On April 14th, 2021, I passed the commercial pilot practical test and officially became a commercial pilot. A commercial pilot certificate replaces the private pilot certificate and allows one to operate an airplane for compensation. Here are the minimum flight experiences needed to earn a commercial pilot certificate. See Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61.129 for the specific flight and training requirements.
The basic flight experience consists of:
Total Flight Time – 250 Hours
Pilot-in-Command – 100 Hours
Cross Country PIC – 50 Hours
Instrument Training – 10 Hours
Technically Advanced Airplane or Complex – 10 Hours
Flying California 