Basics
The CPL (A) licence is a ICAO-compliant licence and is therefore valid worldwide within the framework of the ICAO guidelines. Without further authorisations, the CPL licence is initially limited to flying aircraft that can be operated by one pilot. However, it can be extended accordingly. The training can take place either after completion of PPL training or from scratch, without prior flying experience, as part of a so-called integrated CPL training.
Requirements
The minimum age for starting the training programme is 17 years and for the issue of the licence 18 years. In contrast to the requirements for PPL and LAPL licences, there are higher medical requirements (a higher-grade medical is required, Medical Class 1). We go into details about the requirements, also in the medical field, in separate articles.
Training programme
The training consists of a theoretical part and a practical part. In addition, proof of general language skills and a radiotelephony licence must be successfully completed as part of the training. Compared to the private pilot licences, there is also a higher-quality radiotelephony licence, which AZF instead of the BZF for PPL/LAPL (see also our article "Step by step to a licence"). The individual training components must be certified flight school be completed.
Theory
The theoretical part is significantly more extensive than the PPL or LAPL training. Additional modules are trained. In addition, the module training, as known from the PPL, is much more detailed. Overall, the theory training comprises the following modules:
- Air Law
- Aircraft General Knowledge - Airframe/Systems/Powerplant,
- Aircraft General Knowledge - Instrumentation,
- Mass and Balance,
- Performance,
- Flight Planning and Monitoring,
- Human Performance,
- Meteorology,
- General Navigation,
- Radio Navigation,
- Operational Procedures
- Principles of Flight,
- Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Communications
For theory training, the ICAO and EASA define so-called "Learning Objectives". The elements to be covered by the course are defined for each module. However, the exact organisation of the theory course, i.e. how these learning objectives are achieved, is left to the discretion of the respective flight school.
Practice
There are three basic types to complete a CPL training programme.
Either (1) you complete an integrated CPL/IR course, or (2) an integrated CPL course (without IR), or (3) you complete modular CPL training.
Integrated CPL & IR course
The idea of the integrated CPL/IR training is to bring applicants to the CPL licence, including instrument rating, virtually from scratch in a consolidated course.
The training (theory and practice together) should between 9 and 30 months amount to. The theoretical training comprises at least 500 hours and must cover all relevant areas for CPL and IR.
The practical training consists of
- at least 180 hours,
- of which 80 hours are flight training with a flight instructor (40 hours of which can be "instrument ground time", i.e. instrument flight time in the simulator),
- 70 hours as (S) PIC for VFR and IFR flights,
- 50 hours must be cross-country flights as PIC, of which one flight must be at least 540km with landings at two other aerodromes.
The training also includes
- 5 hours of night flight training,
- and 100 hours of instrument flight training,
- of which 20 hours as PIC and 50 hours instrument flight time, of which 25 -40 hours can be flown in a simulator.
- A minimum of 5 hours in an aircraft with a variable pitch propeller and retractable landing gear must also be included.
The training concludes with an examination flight for the CPL part and for the IR part.
Integrated CPL course (without IR)
The integrated CPL course (i.e. without instrument rating) is intended to provide a total of between 9 and 24 months and runs in the same way as the course described above, but without the IR part.
This leads to a scope of theoretical training of 350 hours.
The practical training has a scope of 150 hourswhich are divided in a very similar way to the course with integrated IR rating.
Modular CPL training
In contrast to the two integrated courses, the modular CPL training is aimed specifically at applicants who already hold a PPL licence. Hence the name. The training should be tailored to the applicant on a modular basis and cover a total (theory and practice together) of 18 months last.
Applicants must provide their PPL licence already 150 hours of flying experience to be able to start the training programme.
The theoretical training should consist of at least 250 hours exist.
In practical training, a distinction is made between PPL pilots with and without an instrument rating.
If you have No IRthe training consists of a total of 25 flying hours. This includes 10 hours of instrument flight training (5 hours of which may be in a simulator), although you are not allowed to fly by instrument as a CPL without an IR.
Applicants, who already have an instrument ratingneed these 10 hours. Your CPL training therefore consists of 15 VFR flying hours. If you do not have a night flying licence, this must also be completed as part of your CPL training (5 hours).
A minimum of 5 hours in an aircraft with a variable pitch propeller and retractable landing gear must also be included.
Together with the previous experience that a PPL pilot brings with them at the start of CPL training, the following conditions must be met on completion of the training:
- The applicant must have a total of 200 hours of flying experience can demonstrate,
- of which at least 100 hours as PIC
- and 20 hours as PIC on cross-country flights, one of which must be at least 540km with landings at two different aerodromes
- 5 night flight hours and 10 hours of instrument flight training must also have been completed
- 6 hours of flight training on a multi-engine aircraft, if such an aircraft is to be used for the test flight
- of which at least 100 hours as PIC
PIC hours on other aircraft categories can be counted towards the 200 hours as follows:
- 30 hours helicopter flight if the applicant holds a PPL (H)
- 100 hours helicopter flight if the applicant holds a CPL (H)
- 30 hours in a TMG or glider
- 30 hours in airships if the applicant holds a PPL (As)
- 60 hours in airships if the applicant holds a CPL (As)
In addition, graduates of integrated CPL/IR training are entitled to up to 50 hours flying experience as student PIC in instrument flight (i.e. hours as part of the training) can be recognised towards the 200 hours.
