Private Pilot Privileges and Limits: What You Can and Can't Do

The basic limit: no compensation or hire

The rule starts with the limit. Except as the later paragraphs allow, a private pilot may not act as pilot in command of an aircraft that carries passengers or property for compensation or hire. The pilot also may not act as pilot in command of any aircraft for compensation or hire.

The exceptions below are narrow. They are not a back door to flying for pay.

What private pilots can do

Fly for a business or job, if the flying is incidental

A private pilot can be paid to act as pilot in command in connection with a business or job if the flight is only incidental to that business or job, and the aircraft does not carry passengers or property for compensation or hire. A salesperson who flies to a client meeting is the usual example.

Share the cost of a flight with passengers

A private pilot can't pay less than the pro rata share of a flight's operating expenses when passengers are aboard, if the expenses involve only fuel, oil, airport expenditures or rental fees. In other words, you can split those costs with your passengers, but you can't charge them extra or make the flight pay you a profit, and you must pay your own share.

Charity and community flights

A private pilot can act as pilot in command of a charitable, nonprofit or community event flight described in section 91.146, if the sponsor and the pilot follow that section.

Search and location operations

A private pilot can be reimbursed for aircraft operating expenses directly related to search and location operations, limited to fuel, oil, airport expenditures or rental fees, if the operation is sanctioned and directed by a local, state or federal agency or by an organization that conducts such operations.

Demonstrating an aircraft for sale

A private pilot who is an aircraft salesperson and has at least 200 hours of logged flight time may demonstrate an aircraft in flight to a prospective buyer.

Towing a glider or unpowered ultralight

A private pilot who meets the requirements of section 61.69 can tow a glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle.

Production flight tests of some light-sport aircraft

The rule also lets a private pilot do a production flight test of certain light-sport category aircraft (powered parachutes and weight-shift-control aircraft), with at least 100 hours of pilot-in-command time in that category and class and familiarity with production flight testing.

Flying without a medical certificate

Paragraph (i) allows a private pilot to fly without an FAA medical certificate under the BasicMed rules, if the pilot holds a valid U.S. driver's license and meets the conditions in section 61.23. The aircraft can be authorized for no more than seven occupants, with a maximum takeoff weight of no more than 12,500 pounds, carrying no more than six passengers. The flight can't be above 18,000 feet MSL, outside the U.S. unless the country allows it, or above 250 knots indicated airspeed. The logbook must show the completed medical examination checklist and the course completion certificate.

What a private pilot cannot do

• Fly passengers or cargo for pay.
• Charge more than a pro rata share of the operating costs.
• Fly for hire as a flight instructor, charter pilot or airline pilot, which needs a commercial certificate or higher.

When to upgrade

A commercial pilot certificate is the next step for anyone who wants to fly for pay. Our guide to financing pilot training covers the cost of getting there.

Requirements to Become a Private Pilot

Under 14 CFR 61.103, to be eligible for a private pilot certificate a person must:

• Be at least 17 years old (16 for a glider or balloon rating)
• Be able to read, speak, write and understand English
• Receive an instructor's logbook endorsement for the aeronautical knowledge training, then pass the knowledge test
• Receive flight training and an instructor's endorsement that they are ready for the practical test
• Meet the aeronautical experience requirements, then pass the practical test

For an airplane single-engine rating, 14 CFR 61.109(a) requires at least 40 hours of flight time, including at least 20 hours of flight training with an instructor and 10 hours of solo flight training. The training must include 3 hours of cross-country, 3 hours of night training (with one cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles and 10 takeoffs and landings to a full stop), 3 hours of instrument training, and 3 hours of test preparation within the preceding 2 calendar months. The 10 solo hours must include 5 hours of solo cross-country, one solo cross-country flight of 150 nautical miles with full-stop landings at three points and a segment of more than 50 nautical miles, and three takeoffs and landings to a full stop at an airport with an operating control tower. These are minimums. Most students take longer. Our guide to paying for private pilot training explains what that costs, and you will need a third-class medical certificate unless you fly under BasicMed (see our guide to FAA medical conditions).

