All pilots must have a medical certificate, which they receive after passing a physical exam given by an FAA-authorized aviation medical examiner. Student, recreational and private pilots receive a third-class medical certificate, which is valid for 24 to 60 months, depending on the age of the pilot. Commercial pilots receive a second-class medical certificate, which is valid for 12 months. Airline transport pilots receive a first-class medical certificate, which is valid for six to 12 months, depending on the age of the pilot.
All pilots must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English. Student pilots have to be at least 16 years old. Before a student pilot can fly solo, he must master 15 different flight maneuvers, including a stall, steep turn, and slow flight, and pass a written test. The test covers regulatory and operational information related to solo flights.
Recreational pilots receive training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course on the different areas of aeronautical knowledge that apply to the type of aircraft and class rating they're applying for. Some areas they must be familiar with include accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board, how to use aeronautical charts for VFR navigation, how to avoid windshear, how to recognize and avoid wake turbulence, and how to avoid collisions. A complete list of areas an applicant must know appears in the Code of Federal Regulations: Title 14 - § 61.96. Recreational pilots can earn their certificate in about 30 hours.
Private pilots learn everything a recreational pilot learns, then go on to receive training in additional areas, like flying cross-country and flying at night. They also learn dead reckoning, radio navigation, and air traffic control communication. Private pilots can add an instrument rating to their license. Without it, they're restricted to only flying in weather conditions that allow for visual flight. Applicants must pass a mandatory knowledge test and practical test. It takes around 40 hours to earn this certificate.
Commercial pilots must be at least 18 years old and hold a private pilot certificate. Experience requirements vary depending on whether an applicant is applying for a helicopter, single-engine or multiengine airplane rating, but all commercial pilots need between 150 to 250 hours of flight time as a pilot. Applicants who take an approved commercial pilot course, certified by the FAA, only need between 150 and 190 hours of flight experience. In addition, pilots must pass a knowledge test and a practical test.
Airline transport pilots earn the highest pilot certification. These are the pilots that work for major airlines, transporting passengers and cargo. They must be at least 23 years old, and either hold a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, meet certain military experience requirements and have an instrument rating, or hold certain types of foreign commercial pilot licenses. They also need to meet whatever aeronautical experience requirements apply to the airplane category and rating they're seeking, and pass a knowledge and a practical test. Aeronautical experience ranges from 1,200 to 1,500 hours of flight time.