As always, the training concludes with a test flight.
Recognition of experience
For the theory part
The following applies with regard to recognition for the theoretical part of the training:
- If an applicant for a pilot licence has successfully completed the theoretical training for the ATPL and passed the associated examination, this will be credited in full to the theoretical training for the CPL and - with the exception of helicopters - to the IR instrument rating. This applies to training in the same aircraft category. This means that no further theoretical training is required for the CPL (and possibly the instrument rating)
- If a pilot has already passed the theoretical examination for an instrument rating in one aircraft category, this will be credited towards the theoretical examination for an instrument rating for another aircraft category and therefore does not have to be passed again.
The following also applies to other aircraft categories:
- If you have a CPL licence in an aircraft category (e.g. helicopter) and want to extend this to the "aircraft" category, there are precisely defined differences in the theory syllabus depending on the category. The syllabus then lists the exact courses that must be taken in order to bridge the differences between the categories ("bridge instructions"). In each case, these bridge instructions conclude with a dedicated theory test that must be passed
- An applicant for a CPL licence who has already successfully completed the theory for an instrument rating (e.g. a PPL pilot with IR) will have the subjects Human Performance and Meteorology recognised for the CPL theory. However, this does not apply to CB-IR ratings.
For the practical part
For practical training, there are various options for recognising previous experience, depending on the experience and/or licences already held by the CPL applicant.
If you already have a PPL licence the training is extensively recognised. The modular CPL training course is specifically designed for this purpose.
Above we have described exactly how the PPL experience is recognised.
It is a somewhat special situation if you already have an MPL licence. With this licence, you are trained exclusively on multi-pilot aircraft (there is a separate article on the MPL).
In order to be authorised to exercise the rights as a CPL (A), essential requirements must therefore be met:
- 70 hours of flight experience as PIC or 10 hours as PIC and 60 hours as PICUS ("PIC under Supervision")
- Of these 70 hours, 20 hours must be VFR cross-country flights as PIC, or 10 hours as PIC and 10 hours as PICUS. This should include a VFR cross-country flight of at least 540km with two landings at different aerodromes.
In addition, at least 15 hours of flight training on single-pilot aircraft must be completed in accordance with VFR guidelines and, if applicable, 5 hours of night flight training must be completed. In any case, a practical CPL test flight must be completed.
Rights as a pilot
As a CPL pilot, you have all the rights that you also have as an LAPL or PPL licence holder. In addition, you are authorised to work as a pilot or co-pilot on commercial flights and therefore fly for remuneration. The privileges of the CPL are always linked to the associated class or type rating, which must be available for the aircraft to be flown.
Commercial flights or all flights with passengers on board as pilot or co-pilot may only be performed if the pilot has performed at least 3 take-offs and landings in an aircraft of the same type (or in a corresponding simulator) in the last 90 days. The 3 take-offs and landings must be carried out as a single pilot or in a multi-pilot crew, depending on the licence. Passengers may only be carried on night flights if the pilot has completed at least 1 take-off and landing at night in the last 90 days (flying in a simulator is also possible here). This night restriction does not apply if an instrument rating is available. As a "cruise-relief co-pilot" you may only fly commercially or with passengers on board if either (a) the above-mentioned 3 take-offs and landings have been completed, or (b) the pilot has flown on at least 3 sectors as a cruise-relief pilot in the last 90 days or (c) has completed a "Refresher Flying Skill Training" in a flight simulator in the last 90 days.
Only for commercial flights can the period be increased from 90 days to 120 under certain conditions. Likewise, only for commercial flights may a pilot aged 60-64 only be active in multi-pilot crews. From the age of 65, commercial flights on aeroplanes are no longer permitted.
Extension and expansions
The CPL licence itself is valid for life.
However, the class or type rating must be extended become.
The following applies to the common initial class rating SEP (Single Engine Piston): The extension must be made within 3 months before the rating expires.
There are two ways in which the extension can be carried out.
- One option is to have a proficiency check carried out by an authorised examiner
- Another option - and this is certainly the most common procedure - is as follows: If the pilot has 12 flying hours in the 12 months before the rating expires, 6 of which as PIC, as well as 12 take-offs and landings, then the revalidation can take place in a simplified way: By a refresher training flight of 1 hour with a flight instructor (FI) or class rating instructor (CRI).
If not already part of the training, the commercial pilot licence can be extended by an instrument rating (IR instrument rating). Otherwise, the CPL can be extended by the same ratings as a PPL (A) licence. Of course, you can also add an ATPL licence later on. As the CPL theory hardly differs from the "larger" ATPL theory, professional pilots often choose an ATPL rather than CPL training. More on this in the corresponding article.
Of course, a CPL licence can also be extended to include class ratings or type ratings.
Summary
The CPL (A) licence entitles the holder to fly aircraft of various classes. In addition to the licence, at least one class rating must therefore always be obtained - in the case of complex aircraft, an additional type rating - which then entitles the holder to fly an aircraft of that class.
The licence itself is valid for life, but the corresponding class or type ratings must be renewed regularly.
The CPL licence is ICAO-compliant and therefore valid worldwide. It is a commercial pilot licence and therefore authorises commercial flights for a fee.
However, it does not entitle you to fly as the captain in command of large passenger aircraft, for which an ATPL licence is required (or an MPL).
Source references:
EASA FCL