Solo Requirements for Student Pilots

Before you are a private pilot, you fly solo as a student. To be eligible for a student pilot certificate you must be at least 16 years old for an airplane (14 for a glider or balloon) and able to read, speak, write and understand English (14 CFR 61.83). Under 14 CFR 61.87, a student pilot may not fly solo until three things are done. First, the student passes a knowledge test, administered by the instructor, covering the applicable parts of Parts 61 and 91, the airspace rules and procedures at the airport where the solo flight will occur, and the flight characteristics and operating limits of the aircraft's make and model, and the instructor reviews every incorrect answer. Second, the student has received and logged flight training in the required maneuvers and procedures, such as takeoffs and landings, traffic patterns and stalls. Third, the student has shown satisfactory proficiency and safety to an authorized instructor in that make and model of aircraft. A student also needs a medical certificate for solo flight (14 CFR 61.23).

How Many Passengers Can a Private Pilot Carry?

The private pilot certificate itself does not set a passenger limit. What limits you is the aircraft: its number of seats and its approved weight and balance. The certificate does not allow you to be paid, but you can carry passengers and split the costs, as covered above. To carry passengers at all, 14 CFR 61.57 requires recent experience: at least three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days, as the sole manipulator of the controls, in an aircraft of the same category, class and type if a type rating is required, and to a full stop in a tailwheel airplane if you will fly one. To carry passengers at night, which the regulation defines as the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, you need at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during that period within the preceding 90 days. BasicMed adds its own limit: no more than 6 passengers, in an aircraft with no more than 7 seats and 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight (14 CFR 61.113(i)).

What Is Marginal VFR?

"Marginal VFR," or MVFR, is a weather flight category, not a legal minimum. The FAA's Aviation Weather Handbook describes MVFR as a ceiling of 1,000 to 3,000 feet and/or visibility of 3 to 5 statute miles. It is shown in blue on many weather websites. IFR is a ceiling of 500 feet to less than 1,000 feet and/or visibility of 1 to less than 3 miles, and VFR is a ceiling above 3,000 feet and visibility above 5 miles. The handbook warns that these categories are for situational awareness and should not be confused with the basic VFR weather minimums in 14 CFR 91.155. A private pilot can legally fly VFR in marginal conditions if the flight meets the 91.155 minimums, but a lower ceiling and less visibility leave little room if weather worsens. See our guide to weather for private pilots and the get-there-itis guide.

Everyday Questions About What a Private Pilot Can Do

Can a private pilot fly in the rain?

Yes, as long as the flight meets the VFR weather minimums. Under 14 CFR 91.155, rain is not a limit by itself. What matters is flight visibility and distance from clouds. For example, in Class E airspace below 10,000 feet MSL, VFR needs at least 3 statute miles of visibility and 500 feet below, 1,000 feet above and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds. Rain often cuts visibility and lowers ceilings below those numbers. Under 14 CFR 61.3(e), flying under IFR or in weather below VFR minimums requires an instrument rating on top of the private certificate. Our weather guide for private pilots covers how to read the forecast, and the get-there-itis guide covers the pressure to go anyway.

Can a private pilot fly over water?

Yes. The federal flotation rule in 14 CFR 91.205(b)(12) applies when an aircraft is operated for hire over water beyond power-off gliding distance from shore, and then requires approved flotation gear for each occupant and a pyrotechnic signaling device. The stricter overwater survival equipment rules in 14 CFR 91.509 sit in a subpart for large airplanes and turbine-powered multiengine airplanes (91.501). A private pilot flying a typical single-engine airplane for personal reasons is not covered by either, but the regulation sets a floor, not a safety plan.

Can a private pilot be a captain?

"Captain" is an airline title, and the legal role it matches is pilot in command. A private pilot can be pilot in command of a personal flight, but under 14 CFR 61.113(a) cannot be paid to carry passengers or property. Being paid to fly generally takes a commercial pilot certificate (14 CFR 61.133). To be pilot in command in airline operations under Part 121, a pilot must hold an airline transport pilot certificate and a type rating for the aircraft, and have 1,000 hours in specified types of airline and on-demand flying (14 CFR 121.436).

