Building Experience as a Pilot
Additional Pilot Certificates & Ratings
Like many of us, once you have earned your Private Pilot certificate you may now have a need or desire to acquire additional skills. Examples include getting an Instrument Rating allowing you expand the utility of your pilot certificate by flying through the clouds, a Multi-engine Rating allowing you to fly airplanes with more than one engine, or acquiring even higher levels of pilot certification to fly professionally and get paid with a Commercial Pilot Certificate or an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATP). Whether your goals and aspirations are for recreational flying, a professional career or both, Safety in Motion Flight Center is here with the facilities, resources, and dedication to help you see it through. What follows is a description of each pilot certificate and rating program. Pilots entering these programs have differing levels of flight time and experience, so please CONTACT US so that we provide you with an accurate cost and time estimate toward achieving your goal.
Instrument Rating
The Instrument Rating allows you to fly and navigate solely by reference to the instruments in the cockpit and without using references outside of the cockpit for navigating and determining aircraft attitude. Without an Instrument Rating added to your pilot certificate, you must remain clear of the clouds and this can be inconvenient especially up here in the Pacific Northwest. Once you have acquired this rating you will be able to operate in the clouds in “instrument meteorological conditions” (IMC), which increases the utility of your pilot certificate allowing you to continue toward your destination, be more confident flying at night, and significantly increases your pilot proficiency.
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• To be eligible for an Instrument Rating you must possess at least a Private Pilot Certificate, be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language, and receive all the required aeronautical education and training required for the Rating.
• This is another training course that can be conducted under Part 61 or Part 141 Regulations. Part 141 is the most cost-effective way to go! Part 61 requires 40 hours of instrument experience plus 50 hours of pilot-in-command cross-country flight time, which essentially makes it a 90-hour course. Part 141 requires a minimum of only 35 hours of instrument training time with no pilot-in-command cross-country flight time requirement.
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During your Private Pilot and/or Commercial training (assuming you have not received a prior instrument rating), you will have received a few hours of instrument flight training to provide you with the emergency skills necessary to exit IMC conditions. This training will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to operate safely and proficiently in the “instrument flight rules” (IFR) system. Part 141 requires a minimum of 30 hours of aeronautical knowledge training covering topics ranging from IFR regulations, procedures, and charts, to aircraft instrument systems, navigation systems, and weather planning. After your knowledge training is completed, you will take the FAA Airman Knowledge Exam (Safety in Motion Flight Center is an authorized FAA Testing Facility).
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As previously mentioned, Part 141 requires only 35 hours of dual-flight training. Safety in Motion Flight Center has a Redbird FMX “Advanced Aviation Training Device” (AATD), which is a fancy word for simulator, and it can be used in your flight training. The Redbird can be used for up to 40% of the flight time requirement, saving you thousands of dollars! Although Part 61 will take more flight time, it could be a viable option for those pilots who have already accrued a healthy amount of cross-country flight time or would prefer to fly in their own airplanes. Again, we can train under either regulation or pick the one that is to your financial benefit!
General flight time requirements under Part 61:
• 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time
• 15 hours of the 40 must be with an instrument flight instructor (the remaining can be with a safety pilot)
• One dual instrument cross-country flight of at least 250 nm
• 3 hours of dual training in preparation for the exam within 2-calendar months
• 50 hours of pilot-in-command cross-country time, 10 of which must be in an airplane (this applies to pilots that may have prior instrument time in helicopters, etc.)
General flight time requirements under Part 141:
• 35 hours of dual instrument training
• One dual instrument cross-country flight of at least 250 nm
Additional expenses beyond the basic ground and flight training time requirements:
• Pre- and Post-flight briefings. These total approximately 20-30 minutes per dual flight lesson.
• Pilot training books and supplies
• Aeronautical Charts & References (expire every 56-days)
• Written exam fee (Approximately $160.00 charged by PSI Testing Services)
• Practical exam fee (Approximately $700 charged by the Pilot Examiner)
Note: Remember if you are comparing us to other flight schools, be sure to consider what is being provided. These additional expenses are involved in ANY flight program and many flight schools omit them to make their program appear to be less expensive. Stop by or CONTACT US and we will provide you with program course cost estimates that include all associated costs.
Multi-engine Rating
The “additional aircraft rating, multi-engine land” also simply known as the Multi-engine Rating, provides you with knowledge and skill to operate airplanes that have more than one engine, hence the name of the rating. This training is fairly quick, only requiring 10-15 hours of flight time depending on the prior experience and currency of the pilot we’re training. This rating is added to your pilot certificate, which at this point only has an airplane single-engine land aircraft rating. You will find that a multi-engine airplane operates similarly to a single-engine airplane in flight – just faster. The issue is that when one engine becomes inoperative the other one is still operating, and this is where things can get interesting! This training provides you with knowledge, skill, and ability to understand multi-engine operations, aerodynamics, and control the airplane in various emergency engine-out scenarios.
