Getting a commercial pilot license takes more than passing one flight test. You need the right medical certificate, a private pilot certificate, instrument training, logged flight time, and a successful FAA checkride.
These are the six steps to get a commercial pilot license in the United States. We’ll also show where Axiom Aviation fits if you want a clear path toward airline work.
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility and Obtain Your Medical Certificate
The first step in the steps to get commercial pilot license process is checking that you meet the basic FAA rules and can qualify for the medical certificate your career path needs.
For a commercial pilot certificate, you must be at least 18 years old. You also need to read, speak, write, and understand English. Before you spend heavily on flight training, schedule an appointment with an Aviation Medical Examiner, or AME.
Your AME reviews your health history and performs the required exam. The exam can include checks of body systems and physical findings tied to aeromedical standards. Read the medical information before your appointment so you know what records may be needed.
Complete any required pre-exam paperwork before the exam if your AME requires it. Bring your government ID, medical records, prescription details, and information about past conditions. If the AME asks for more records, respond quickly. A delay here can hold up every later step.
Many future airline pilots choose to seek a first-class medical early, even though the commercial certificate itself has different medical privileges. That choice can help you spot a problem before paying for advanced training.
Step 2: Earn Your Private Pilot Certificate
Your private pilot certificate is the base layer in the steps to get commercial pilot license process. It gives you the flight skills and legal foundation needed for advanced ratings.
Start with a student pilot application through your instructor or another authorized FAA process. Then complete ground lessons and flight training. Your early lessons cover aircraft control, airport procedures, weather, navigation, radio work, and emergency response.
You’ll take a private pilot knowledge test before the practical test. Your instructor must also confirm that you’re ready for the checkride. The checkride has an oral portion and a flight portion. The examiner looks for safe judgment, not flashy flying.
A general overview of this progression explains why later airline roles require more certificates and experience.
| Training choice | What it helps you do | Question to ask the school |
|---|---|---|
| Part 61 | Train with a flexible lesson structure | How will you track each required task? |
| Part 141 | Follow an FAA-approved course structure | What stage must I reach before moving ahead? |
| Full-time training | Keep lessons close together | What happens when weather cancels a flight? |
| Part-time training | Fit lessons around work or school | How often should I fly to keep skills fresh? |
Training frequency matters. Long gaps can mean extra review flights. Axiom Aviation serves aspiring pilots in Ogden and St. George, Utah, plus Idaho Falls, Idaho. We can help you compare the two main training structures in our guide to Part 141 versus Part 61 flight training.
By the end of this step, you should have a private pilot certificate and a logbook that shows steady progress. You’re ready to train by reference to instruments.
Step 3: Add an Instrument Rating
An instrument rating is a key part of the steps to get commercial pilot license process because it teaches you to fly under Instrument Flight Rules, or IFR, when outside visual references are limited.
Instrument training changes how you scan the cockpit. You learn to trust the flight instruments while managing headings, altitude, air traffic instructions, weather data, and workload. Your instructor will also teach flight planning, approaches, missed approaches, and instrument emergencies.
You’ll need instrument flight experience, ground instruction, a knowledge test, and a practical test. Keep your logbook precise. Record the conditions, tasks, approaches, and instructor signoffs while the flight is fresh.
Some students try to rush this rating. That’s a mistake. Weak instrument habits can return later during commercial training, when the aircraft work becomes more demanding and the workload rises.
If you hold a foreign license, the FAA has a separate verification process. Its guidance says license verification may take 45 to 60 days before you can continue with the U.S. certificate process. That detail matters when you’re building a training timeline.
Instrument training is also where you learn to manage risk before it becomes an emergency. At Axiom Aviation, ask how the school uses its high-fidelity immersive simulator alongside aircraft lessons. A simulator can let you repeat procedures without adding every practice event to the aircraft schedule.
Once you pass the instrument checkride, update your training plan. Your next target is commercial-level performance.
Step 4: Complete Commercial Pilot Flight Training
Commercial training raises the standard from safe private flying to precise, repeatable performance for compensation or hire.
Under 14 CFR Part 61, an applicant must hold at least a private pilot certificate, pass the commercial knowledge test, complete the required training, meet the aeronautical experience rules, and pass the practical test. The applicable requirements outline the eligibility and training requirements.
Your ground work should cover commercial privileges and limits, aviation regulations, accident reporting, weather, aircraft performance, weight and balance, navigation, systems, and decision-making. Don’t study only to pass a test. You’ll need to explain why a choice is safe during the oral exam.
Flight lessons focus on commercial maneuvers and sound judgment. Depending on your category and class, training can include steep turns, chandelles, lazy eights, eights on pylons, precision landings, emergency procedures, navigation, and high-altitude operations.
