How can a Private Pilot get the 250 total flight hours required to qualify for their Commercial? For many pilots, this gap is the hardest time to build. Why? Because you can’t get paid to build flight hours until you’ve earned your Commercial Pilot License!
There are a few ways to dodge paying for these flight hours, but they’re going to at least cost you some time. Naturally, some methods are more expensive and time-consuming than others. We will go over all the ways to obtain those flight hours, as well as their pros/cons, so that you can decide on the best way for YOU to earn your Commercial Pilot License!
How many Flight Hours do I ACTUALLY need to build for my CPL?
Usually, by the time you’re ready to move onto your Commercial Pilot License (CPL), you’ve already earned both your Private Pilot License (PPL) and your Instrument Rating (IR). As many of you know, you need a minimum of 40 total flight hours in order to take your PPL Check-Ride; so most folks have somewhere between 40 and 80 flight hours by the time they’ve passed. And depending on how much Instrument and PIC Cross Country time they earned while getting their PPL, they’ll have earned somewhere between 10 and 50+ additional flight hours to qualify for their Instrument Check-Ride.
Totaling to somewhere around 100+ hours of flight time by the time you complete your IR, you could need 150 flight hours or more to qualify for your CPL! These flight hours can empty your bank account faster than you might imagine, so let’s talk about your options.
Volunteer for a Charitable Cause
PROS:
- Help People In Need
- Great Experience
- Free Flight Hours
- Travel Across The Globe
CONS:
- Large Time Investment
- Time Away From Loved Ones
- Fly In Potentially Unknown Airspace
- No Income
Volunteering can be one of the most rewarding things that you can do in your life, and as a pilot, you have more to gain as well. The flight hours that you gain from volunteering will depend entirely on the organization that you choose to fly for. There are many causes: like disaster relief, non-emergency medical transport, or animal transport, that can leave a positive impact on the world while simultaneously padding out your log book.
You can find a helpful directory of organizations that are currently looking for volunteer pilots here:
Join the Military
PROS:
- Paid Flight Hours
- Free Education
- Great Experience
- Lots of Travel Opportunities
CONS:
- Large Time Investment
- Culture Not For Everyone
- Can Be Dangerous
- Potential Isolation From Loved Ones
Military flying is not the right choice for all pilots, but for those who are willing and able to work hard and sacrifice a few years of their lives, it can be a great option. Plus, they’ll pay for your flight hours! The military is usually in need of pilots, and options range from full-time fighter pilots, to reservists flying airborne tankers. The commitment can be daunting, but lack of debt and opportunity to serve your country are always strong selling points.
The cost here is time, you’ll most likely be required to spend more time getting to 250 flight hours here than you would with any of these other options. However, Air Force and Navy pilots learn valuable life skills, while earning the pilot-in-command time sought by airlines. Plus, you get to fly around the world in really cool planes!
Buy a Plane
PROS:
- Fly Whenever You Want
- Fly Whatever You Can Afford
- Rent To Schools/Pilots
- You Can Tell People You Own A Plane
CONS:
- Maintenance Problems
- High Upfront Cost
- Long-term Investment/Responsibility
- Insurance Costs
If money isn’t a big concern, and you want to build time as quickly as possible, buying an airplane can be a great way to do it. The key is to buy it early enough to train in it, cover the cost of the rental, and then continue running it as if it were a job after training. Plan to fly a few hours every day and make sure the time you’re building is quality time with lots of cross country and instrument flying.
Owning your own plane can be a financial boon as well. You can rent/lease your plane to your local flight school or flying club to float some costs, and in some situations, make a little money on the side. Just make sure that you have a mechanic ready, or you might be out of luck for weeks at a time.
A good flight school or flight club has spare parts at the ready for when something inevitably needs repairing. So if you don’t rent to a well managed facility, you may have a hard time with maintenance slowing you down since most private airplane owners don’t keep spare parts in stock.
Share a Plane
PROS:
- Low Travel Requirement
- No Upfront Cost
- Very Little Groundwork
- Usually Local Airspace
CONS:
- Scheduling
- Liability Concerns
- Unknown Plane Condition
- Unknown Pilot Habits
There are so many pilots standing in your shoes, why not reach out for a mutual benefit? Putting yourself out on social media and with your local flight schools can make some great opportunities to get low-cost hours. Heck, if you have a silver tongue, you might find some new friends at your local airport. You’d be surprised how many pilots are looking for someone to accompany them on their next adventure.
