At Emerald Coast Aviation we utilize and follow the Gleim curriculums for the Private Pilot certificate, Instrument Rating, and Commercial certificate, while expanding on the knowledge contained in the online ground school through one on one ground instruction. Conforming each flight to the local area and using teaching aids available to us we can ensure all minimum requirements will be met in as efficient a timeline as possible. Providing all of the necessary resources for a student to reach the level of understanding and proficiency required, we can maintain a low stress and enjoyable environment throughout the process.

Private Pilots License

A person who applies for a private pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating must log at least 40 hours of flight time that includes at least 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor and 10 hours of solo flight training, and the training must include at least –

  1. 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a single-engine airplane;
  2. 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes –
    1. One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance; and
    2. 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport.
  3. 3 hours of flight training in a single-engine airplane on the control and maneuvering of an airplane solely by reference to instruments, including straight and level flight, constant airspeed climbs and descents, turns to a heading, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, radio communications, and the use of navigation systems/facilities and radar services appropriate to instrument flight;
  4. 3 hours of flight training with an authorized instructor in a single-engine airplane in preparation for the practical test, which must have been performed within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test; and
  5. 10 hours of solo flight time in a single-engine airplane, consisting of at least –
    1. 5 hours of solo cross-country time;
    2. One solo cross-country flight of 150 nautical miles total distance, with full-stop landings at three points, and one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations; and
    3. Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.

    Instrument Rating

    A person who applies for an instrument rating must hold at least a current private pilot certificate, or be concurrently applying for a private pilot certificate.

    1. 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, of which 10 hours must have been in an airplane; and
    2. Forty hours of actual or simulated instrument time, of which 15 hours must have been received from an authorized instructor who holds an instrument-airplane rating, and the instrument time includes:
      1. Three hours of instrument flight training from an authorized instructor in an airplane that is appropriate to the instrument-airplane rating within 2 calendar months before the date of the practical test; and
      2. Instrument flight training on cross country flight procedures, including one cross country flight in an airplane with an authorized instructor, that is performed under instrument flight rules, when a flight plan has been filed with an air traffic control facility, and that involves –
        1. A flight of 250 nautical miles along airways or by directed routing from an air traffic control facility;
        2. An instrument approach at each airport; and
        3. Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems.

    Commercial Certificate

    A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating must log at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:

    1. 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes.
    2. 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least –
      1. 50 hours in airplanes; and
      2. 50 hours in cross-country flight of which at least 10 hours must be in airplanes.
    3. 20 hours of training that includes at least:
      1. Ten hours of instrument training using a view-limiting device including attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigational systems. Five hours of the 10 hours required on instrument training must be in a single engine airplane;
      2. 10 hours of training in a complex airplane, a turbine-powered airplane, or a technically advanced airplane (TAA) that meets the requirements of paragraph (j) of this section, or any combination thereof. The airplane must be appropriate to land or sea for the rating sought;
      3. One 2-hour cross country flight in a single engine airplane in daytime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
      4. One 2-hour cross country flight in a single engine airplane in nighttime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
      5. Three hours in a single-engine airplane with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test.
    4. Ten hours of solo flight time in a single engine airplane or 10 hours of flight time performing the duties of pilot in command in a single engine airplane with an authorized instructor on board (either of which may be credited towards the flight time requirement under paragraph (a)(2) of this section), on the areas of operation listed under § 61.127(b)(1) that include –
      1. 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. However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of at least 150 nautical miles; and
      2. 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.