Providing training and guidance to all students within Tucson, Arizona.

Commercial pilot certificate

A Commercial Pilot Certificate allows a pilot to act as pilot in command in certain operations involving compensation or hire, subject to FAA regulations, operating rules, and the privileges and limitations of the certificate. It is the next step toward being compensated for certain types of flying and pursuing a professional aviation career. Commercial training is not simply about accumulating flight time. It also develops a higher level of precision, professionalism, aircraft control, judgment, and responsibility.

Duration

1 - 3 months

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Location

Tucson, AZ

Estimated Investment

Adjust the hours as needed to refine your estimate.
Aircraft (
hrs x $
)
$1000
Ground (
hrs x $65)
$1000
Flight Instruction (
hrs x $65)
$1000
Pre/Post Instruction (
lessons x $32.60)
$1000
Estimated Total
$1000
* This is an estimate based on FAA minimum completion and is subject to change based on prior experience.

Program overview

A Commercial Pilot Certificate allows a pilot to act as pilot in command in certain operations involving compensation or hire, subject to FAA regulations, operating rules, and the privileges and limitations of the certificate.

Commercial pilots may pursue opportunities such as:
  • Flight instruction after obtaining a Flight
  • Instructor Certificate
  • Aerial photography
  • Survey flying
  • Pipeline or powerline patrol
  • Banner towing
  • Glider towing
  • Ferry flying
  • Skydive operations
  • Agricultural aviation
  • Corporate aviation
  • Charter operations
Waypoint Aviation will help students understand the difference between holding commercial pilot privileges and being legally qualified for a specific commercial operation.

What we focus on: 

Advanced maneuvers and consistency
Professionalism and pilot standards
Checkride preparation and expectations
Building confidence as a pilot and future instructor
Planning your next steps (CFI, jobs, airlines, etc.)

Commercial pilot requirements

Age requirement

You must be 18 years or older.

English proficiency

Must be able to read, speak, write and understand the English language.

Pilot certificate

Must hold (at least) a Private Pilot certificate.

Logbook endorsement

Must receive flight training and a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor.

Aeronautical experience

Complete ground training or home study, get a logbook endorsement, and get the required flight training.

Pass the tests

Passthe FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane Knowledge test and the FAA Commercial Pilot practical test.

LET's REview

Before beginning the program, Waypoint Aviation will review your:
Pilot certificate
Medical eligibility
Pilot logbook
Total flight time
Airplane flight time
Pilot-in-command time
Cross-country time
Night experience
Instrument experience
Complex or technically advanced aircraft experience
Knowledge-test status
Previous commercial training
A complete logbook review is essential because every commercial applicant enters training with a different amount of experience.
Applicants pursuing professional aviation careers are strongly encouraged to complete the Instrument Rating before or in connection with Commercial Pilot training. A Commercial Pilot Certificate issued without an Instrument Rating may carry limitations that significantly restrict the commercial operations the pilot may conduct.

Aeronautical experience REquirements

In accordance to the FAA regulations, the applicant must log at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot.These 250 hours must include:
  • At least 100 hours in powered aircraft
  • At least 50 of those powered-aircraft hours in airplanes
  • At least 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time
  • At least 50 of those pilot-in-command hours in airplanes
  • At least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command
  • At least 10 of those cross-country PIC hours in airplanes
  • The required commercial flight training
  • The required solo or duties-of-PIC experience

Previously logged flight time may count when it was completed and documented in accordance with the applicable FAA requirements.

A logbook review will determine which requirements have already been satisfied.

Want more detailed information? Read our in-depth document by clicking the button below.

