Commercial Pilot Licence

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A Commercial Pilot License (CPL) or, in the United States, a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft for hire.

The basic requirements to obtain the certificate and the privileges it confers are agreed internationally by International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, however the actual implementation varies quite widely from country to country. According to ICAO, to be eligible for a Commercial Pilot Certificate, the applicant must already hold a Private Pilot certificate, have received training in the areas of a Commercial Pilot, and successfully complete a written exam. Upon completing those prerequisites the applicant will then receive an exam from the governing aviation body that consists of an Oral and Practical flight test from an Examiner.

Different types of Commercial Pilot Certificates/Licenses are issued for the major categories of aircraft: Airplanes, helicopters, gyro-planes, balloons, and airships.

A Certificate/License will contain a number of sub-qualifications or ratings. These specify in more detail the actual privileges of the license, including the types of aircraft that can be flown, whether flight under Instrument Flight Rules is allowed, and whether instructing and examining of trainee pilots can be done.