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• To be eligible for a Multi-engine Rating you must possess at least a Private Pilot Certificate, be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language, and receive all the required aeronautical education and training required for the Rating. This rating additionally requires prior TSA approval for non-US citizens (Click HERE for TSA Approval Information).
• This is another training course that can be conducted under Part 61 or Part 141 Regulations. Depending on the pilot’s currency and proficiency, training under Part 61 is typically a more cost-effective way to go. In some cases, pilots receiving funding that requires them to train under Part 141, will either conduct the full course under that Part or disenroll at the point of the practical exam, and take the exam under Part 61. Again, many situations are different, and we can adjust to see what works best for you!
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During this training, you will receive training on multi-engine aircraft systems, aerodynamics, and some new performance tables you likely have not seen before. If you already possess an instrument rating, you will want to review that material as this rating will require you to fly a simulated “single engine” approach under simulated instrument conditions. There is no written exam for this Rating.
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As mentioned, the main difference in flying a Multi-engine Airplane is that if one engine becomes inoperative, the other one is still developing power – and thrust. The focus of this course is training you to detect engine failures, continue to control the airplane, evaluate and/or secure the inoperative engine, be able to recognize and recover from the loss of control situations, and land with one engine inoperative (simulated of course for training).
There is no minimum flight time requirement for training conducted under Part 61. Part 141 requires a minimum of 15 hours of flight time to complete the course. Again, 10 to 15-hrs of flight time is average for students pursuing the Multi-engine Rating and being proficient.
General flight time requirements under Part 61:
• No minimum flight time requirement, only proficiency in knowledge and maneuvers.
General flight time requirements under Part 141:
• 15 hours of dual instruction
Additional expenses beyond the basic ground and flight training time requirements:
• Pre- and Post-flight briefings. These total approximately 20-30 minutes per dual flight lesson.
• Pilot training books and supplies
• Aeronautical Charts & References (expire every 56-days)
• Practical exam fee (Approximately $700 charged by the Pilot Examiner)
Note: Remember if you are comparing us to other flight schools, be sure to consider what is being provided. These additional expenses are involved in ANY flight program and many flight schools omit them to make their program appear to be less expensive. Stop by or CONTACT US and we will provide you with program course cost estimates that include all associated costs.
Commercial Pilot
Obtaining your Commercial Pilot certification allows you to receive compensation as a pilot. This level of pilot certification opens the doors to a wide variety of personally and financially rewarding flight experiences and opportunities. Commercial pilots are able to operate aircraft to fly passengers and/or cargo for hire, work as a Certified Flight Instructor, or once certain flight experience requirements are met, obtain work as a charter pilot, corporate pilot, airline pilot, and much more.
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• All the prior flight time you accrued as a Private Pilot up to this point counts toward your commercial pilot experience. The exception is if your training is going to be in accordance with Part 141, which then requires you to accrue 120-hrs within the commercial pilot training course. This sounds like a lot, but the FAA requirement for Part 61 is that you must have 250 hours of total flight time. This is one of those certificates we work with you on to evaluate what is the best route for you to take in your training. Under Part 141, pilots typically acquire their commercial certificate at between 200-220 hours, which saves you thousands of dollars and about 2-3 months of time. Again, we pick what works to YOUR advantage!
• To be eligible for a Commercial Pilot Certificate you must be at least 18 years of age, able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language, hold at least a Private Pilot Certificate, and receive all the required aeronautical education and training required of the Certificate.
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Much of the information you will learn for this Certificate will be similar to what you learned during your Private Pilot Certificate, but with more in-depth study and understanding of commercial regulations, and advanced flight planning to include aircraft performance. You will also be introduced to more advanced aircraft systems and complex navigation planning. In some cases, Commercial Pilots will work in a crewed cockpit environment where two pilots work together on a given flight, so you will learn more about crew resource management and other human factors considerations when working as a team on the flight deck. After your studying and preparation, you will take the Commercial Pilot Written Exam.
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The primary focus of becoming a Commercial Pilot is to ensure you have a good amount of flight experience and a mastery of flying the aircraft. You also need to possess a strong knowledge of what flight operations you can fly for and obtain compensation, strong navigation skills, and in-depth knowledge of the airplane's systems and operations.
General flight time requirements are that you possess:
• 250 hours of flight time (For Part 61, or 120 hours in the course for Part 141)
• 100 hours must be in powered aircraft with 50 hours of that in airplanes.
• 100 hours of “Pilot in Command” flight time with at least 50 hours in airplanes.
• 50 hours of cross-country flight time with at least 10 hours in airplanes
20 hours of training with an instructor toward the Commercial Certificate in include (55 hours for Part 141):
• 10 hours of training in a complex, technically advanced, or turbine airplane
• 2-hour day, and 2-hour night cross-country time
• 10 hours of instrument time with at least 5 hours in an airplane
• 3 hours in preparation for the practical exam
20 hours of solo flight time to include:
• One solo cross-country flight of at least 300 nautical miles (250 nm for Part 141)
• 5 hours of night flight in VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and landings
Additional expenses beyond the basic ground and flight training time requirements:
• Pre- and Post-flight briefings. These total approximately 20-30 minutes per dual flight lesson.