Read in-depth guide
Requirements
FAA Minimum
Details
Total Flight Time
250 hours
Must include the required airplane, PIC, cross-country, training, and solo or duties-of-PIC experience
Powered-Aircraft Time
100 hours
Must include at least 50 hours in airplanes
Pilot-in-Command Time
100 hours
Must include at least 50 hours in airplanes
PIC Cross-Country Time
50 hours
Must include at least 10 hours in airplanes
Commercial Flight Training
20 hours
Must cover the required areas of operation
Instrument Training
10 hours
Must include required attitude-instrument and instrument-training elements
Complex, TAA, or Turbine Training
10 hours
Must be completed in a qualifying aircraft or qualifying combination
Checkride Preparation
3 hours
Must be completed within the two calendar months before the practical test
Solo or Duties-of-PIC Experience
10 hours
Must include the required cross-country and night experience

What You Will Learn

Commercial pilot privileges and limitations
Airworthiness requirements
Aircraft documents and inspections
Commercial aviation regulations
National Transportation Safety Board reporting requirements
High-altitude considerations
Oxygen requirements
Pressurization concepts
Aircraft systems and limitations
And so much more!
Please refer to our in-depth documentation to learn more.
Read in-depth guide

Phases of Training

Commercial applicants enter training with different experience levels. The first phase begins with a detailed review.

First Phase:

Total flight time
Powered-aircraft time
Airplane time
Pilot-in-command time
Cross-country PIC time
Night experience
Instrument experience
Solo experience
Complex or TAA experience
Previous endorsements
Knowledge-test status
Career goals
After the review, Waypoint Aviation will create a personalized training plan through identification.

Identify:

Requirements already completed
Experience still needed
Time-building needs
Required commercial training
Aircraft requirements
Estimated training timeline
Estimated financial investment
You will refine the foundational flying skills learned during Private Pilot and Instrument training. Commercial-level performance requires greater consistency, accuracy, judgment, and awareness.

Training includes:

Checklist discipline
Passenger briefings
Passenger briefings
Positive aircraft control
Precise altitude and heading control
Normal and crosswind operations
Short-field operations
Soft-field operations
Steep turns
Slow flight
Stall recognition and recovery
Emergency procedures
Diversion planning
Commercial-level risk management
The emphasis is not simply on completing each maneuver, but on performing it consistently within Commercial Pilot Airman Certification Standards.
You will learn and refine the maneuvers specific to the Commercial Pilot Certificate.

Chandelles:

A chandelle combines a maximum-performance climbing turn with precise pitch, bank, airspeed, and coordination control. The maneuver develops:
Coordination
Direct holding entries
Teardrop holding entries
Maximum-performance aircraft control
Division of attention

Lazy Eights:

Lazy eights involve continuously changing pitch and bank throughout coordinated 180-degree turns. The maneuver develops:
Coordination
Timing
Control feel
Energy management
Visual awareness
Planning

Eights on Pylons:

Eights on pylons are advanced ground-reference maneuvers that require the pilot to maintain a visual reference line to selected ground points. The maneuver develops: Lazy eights involve continuously changing pitch and bank throughout coordinated 180-degree turns. The maneuver develops:
Understanding of pivotal altitude
Wind-drift correction
Coordination
Planning
Division of attention
Ground-reference control

Steep Spirals:

A steep spiral is a gliding maneuver around a selected ground point. The maneuver develops:
Wind correction
Emergency-planning skills
Energy management
Ground-reference control
Division of attention

Power-Off 180-Degree Accuracy Approach and Landing:

The power-off 180 requires the applicant to plan and execute an approach to a selected landing point without adding power. The maneuver develops:
Judgement
Energy management
Wind evaluation
Glide-path planning
Aircraft control
Landing accuracy
You will complete the required training in an eligible complex, technically advanced, turbine-powered airplane, or qualifying combination.

Training includes:

Aircraft systems
Electrical systems
Fuel systems
Landing-gear systems
Propeller systems
Engine management
Automation management
Primary flight display use
Multifunction display use
Autopilot operations
Abnormal procedures
Emergency procedures
Checklist management
Takeoff and landing procedures
Aircraft performance
Risk management
The specific training content will depend on the aircraft used.
You will complete any remaining required commercial cross-country and night experience.

