Private, Instrument, Commercial, CFI: what each pilot certificate lets you do
A private pilot certificate lets you fly for yourself; an instrument rating lets you fly in the clouds; a commercial certificate lets you fly for hire; and a CFI or CFII lets you teach. Here is what each one takes, in the order most pilots earn them.
By Don Davis Aviation
Every pilot starts in the same place and climbs the same ladder. Each step adds a privilege — carrying friends, flying through cloud, getting paid, teaching — and each has an FAA minimum behind it. Here is the ladder as we train it at Don Davis Aviation, one-to-one, at Henderson City-County Airport.
Private Pilot certificate — flying for yourself
The private certificate lets you fly single-engine airplanes with passengers, in fair weather, day and night. It does not let you be paid to fly.
The FAA requires at least 40 hours of flight training. The average student logs 50–70 hours — how often you fly is the biggest factor, because long gaps between lessons mean re-learning.
Most students begin with a $110 Discovery Flight: a real first lesson where you take the controls with a Certified Flight Instructor beside you.
Instrument Rating — flying in the clouds
An instrument rating lets you fly in instrument conditions, by reference to the instruments rather than the view outside. The FAA requires 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time.
The practical payoff: being able to fly in cloudy weather can mean fewer cancelled flights.
Commercial Pilot certificate — flying for hire
A commercial certificate lets you fly airplanes for pay — jobs such as aerial photography, surveying and sightseeing tours. Candidates need at least 250 hours of flight time and 20 hours of commercial training.
Flight Instructor (CFI) — teaching others to fly
A CFI certificate lets you teach others how to fly. Most — but not all — aviation careers begin with flight instructing, and a good instructor knows the material cold and still loves to fly.
Instrument Instructor (CFII) — teaching instrument flying
A CFII certificate lets you teach others to fly by reference to the instruments alone. Helping a student earn their instrument rating can be a great feeling of accomplishment.
Where to start
Wherever you want to end up, the first step is the same. Book a Discovery Flight, or call 270-826-6000 and talk it through — we will quote training to your goals and schedule. See the full training programs for how each one runs.
