pilots.

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Recreational and sport pilots can carry only one passenger at a time; private pilots may carry as many passengers as the airplane will legally seat, provided it stays within the airplane's performance and weight-and-balance limitations.

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To fly as a commercial airline pilot, you will need 1500 hours of experience, which can be earned in two years. ATP's accelerated commercial pilot training programs provide a structured timeline and shorten the time it takes to gain experience and meet qualifications.

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Pilots must have normal color vision, near visual acuity of 20/30 without correction, distance visual acuity of no worse than 20/70 in each eye correctable to 20/20 and meet other refraction, accommodation and astigmatism requirements.

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Facial hair must allow the oxygen mask to fit securely and operate properly. Some airlines allow facial hair and some do not, but in any event, if a pilot is allowed to have a beard by his employer, it must not prevent the oxygen mask from working properly.

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In general, it takes a minimum of 40-60 hours of flight time to obtain a private pilot's license, which allows you to fly small aircraft for personal use. To become a commercial pilot, which will enable you to fly for hire, you'll need a minimum of 250 hours of flight time and more advanced training.

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If you fail a color vision test, you can still become a pilot. However, you'll be limited to daytime operations and won't be able to fly at night or accept ATC color signals. In addition, you can ask to take alternate color vision tests at a vision specialist.

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