Training includes:

Day commercial cross-country training
Night commercial cross-country training
Solo or duties-of-PIC cross-country experience
Night takeoffs and landings
Route planning
Weather analysis
Fuel planning
Aircraft-performance calculations
Diversions
Passenger considerations
Risk management
Controlled-airport operations
Uncontrolled-airport operations
This phase may also include time building when the applicant has not yet reached the required total, PIC, or cross-country experience
Commercial pilots are expected to identify risks early, manage the flight professionally, and make conservative decisions.

Training includes:

Simulated engine failures
Emergency descents
Systems malfunctions
Electrical failures
Navigation failures
Diversions
Precautionary landings
Aeronautical decision-making
Single-pilot resource management
Passenger pressure
Schedule pressure
External pressure
Personal minimums
Automation management
Workload management
Professional conduct
Professional conduct
The final phase brings together everything you have learned and prepares you for the Commercial Pilot practical test.

Training includes:

FAA Commercial Pilot Airman Certification Standards review
Commercial privileges and limitations
Aircraft-document review
Maintenance and inspection requirements
Weather interpretation
Cross-country flight planning
Aircraft systems
Performance calculations
Weight-and-balance calculations
Risk-management scenarios
Oral-exam preparation
Commercial-maneuver refinement
Power-off 180 accuracy landings
Emergency-procedure review
Mock oral examinations
Mock practical tests
Final instructor endorsements
Your training concludes with an FAA practical test administered by a Designated Pilot Examiner. The practical test generally consists of:
  • An oral examination
  • A flight examination
The applicant will be evaluated under the current Commercial Pilot for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards.

Practical Test May Evaluate:

Pilot qualifications
Commercial privileges and limitations
Airworthiness requirements
Weather information
Cross-country planning
National Airspace System operations
Aircraft systems
Performance and limitations
Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds
Performance maneuvers
Ground-reference maneuvers
Navigation
Slow flight and stalls
Emergency operations
High-altitude considerations
Postflight procedures
Aeronautical decision-making
Risk management
After successfully completing both portions, you will earn your Commercial Pilot Certificate with an Airplane Single-Engine Land rating.

Investment Estimate

Current Training Rates:

    • Aircraft Rental: $170 per hour
    • Flight Instruction: $65 per hour
    • Ground Instruction: $65 per hour
    • Preflight and Postflight Instruction: An additional 0.5 hour of instruction per flight lesson

Aircraft availability, rental rates, and operating policies are determined by the aircraft provider and may be subject to change.

There may be additional fees that have not been included. Please refer to our in-depth documentation for more information regarding our pricing estimates.

Read our in-depth guide for more information by clicking the button below.

Read in-depth guide
Training Scenario
FAA Minimum
Typical Average
Extended
Dual Commercial Flight Training
15 hours
22 hours
30 hours
Aircraft Rental ($170/hr)
$2,550
$3,740
$5,100
Flight Instruction ($65/hr)
$975
$1,430
$1,950
Estimated Ground (10 hours x $65)
$650
$780
$975
Estimated pre/post instruction (.5 per flight)
$260
$358
$488
Estimated Training Total
$4,435
$6,308
$8,513

Frequently asked questions

Applicants who are already near 250 hours and meet most FAA experience requirements may complete commercial proficiency training in approximately 1–3 months.

Applicants who need significant time building may require several additional months.

Completion time depends on:

  • Current total flight time
  • Remaining FAA requirements
  • Training frequency
  • Aircraft availability
  • Weather
  • Student preparation
  • Commercial-maneuver proficiency
  • Practical-test availability

The exact amount varies by applicant.

Although some applicants may become checkride ready with approximately 15 hours of focused commercial instruction, many students should anticipate approximately 20–30 hours of dual instruction.