Ask your instructor to evaluate each maneuver against the standards used for the practical test. Write down the task, the error, and the fix. A short note after each lesson is more useful than trying to remember a month of flights later.
This is also the stage to compare schools carefully. Only one published a starting price and required flight-hour figure. The information schools provide doesn’t replace a full quote, but it gives you better questions to ask.
Step 5: Build Flight Hours and Complete Career Ratings
After the commercial certificate, the next step is building the flight experience employers expect and adding ratings that match your career plan.
A commercial pilot certificate lets you fly for compensation or hire within its limits. It doesn’t make you an airline pilot. Airline-bound pilots usually continue toward a flight instructor certificate, then build time while teaching. Some also pursue a multiengine rating so they can train and work in aircraft with more than one engine.
Your logbook becomes a career record. Track total time with care. Separate pilot-in-command time, cross-country time, night time, instrument time, and multiengine time. Keep endorsements and test records together. Small gaps can cause trouble when a school or employer checks your history.
The 1,500-hour figure often appears in airline career planning. Treat it as an airline transport pilot milestone, not as the minimum needed to earn a commercial certificate. The exact route can change based on military service, education, and the type of ATP eligibility you seek.
Career ratings can include CFI, CFII, MEI, and multiengine privileges. A flight instructor certificate lets you teach approved students while gaining flight time. Your choice should match your goal. If you want airline work, ask how the school supports the move from commercial pilot to instructor.
Reported completion times vary widely, so don’t treat any timeline as a promise. Your pace depends on weather, aircraft access, lesson frequency, finances, and how often you retain each skill.
Use our guide to how long commercial pilot training can take in Utah when you build a personal schedule. Axiom Aviation can also help you map the certificate and rating sequence before you begin.
By now, you should have the required experience for your chosen practical test and a plan for the next career rating. Then you can prepare for the final evaluation.
Step 6: Pass the FAA Commercial Pilot Checkride
The last step in the steps to get commercial pilot license process is passing the commercial practical test, commonly called the checkride.
Your instructor first reviews your records. You’ll need the required certificates, endorsements, medical documentation, knowledge test results, and logbook entries. Your instructor then signs you off when you’re ready to test.
The checkride has two parts. During the oral exam, the designated pilot examiner may ask about aircraft systems, weather, performance, regulations, airspace, risk management, and commercial privileges. During the flight test, you’ll perform the required tasks for your aircraft category and class.
Prepare with scenarios, not only flashcards. Explain what you would do if weather changes before departure. Work through a performance problem. Show how you would decide whether to continue, divert, or land.
Fly the profile your instructor assigned. Bring the correct documents. Arrive early enough to inspect the aircraft without rushing. If you make a small error, correct it and keep flying. Many applicants hurt their performance by dwelling on one mistake.
A failure is not the end of your aviation career. The examiner will explain what needs more work, and your instructor can train that area before a retest. Still, good preparation costs less than an avoidable retest.
FAQ
How long does it take to get a commercial pilot license?
It can take months or several years to complete the steps to get commercial pilot license, depending on your schedule and training route. Weather, aircraft access, lesson frequency, finances, and prior experience all affect the timeline. A full-time student usually moves faster than someone flying once every few weeks.
How many flight hours do you need for a commercial pilot license?
The required flight time depends on the certificate, category, class, and training rules you follow. The commercial certificate has its own aeronautical experience requirements under Part 61. The 1,500-hour figure is tied to common airline ATP planning, not the basic commercial checkride itself.
Do you need an instrument rating before commercial pilot training?
You should plan to earn an instrument rating before finishing the steps to get commercial pilot license for an airline career. Instrument training builds the skills needed for IFR operations and supports later professional ratings. Your instructor can confirm the exact sequence for your category, class, and school program.
What medical certificate do commercial pilots need?
A commercial pilot needs the medical certificate required for the privileges being used. Many career-focused students seek a first-class medical early, even though other operations may permit a different class. Speak with an Aviation Medical Examiner before advanced training so a medical issue doesn’t surface late.
Can I become a commercial pilot through Axiom Aviation?
Yes, Axiom Aviation provides flight training in Ogden and St. George, Utah, plus Idaho Falls, Idaho. The school supports aspiring pilots who want a path toward airline work. Ask about the full course sequence, simulator use, housing, aircraft access, and the ratings you’ll need after the commercial certificate.
Conclusion
Start with your medical exam and a written training plan, then choose a school that explains its path clearly. If you want help mapping the next move, speak with Axiom Aviation about your goals, schedule, and preferred training location so you can begin your aviation journey with fewer surprises.