Your new pilot friends will need safety pilots to fly with them from time to time too so that they can stay up to date with the various instrument skills. As you probably know, being a safety pilot will earn you some sweet Pilot in Command (PIC) time while your co-pilot is under the hood. Let’s briefly go over what it means to be a safety pilot.
“This kind of time can also be built when flying with what is known as a “Safety Pilot”. A Safety Pilot is a trained pilot who helps maintain visual separation from other aircraft, clouds and terrain while another pilot wears vision-limiting equipment (foggles) in the air in order to simulate IMC. Additionally, the Safety Pilot also gets to build PIC time while the other pilot is under the hood because they are, in this situation, considered a necessary crew member.”
Learn More About Calculating Flight Hours
Additionally, it’s important to be aware of the limitations of sharing a plane while remaining legal per the FAA:
“Under the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the sharing of the cost of operating a flight between a pilot and his passengers on the basis of a noncommercial certificate is permitted in the United States. Basically, in some situations, the costs of flying may be shared and thereby cause the flight to not be classified as a regulated commercial carrier activity.”
Learn More About The Legality of Sharing Planes
Flying Clubs
PROS:
- Reduced Hourly Costs
- High Aircraft Selection
- Potential Equity
- Availability
CONS:
- Initial/Monthly Fee
- Possible Clash of Personalities
- Club Politics
- Availability
Flying clubs are a great way to meet other pilots and get discounts on a variety of aircraft. Many flight clubs offer discounted fare/fuel rates and even have time building opportunities for pilots like you!
Flying clubs offer a great way to save money while building that flight time. Depending on the club you join, your membership may include other benefits such as reduced aircraft rental rates and discounts on fuel. Some flying clubs also have instructors to provide guidance and additional training.
“There are two main types of Flying Clubs; Equity Clubs and Non-Equity Clubs. In an equity club, each member owns a share of the company’s aircraft or shares. To join the club, members buy a share and when they leave, they will sell their share.”
Learn More About Flying Clubs
Check out AOPA’s Flying Club Finder to find a club near you:
Time Building Programs
PROS:
- High Plane Availability
- Discount Bulk Rates
- Regular Maintenance
- Optional Accommodations
CONS:
- Block Time Commitment
- Registration Fees
- May Require Travel
- Potentially New Airspace
Time Building Programs, like Odyssey Pilot Hours, help pilots to close flight time gaps quickly and economically.
“For many years, flight schools have offered pilots packages of flight hours in bulk and at discounted prices. But as the demand for flight hours has increased, these programs have grown into full-blown operations with dedicated facilities! What differentiates these operations are things like: pricing packages, airplane variety/availability, maintenance, accommodations, minimum requirements and rental procedures.”
Learn more about Time Building Facilities
“Odyssey Pilot Hours is approaching the worldwide demand for pilots by assisting in the number one barrier to entry: building time. Building quality pilot time and experience is our main objective while simultaneously cutting the cost for you. We do this by offering a full-time immersive experience to get you prepared for your future faster. With us, you’ll stay in FREE beautiful Colorado lodgings and fly at least 30-50 PIC hours a week in our glass cockpit, TAA fleet to meet the requirements for your dream job fast and affordably.”
Learn More About Odyssey Pilot Hours
Building flight hours to qualify for your Commercial Pilot License doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. There are many ways to get the flight time you need, including flying clubs, time building programs, and flight schools. Whichever route you choose, make sure you do your research to find the best option for you. And always remember, the best way to build flight hours is to get out there and fly!
Do you have any tips on how to build flight hours? Share them in the comments below! Happy flying!
If you’re looking for more information on how to build flight hours, check out these articles:
3 responses to “Commercial Pilot License: How to Build 250 Flight Hours Fast!”
[…] Commercial Pilot License: How to Build 250 Flight Hours Fast! […]
[…] do new pilots get hours? How do you get enough hours for a commercial pilot’s license? If you’re looking to build flight hours as a pilot, you’re in luck. The private […]
[…] A Flying Club, or Aero Club, is a non-profit, member-run organization that provides members with affordable access to aircraft. Many clubs provide in-flight training, flight planning facilities, piloting supplies and related services, as well as arrange social functions, providing flights to and from other airports. Flying clubs are home to those who want to fly as a hobby, with many commercial pilots also getting their start in flying clubs. […]