Commercial maneuvers require a higher level of precision and consistency than previous certificates or ratings. Students often need additional practice with:

  • Lazy eights
  • Chandelles
  • Eights on pylons
  • Steep spirals
  • Power-off 180-degree accuracy landings
  • Short-field operations
  • Emergency procedures
  • Commercial-level cross-country planning
  • Oral-examination knowledge

The amount of training required depends on:

  • Previous flight experience
  • Recency of experience
  • Aircraft familiarity
  • Training frequency
  • Preparation between lessons
  • Maneuver proficiency
  • Landing consistency
  • Weather and scheduling interruptions
  • Ability to meet Commercial Pilot ACS standards

The FAA requirements are minimum eligibility requirements, not guaranteed completion times.

Waypoint Aviation will provide progress updates throughout training and revise the student’s estimated remaining training as proficiency develops.

Under Part 61, an applicant for a Commercial Pilot Certificate with an airplane single-engine rating must log at least 250 hours of flight time and meet each applicable experience requirement.

Reaching 250 total hours alone is not sufficient.

The applicant must also meet the specific:

  • Powered-aircraft requirements
  • Airplane requirements
  • Pilot-in-command requirements
  • Cross-country requirements
  • Instrument-training requirements
  • Complex or TAA requirements
  • Day and night cross-country requirements
  • Solo or duties-of-PIC requirements
  • Checkride-preparation requirements

Yes.

You may begin commercial training before reaching 250 hours.

Beginning early can allow you to incorporate required training, cross-country flights, night experience, and commercial maneuvers into your time-building plan.

However, you must meet all applicable requirements before taking the practical test.

An Instrument Rating is not always required simply to apply for the Commercial Pilot Certificate.

However, a Commercial Pilot Certificate issued without an Instrument Rating may carry limitations that restrict certain commercial passenger-carrying operations.

The Instrument Rating is strongly recommended for anyone pursuing a professional aviation career.

Properly conducted and documented previous instrument training may satisfy some or all of the applicable commercial instrument-training requirement.

Holding an Instrument Rating by itself does not automatically confirm that every required commercial element was properly logged.

Your logbook must be reviewed to confirm:

  • The amount of instrument training received
  • The category and class of aircraft used
  • The instructor’s qualifications
  • The required training elements
  • The wording and content of the logbook entries

Additional training may be necessary when previous entries do not clearly establish compliance.

Not necessarily.

The FAA allows the Commercial Pilot practical test to be conducted in an airplane that meets the applicable requirements for the test.

The separate aeronautical experience requirement may be completed in a complex airplane, technically advanced airplane, turbine-powered airplane, or qualifying combination.

The specific aircraft used for the practical test must be capable of performing the required tasks and accepted by the examiner.

A technically advanced airplane must meet the FAA’s applicable equipment definition.

It generally includes:

  • An electronically advanced primary flight display
  • An electronically advanced multifunction display
  • An integrated two-axis autopilot

A GPS or glass display alone does not necessarily make an airplane a technically advanced airplane.

The aircraft’s installed equipment must be reviewed before training is counted toward the requirement.

Training in a personally owned aircraft may be possible if the aircraft is:

  • Airworthy
  • Properly insured
  • Properly equipped
  • Current on required inspections
  • Suitable for the training being conducted
  • Accepted by the instructor
  • Capable of performing the required maneuvers

Aircraft records, equipment, maintenance status, operating limitations, and insurance requirements must be reviewed before training begins.

Yes.

Properly documented commercial training may count toward applicable FAA requirements.

Waypoint Aviation will complete a logbook and proficiency evaluation to determine:

  • Which requirements have been completed
  • Which requirements remain
  • Your current proficiency
  • Whether additional endorsements or training are needed
  • Your estimated checkride-preparation plan

Two to Three lessons per week is recommended for consistent progress. Four times a week for an accelerated student.

Commercial maneuvers require precision, timing, coordination, and repetition. Long gaps between lessons may increase the amount of review needed.

Applicants completing significant time building may use a different schedule while still maintaining regular proficiency-training lessons.

Yes.