Can a private pilot fly skydivers?

Not for pay. Under 14 CFR 61.113(a), a private pilot cannot act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers for compensation or hire. The cost-sharing rule in 61.113(c) lets passengers pay their pro rata share of fuel, oil, airport expenses and rental fees. The parachute rules in Part 105 add that a pilot in command may not allow a parachute operation from the aircraft if it creates a hazard to air traffic or to people or property on the surface (14 CFR 105.5).

Can a private pilot have tattoos?

The FAA does not ban tattoos for pilots. On the medical exam, the AME Guide tells examiners to note identifying body marks, scars and tattoos, and the only disqualifying condition it lists under that item is scar tissue that causes a loss of function that could interfere with safe flying. Airlines and other employers set their own appearance policies, which are separate from FAA rules. Our guide to FAA medical conditions explains how the medical process works.

Final thoughts

A private pilot certificate lets you fly yourself, your family and your friends, and share the cost of the flight. It does not let you earn a living from flying. Read the current 14 CFR 61.113 for the full text before you rely on any of this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a private pilot get paid to fly?

Not for carrying passengers or cargo. A private pilot can be paid only where the flying is incidental to a business or job and the aircraft is not carrying passengers or property for hire.

Can a private pilot split costs with passengers?

Yes, as long as the pilot pays at least a pro rata share of fuel, oil, airport expenses and rental fees.

Can a private pilot fly in IMC?

Not on a private pilot certificate alone. This takes an instrument rating, which is separate from the privileges in section 61.113.

Can a private pilot fly without a medical?

Yes, under BasicMed, if the pilot meets the conditions in 14 CFR 61.113(i) and 61.23.

Can a private pilot fly in the rain?

Yes, if the flight meets the VFR weather minimums in 14 CFR 91.155. Rain itself is not the limit, but it often reduces visibility and ceilings. Flying in weather below VFR minimums requires an instrument rating (14 CFR 61.3(e)).

Can a private pilot fly over water?

Yes. The federal flotation gear requirement in 14 CFR 91.205(b)(12) applies to flights operated for hire over water beyond power-off gliding distance from shore. The overwater survival equipment rules in 91.509 apply to large and turbine-powered multiengine airplanes.

Can a private pilot be a captain?

Not in the airline sense. A private pilot cannot be paid to carry passengers (14 CFR 61.113(a)), and airline captains in Part 121 operations need an airline transport pilot certificate, a type rating and 1,000 hours of specified experience (14 CFR 121.436).

Can a private pilot fly skydivers?

Not for compensation. Passengers may pay their pro rata share of fuel, oil, airport expenses and rental fees under 14 CFR 61.113(c), but the pilot cannot be paid, and Part 105 parachute rules apply to the jump.

Can pilots have tattoos?

The FAA does not prohibit them. The AME Guide has examiners note tattoos for identification, and lists only scar tissue that impairs function as disqualifying under that item. Employers set their own appearance policies.

How many passengers can a private pilot carry?

The certificate has no passenger limit. The limit is the number of seats and the weight and balance limits of the aircraft. To carry any passengers the pilot needs three takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days (14 CFR 61.57), and BasicMed adds a limit of six passengers.

What are the requirements for a private pilot license?

Be at least 17 (16 for gliders and balloons), read, speak, write and understand English, pass the knowledge test and the practical test, and log at least 40 hours of flight time for an airplane single-engine rating, including 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo (14 CFR 61.103 and 61.109).

What are the solo requirements for a student pilot?

A student must be at least 16 for an airplane, pass an instructor-administered knowledge test, log the required pre-solo training, and show satisfactory proficiency and safety to an instructor in the make and model of aircraft (14 CFR 61.83 and 61.87).

What is marginal VFR?

A weather flight category of ceilings from 1,000 to 3,000 feet and/or visibility of 3 to 5 statute miles, per the FAA Aviation Weather Handbook. It is not the same as the legal VFR minimums in 14 CFR 91.155.