COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENCE WITH INSTRUMENT RATING
The Commercial Licence allows you to work as a Professional Pilot which means that you can legally be paid to fly. You will be eligible to fly for any of the commercial airlines or as a pilot in a number of different fields such as charter, contract, corporate, survey etc. Normally students complete on instrument rating together with the Commercial Licence .
WHAT DOES THE TRAINING INVOLVE?
In order to obtain a South African Commercial Pilot Licence with an Instrument Rating :
You need to be the holder of a South African Private Pilot Licence with night rating- You must be no less than 18 years of age.
- You must be the holder of a General Radio Licence.
- The practical flight test must be undertaken with a C.A.A. testing officer within 36 months of having passed the theory exams.
Most students complete their PPL and Night Rating then complete the theory exams. After this the final training is completed in order to test. Most students also complete a multi-engine rating.
The following are the MINIMUM requirements for the practical flight test:
200 hours of flight time, which may include:
- 20 hours of flight instruction time in a flight simulation training device, approved for the purpose
100 hours as pilot-in-command, or 70 hours as pilot-in-command in the case of an applicant who has undergone the integrated training; and - 20 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot-in-command, including one flight of not less than 300 NM, in the course of which full-stop landings at not less than two different aerodromes away from base must have been made; and
- 5 hours of night flying as pilot-in-command, including not less than 10 take-offs and 10 landings by night, and a cross-country flight of at least three legs, each of a minimum length of 50 NM; and
- 20 hours of instrument instruction time, of which not more than 10 hours may have been acquired in a flight simulation training device; and
- at least 5 hours instruction in an aeroplane with adjustable flaps, retractable undercarriage and variable pitch propeller or turbojet engine.
The commercial Flight Test must be flown on a variable pitch, retractable gear aircraft. At present attending the Commercial Ground School course is not compulsory, but we strongly recommend attendance to all candidates as this gives you the best preparation for the exams. (Ground School)
Once you have completed the required number of hours, completed your instrument flight training and passed all of the theoretical subjects you will be ready to do your flight tests. You will need to do an Instrument Rating flight test and a Commercial Licence flight test. These can be done on either a single engine or multi-engine aircraft depending on your chosen training program.
These tests are normally combined in one flight and conducted by a CAA Designated Examiner.
The theoretical examinations are written at the Civil Aviation Authority (C.A.A.) in Midrand. The exams are written on a “flexi” timetable.
There are 8 or 9 subjects depending on your chosen course :
Aircraft Technical and General
Meteorology
Air Law and Procedures
Instruments
Radio Aids
Human Performance
Flight Planning
Navigation General
Navigation Plotting