Training may be structured around work, school, and family responsibilities.

Consistency remains important. A predictable schedule generally improves retention and reduces repeated review.

No.

Aircraft rental and instruction are separate charges.

Cessna 172 aircraft rental is currently estimated at $170 per hour. Flight and ground instruction are $65 per hour.

Aircraft payments may be made directly to the aircraft provider according to its policies.

Commercial instruction includes preparation and review outside of the aircraft’s operating time.

Before each lesson, your instructor may review:

  • Weather
  • NOTAMs
  • Aircraft status
  • Performance calculations
  • Weight and balance
  • Lesson objectives
  • Maneuver profiles
  • Risk management

After the lesson, you will review:

  • Maneuver performance
  • Landing accuracy
  • Decision-making
  • Areas requiring improvement
  • Training records
  • Logbook entries
  • Preparation for the next lesson

An additional 0.5 hour of instruction is charged for this preflight and postflight time with each flight lesson.

An Instrument Rating is not always required simply to apply for the Commercial Pilot Certificate.

However, a Commercial Pilot Certificate issued without an Instrument Rating may carry limitations that restrict certain commercial passenger-carrying operations.

The Instrument Rating is strongly recommended for anyone pursuing a professional aviation career.

A pilot taking a practical test in an aircraft generally must meet the applicable FAA medical requirements.

To exercise Commercial Pilot privileges in operations requiring a medical certificate, a pilot generally must hold at least a second-class medical certificate.

Students pursuing airline careers are encouraged to determine their first-class medical eligibility early in their training.

No.

A Commercial Pilot Certificate is an important professional milestone, but airline employment requires additional qualifications.

These may include:

  • Instrument Rating
  • Multi-Engine Rating
  • Additional total flight time
  • Cross-country experience
  • Night experience
  • Instrument experience
  • Airline Transport Pilot eligibility
  • ATP Certification Training Program
  • Airline training
  • Aircraft type rating
  • Employer-specific qualifications

Many commercial pilots build experience by earning a Flight Instructor Certificate and providing flight instruction.

Possibly, but only when the pilot and the operation meet all applicable regulations.

The Commercial Pilot Certificate permits certain compensated operations, but it does not authorize every form of paid flying.

The pilot must consider:

  • Commercial privileges and limitations
  • Aircraft requirements
  • Medical requirements
  • Operating-certificate requirements
  • Whether the operation involves common carriage
  • Employer qualifications
  • Insurance requirements
  • Applicable operating regulations

Legal guidance or FAA clarification may be appropriate for unusual commercial arrangements.

A Commercial Pilot Certificate allows a pilot to exercise certain commercial privileges.

A Flight Instructor Certificate allows a qualified pilot to provide flight training and issue certain endorsements.

A Commercial Pilot Certificate is generally required before applying for an initial Flight Instructor Certificate.

The CFI Certificate requires separate ground training, flight training, knowledge tests, endorsements, and a practical test.

Yes.

A properly designed training plan may allow certain flights to satisfy multiple objectives when all regulatory requirements are met.

For example, a flight may support:

  • Total-time building
  • PIC experience
  • Cross-country experience
  • Night experience
  • Commercial cross-country requirements
  • Navigation practice
  • Professional decision-making

Each flight must still be properly conducted and logged. Not every flight can be applied to every requirement.

Waypoint Aviation does not currently guarantee in-house financing.

Students may explore:

  • Personal financing
  • Aviation scholarships
  • Outside education or training loans
  • Employer education benefits
  • Payment plans offered by outside providers
  • Other aviation funding resources

Training is generally paid lesson by lesson, allowing students to progress according to their schedule and budget.

Ready to begin your training?

Your first step is a commercial-training consultation and logbook review. Fill out the form below to get started. We will discuss things such as: aviation goals, current pilot certificate, Instrument Rating status, total flight time, and more.
Flight Booking Form

Location

9698 W Tucson-Ajo Hwy, Tucson, AZ 85735
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