You must hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate to earn a living in the air. Pilots flying an aircraft for hire are entitled to perform a variety of commercial activities, therefore, standards for the Commercial Pilot Certificate are much more stringent than the Private Pilot Certificate so your knowledge of systems, performance, etc. need to be a lot more in depth.

Some of the requirements for a commercial pilot's license are 250 hours of total time; 100 hours PIC; 50 hours cross-country; at least 10 hours instrument training; and 10 hours of training in a complex airplane.

When you meet all of the requirements, you're ready to begin your flight training. You'll also need to know the finer points of advanced aerodynamics, systems, and aircraft performance and some new maneuvers such as: chandelles, lazy-eights, eights on pylon, 180° power-off approach, and steep spirals. These maneuvers are fun and they also sharpen your skills, making you a better pilot.

For additional information, please send me an email at: mattdunn@longislandflighttraining.com.