• Pilot training books and supplies
• Aeronautical Charts & References (expire every 56-days)
• Purchasing a headset (We have rental headsets on an as-available basis)
• Written exam fee (Approximately $160.00 charged by PSI Testing Services)
• Practical exam fee (Approximately $700 charged by the Pilot Examiner)
Note: Plan to add approximately $2,000 to the minimum cost of flight training to cover these additional items unless the school posts them as part of their training estimate. Stop by or CONTACT US and we will provide you with program course cost estimates that include all associated costs.
Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)
The ATP Certificate is the highest level pilot certificate you can achieve. It requires you to have a good amount of total flight-time experience, instrument experience, and cross-country time. The ATP Certificate typically requires you to possess a total flight time of 1,500 hours, but lower times can be approved for collegiate programs that offer the “Restricted ATP (R-ATP)” pilot tracks that drop that minimum down to 1,250 hours for associate-level degree programs and 1,000 hours for baccalaureate degree programs (Safety in Motion partners with Green River College that is approved for both R-ATP programs, providing the flight training). Military pilots can qualify with a total time as low as 750 hours. The ATP Certificate is required to fly for airlines and some other professional flying positions using larger and/or turbine-powered aircraft. This certificate additionally requires that the applicant complete the ATP “Certification Training Program” (CTP) course as a condition to take the FAA ATP written exam. While Safety in Motion can provide flight training and knowledge training, we do not offer the CTP course as this requires airline-level simulators. However, we can make recommendations pointing you toward facilities that offer this course, then you simply complete your training with us.
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• Be of good moral character
• Be 23 years old (21 years old for the R-ATP program)
• Hold a commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating
• Pass the ATP written exam (and have taken the CTP course prior)
• Meet the minimum flight hour experience requirements of Part 61 (Part 141 requires this as well)
• Pass the ATP practical exam
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In general, this will be quite similar to what you studied for your Commercial Pilot Certificate. The focus will be on regulations, weather, performance charts, aircraft loading with weight and balance calculations, and air traffic procedures. The written exam can be taken with emphasis on Part 121 regulations (airline) or Part 135 regulations (cargo & air taxi). As mentioned, you will need to take and graduate from the CTP course to be eligible to take the written exam. If you are pursuing the ATP certificate for single-engine class rating, then the CTP course is not required.
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Flight training for the ATP certificate is more instrument proficiency based than anything else. Most people pursue the ATP certificate with a multi-engine class rating, so basic multi-engine flight maneuvers of stalls, steep turns, slow flight, Vmca demonstration, and emergencies will be covered. The rest will focus on instrument proficiency with tighter tolerances.
There is no flight training requirement for the ATP Certificate under Part 61 and as such, there is no requirement for the applicant to receive endorsements from a flight instructor indicating they are prepared for the written or practical exam. The applicant only needs to verify flight experience per Part 61.159, complete the FAA’s IACRA form and submit it. If the applicant does not pass, then remedial flight training will need to be received and endorsements are given indicating preparation for the practical exam.
Part 141 requires 25 hours of flight training which includes 15 hours of instrument training. Safety in Motion’s Redbird FMX AATD (Simulator) can be used for 6.25 hours toward the 25-hour training requirement. Additionally, Part 141 requires 40 hours of ground instruction as well. Prior credit for having attended the CTP course at a Part 142 training facility can be applied toward this requirement. Many students utilizing funding streams like the VA’s GI Bill® Flight Training benefit, will enroll in Part 141 for their training, then dis-enroll when they are ready to take the practical exam. For pilots that are current in multi-engine airplanes and instrument proficient, the flight training takes approximately 8-10 hours.
General flight time requirements are that you possess (except as modified by R-ATP) 1500 hours total time to include:
• 500 hours of cross-country time
• 100 hours of night flight time
• 50 hours in a class of airplane for the rating sought (e.g. multi-engine)
• 75 hours of instrument flight time
• 250-hour pilot-in-command flight time
• Various other conditions/situations may apply, so be sure to review Part 61, Subpart G – Airline Transport Pilots
Additional expenses beyond the basic ground and flight training time requirements:
• Pre- and Post-flight briefings. These total approximately 20-30 minutes per dual flight lesson.
• Pilot training books and supplies
• Aeronautical Charts & References (expire every 56-days)
• Written exam fee (Approximately $160.00 charged by PSI Testing Services)
• Practical exam fee (Approximately $700 charged by the Pilot Examiner)
Note: Plan to add approximately $750 to the minimum cost of flight training to cover these additional items unless the school posts them as part of their training estimate. Stop by or CONTACT US and we will provide you with program course cost estimates that include all associated costs.
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• You are limited on what compensation or hire activity you can engage in per Part 119 of the Regulations.
• You can only fly airplanes for which you are rated.
• You will get a flight review every 24 calendar months.
• Must maintain at least a 2nd class flight physical/medical certificate. VA requires maintaining 1st class medical if using the GI Bill®.
• Must ensure you have the required 90-day currency for takeoffs and landings before taking passengers.
