Commercial
Pilot Licence

A Commercial Pilot Licence is the last phase of a series of training modules if your ultimate goal is to become a professional pilot.

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Commercial Pilot Licence Course

A commercial pilot’s licence is the last phase of a series of training modules and is laid out as follows:

• The Private Pilot’s Licence.
• The night rating.
• The Commercial ground school and exams.
• Hour building.
• The instrument rating.
• The multi engine rating (optional).
• The commercial pilot’s rating.

Each one of these phases has to be completed before you can submit your licence to the SACAA and finally receive your Commercial Pilot’s Licence.

Let us look at the Commercial Licence and the requirements in more detail:

Legal Requirements

• 200 hours minimum flying time
• 100 hours minimum pilot in command
• 5 hour minimum pilot in command by night
• 50 hours minimum cross country (Commercial Pilot’s Licence with IF rating)
• 20 hours minimum cross country (Commercial Pilot’s Licence without IF rating)
• 20 hours minimum instrument flight time of which 10 hours may be accumulated on a simulator
• 40 hours minimum instrument flight time of which 20 hours may be accumulated on a simulator (Commercial Pilot’s Licence with IF Rating)
• 18 years old
• Hold a valid Private Pilot Licence and Night Rating
• Hold a valid Class 1 Medical Certificate
• Have completed the Commercial theoretical examinations

One of the most important aspects of the Commercial Pilot’s Licence is the completion of commercial ground subjects and examinations.

Many students progress quickly through all the flying steps but do not realise the amount of work required to complete the ground school portion of the commercial licence.

The following subjects have to be passed:

• Human Performance
• Meteorology
• Aircraft Technical and General
• Radio Aids
• Instruments
• Navigation
• Air Law
• Flight Planning
• Instrument Rating Examination (Commercial Pilot’s Licence with Instrument Rating)

Ground school usually lasts about nine weeks and the cost includes lectures and study notes.

Once you have completed the ground phase you can commence with the hour building phase. At LFC we structure it in such a manner that you benefit to the maximum extent. This maximises the experience you gain in this time, rather than just flying on an ad-hoc basis and in effect achieving very little.

Once you have completed your hour building you will progress towards your final preparation for the instrument rating.

The final phase of preparation for the Commercial Pilot’s Licence will be done on a variable pitch, retractable gear aircraft. Now you need to choose whether you going to take the single engine route or the multi engine route? The choice is entirely up to you.