Navigating the regulations for private pilots in the United States can be a little, let’s just say, intense. I’ve done my best to summarize the main ones here in plane plain English. See what I did there?

Note that this is a working document and I’m updating it. Also, as pilot in command, YOU are ultimately responsible for knowing the regulations. Verify anything you read here before you rely on it for flight or ground operations. For more, read the disclaimer here.

Now, let’s get into it.

§ 61.129 in Plain English

To get a commercial pilot’s certificate, there are a few rules you need to follow. You need to have 250 hours of flying experience, and at least 100 of those hours must be in powered aircraft.

If you want to get a single-engine rating, you must have flown at least 50 hours in airplanes, and 100 hours as a pilot in command. You’ll also need to do 20 hours of training on things like instrument training, cross-country flights, and solo flight time.

If you’re going for a multi-engine rating, you need to have flown at least 50 hours in airplanes, and 100 hours as a pilot in command. You’ll also need to do 20 hours of training, which includes flying with a view-limiting device, cross-country flights, and solo flight time.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the requirements for each rating:

Single-Engine Rating Requirements

  • At least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot
  • 100 hours in powered aircraft, 50 of which must be in airplanes
  • 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, including 50 hours in airplanes and 50 hours in cross-country flight, with at least 10 hours in airplanes
  • 20 hours of training on specific areas of operation, including 10 hours of instrument training using a view-limiting device, 10 hours of training in a complex or turbine-powered airplane, and two cross-country flights of two hours each with a distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure.
  • Ten hours of solo flight time in a single-engine airplane, including a cross-country flight of at least 300 nautical miles and five hours in night VFR conditions with ten takeoffs and landings.

Multi-Engine Rating Requirements

  • At least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot
  • 100 hours in powered aircraft, 50 of which must be in airplanes
  • 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, including 50 hours in airplanes and 50 hours in cross-country flight, with at least 10 hours in airplanes
  • 20 hours of training on specific areas of operation, including 10 hours of instrument training using a view-limiting device, and 10 hours of training in a multi-engine complex or turbine-powered airplane.
  • One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles total distance with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the original departure point.
  • Ten hours of solo flight time in a multi-engine airplane, including a cross-country flight of at least 300 nautical miles and five hours in night VFR conditions with ten takeoffs and landings.

Plain English Explanation of § 91.205

This regulation outlines the instruments and equipment required for powered civil airplanes with a standard category U.S. airworthiness certificate for different types of flight operations.

Visual Flight Rules (Day)

For visual flight during the day, the following instruments and equipment are required:

  • Airspeed indicator
  • Altimeter
  • Magnetic direction indicator
  • Tachometer for each engine
  • Oil pressure gauge for each engine using a pressure system
  • Temperature gauge for each liquid-cooled engine
  • Oil temperature gauge for each air-cooled engine
  • Manifold pressure gauge for each altitude engine
  • Fuel gauge indicating the quantity of fuel in each tank
  • Landing gear position indicator, if the aircraft has a retractable landing gear
  • Anticollision light system for airplanes certificated after March 11, 1996, in accordance with part 23 of this chapter, with an approved aviation red or aviation white light system
  • Approved safety belt for each occupant 2 years of age or older
  • Shoulder harness or restraint system for each front seat, for airplanes manufactured after July 18, 1978, with a shoulder harness or restraint system for all seats manufactured after December 12, 1986
  • Emergency locator transmitter if required
  • Flotation gear and pyrotechnic signaling device if operated for hire over water and beyond power-off gliding distance from shore

Visual Flight Rules (Night)

For visual flight at night, the following instruments and equipment are required:

  • Instruments and equipment specified for day flight
  • Approved position lights
  • Approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system for all U.S.-registered civil aircraft
  • Electric landing light if operated for hire
  • Adequate source of electrical energy for all installed electrical and radio equipment
  • Spare set of fuses, or three spare fuses of each kind required, accessible to the pilot in flight

Instrument Flight Rules

For instrument flight, the following instruments and equipment are required:

  • Instruments and equipment specified for day and night flight
  • Two-way radio communication and navigation equipment suitable for the route flown
  • Gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator
  • Slip-skid indicator
  • Sensitive altimeter adjustable for barometric pressure
  • Clock displaying hours, minutes, and seconds
  • Generator or alternator of adequate capacity
  • Gyroscopic pitch and bank indicator (artificial horizon)
  • Gyroscopic direction indicator (directional gyro or equivalent)

Flight at and above 24,000 feet MSL (FL 240)

If VOR navigation equipment is required for instrument flight, no person may operate a U.S.-registered civil aircraft within the 50 states and the District of Columbia at or above FL 240 unless the aircraft is equipped with approved DME or a suitable RNAV system.

