A private pilot certificate (often called a private pilot license, or PPL) lets you fly an airplane with passengers, day or night, anywhere in the country, as long as you're not flying for compensation or hire. This guide covers what it takes under Part 61 for an airplane single-engine land certificate.

Eligibility (§61.103)

To get a private pilot certificate for airplanes you must:

  • be at least 17 years old,
  • be able to read, speak, write and understand English,
  • pass the knowledge test and practical test (checkride),
  • meet the aeronautical experience requirements below, and
  • receive the required training and endorsements from an authorized instructor.

Before you fly solo you need a student pilot certificate (§61.83: at least 16 years old for airplanes). You apply through the FAA's IACRA system, usually with help from your instructor.

Medical

To fly solo and to exercise private pilot privileges you need medical qualification, typically an FAA third-class medical certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner. BasicMed is an alternative for some pilots, but it requires having held a valid FAA medical certificate at some point after July 14, 2006, so most new students start with a third-class medical. Get your medical early: if there's a problem, you want to know before you've spent money on training.

Aeronautical experience (§61.109(a))

At least 40 hours of flight time, including:

20 hours of flight training from an instructor, with:

  • 3 hours of cross-country training.
  • 3 hours of night training, including one cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance and 10 takeoffs and 10 full-stop landings, each involving a flight in the traffic pattern.
  • 3 hours of instrument training (flying by reference to instruments only).
  • 3 hours of checkride preparation within the 2 calendar months before the practical test.

10 hours of solo flight, with:

  • 5 hours of solo cross-country time.
  • One long solo cross-country of at least 150 nautical miles total distance, with full-stop landings at three points and one segment of more than 50 nautical miles between takeoff and landing.
  • 3 solo takeoffs and full-stop landings at an airport with an operating control tower.

For the private pilot certificate, a cross-country flight means one that includes a landing at a point more than 50 nautical miles in a straight line from the original departure point.

Track your progress against each line with the private pilot hours checklist.

Forty hours is a minimum

Most students need well more than 40 hours. Flying two or three times a week keeps skills fresh and usually costs less overall than flying once every couple of weeks and relearning each time.

Endorsements along the way

Your instructor signs endorsements in your logbook at key steps. The main ones are:

  • Pre-solo knowledge test and pre-solo flight training (§61.87).
  • Solo flight, valid for 90 days and renewed as needed (§61.87(n) and (p)).
  • Solo night flight, if you fly solo at night.
  • Solo cross-country endorsements: one for the category and class, and one for each solo cross-country flight after reviewing your planning (§61.93).
  • Class B airspace, if you'll fly solo in or into Class B (§61.95).
  • Knowledge test and practical test endorsements.

See example wording in the CFI endorsement templates.

The tests

Knowledge test

A multiple-choice test on regulations, weather, navigation, aerodynamics, performance and more, taken at an approved testing center. You need an endorsement from an instructor (or a home-study course certificate) to take it. Your knowledge test report is valid for 24 calendar months, so pass it within that window of your checkride.

Practical test (checkride)

An oral exam and a flight with an FAA examiner, following the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for private pilot airplane. You need the practical test endorsement, the required aeronautical experience, and a passed knowledge test.

Part 61 or Part 141?

Under Part 141, the minimum for a private pilot certificate is 35 hours in an FAA-approved course. The certificate is identical. See Part 61 vs Part 141.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours do you need for a private pilot license?

The FAA minimum is 40 hours under Part 61 (35 under an approved Part 141 course), including at least 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo flight. Most students need more than the minimum.

How old do you have to be to get a private pilot license?

At least 17 for an airplane private pilot certificate. You can fly solo in an airplane at 16 with a student pilot certificate.

What medical do you need for a private pilot license?

Usually an FAA third-class medical certificate. BasicMed is an option only for pilots who have held an FAA medical certificate at some point after July 14, 2006.

What counts as cross-country time for the private pilot certificate?

A flight that includes a landing at a point more than 50 nautical miles in a straight line from the original point of departure.