Category II and III Operations

For Category II and III operations, the instruments and equipment specified for instrument flight are required.

Night Vision Goggle Operations

For night vision goggle operations, the following instruments and equipment must be installed, functioning normally, and approved for use by the FAA:

  • Instruments and equipment specified for day and night flight
  • Night vision goggles
  • Interior and exterior aircraft lighting system required for night vision goggle operations
  • Two-way radio communication system
  • Gyroscopic pitch and bank indicator (artificial horizon)
  • Generator or alternator of adequate capacity for required instruments and equipment
  • Radar altimeter

Exclusions

These requirements do not apply to operations conducted by a holder of a certificate issued under part 121 or part 135 of this chapter.

Regulation § 91.175 in Plain English

This regulation contains rules for the takeoff and landing of aircraft under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) to civil airports. The following points apply specifically to airplanes:

  • When using an instrument approach to a civil airport, pilots must use a standard instrument approach procedure prescribed by the FAA unless authorized otherwise.
  • The highest authorized DA/DH (Decision altitude/height) or MDA (minimum descent altitude) for approach procedures must be used and can be either the DA/DH or MDA prescribed by the approach procedure, the DA/DH or MDA prescribed for the pilot in command, or the DA/DH or MDA appropriate for the aircraft equipment available and used during the approach.
  • No pilot may operate an aircraft below the authorized MDA or continue an approach below the authorized DA/DH unless certain conditions are met, including having a continuous position to make a normal descent to land, adequate flight visibility, and at least one visual reference for the intended runway is distinctly visible and identifiable to the pilot.
  • No pilot may land an aircraft unless the weather conditions at the time of landing are at or above the weather minimums for IFR landing prescribed for that airport, and the flight visibility is not less than the visibility prescribed in the standard instrument approach procedure being used.
  • Pilots must execute an appropriate missed approach procedure immediately if certain conditions exist, such as operating an aircraft below MDA or if an identifiable part of the airport is not distinctly visible during a circling maneuver.
  • For takeoff from a civil airport under IFR, no pilot may take off unless the weather conditions at the time of takeoff meet the weather minimums for IFR takeoff prescribed for that airport under part 97 of this chapter. If the weather minimums are not prescribed, certain minimum visibility applies depending on the number of engines of the aircraft.
  • No pilot may take off under IFR from a civil airport having published obstacle departure procedures (ODPs) under part 97 of this chapter for the takeoff runway to be used, unless the pilot uses such ODPs or an alternative procedure or route assigned by air traffic control.
  • Military airports have their own set of instrument approach procedures and takeoff and landing minimums that must be followed.
  • RVR minimums for takeoff or landing can be converted to ground visibility according to a specified table.
  • When operating on an unpublished route or while being radar vectored, pilots must comply with certain procedures when receiving an approach clearance.
  • Pilots may not make a procedure turn unless cleared to do so by air traffic control in certain cases.
  • The basic components of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) are the localizer, glide slope, and outer marker, and for Category II or Category III approaches, an inner marker. Certain substitutes can be used for the outer marker. The use and substitution of the inner marker for a Category II or III approach are determined by the appropriate regulations or operations specifications issued to an operator.

DA/DH refers to altitude measurements used during instrument approaches to determine when a pilot can descend towards a runway.

  • DA stands for Decision Altitude, which is a specified altitude in feet above sea level on an instrument approach procedure at which a missed approach must be initiated if the required visual reference to continue the approach has not been established.
  • DH stands for Decision Height, which is similar to DA, except it is used for precision instrument approaches and is measured in feet above the touchdown zone of the runway.

My name is Sean Walsh, and I'm the founder and writer of this website. For as far back as I can remember, I've always been interested in flying. A few years ago, I passed my check ride and got my PPL certificate! I'm now a private pilot with over 500 hours of flying time. Read more about me here.