Private pilots liscense?

Question

I am a senior in high school and I will have my private pilots liscense by the time I graduate in May of 2008. Is it possible to make money from flying people around after I get it?

Answer 1

In the fist place you hope you will get a PPL (Private pilot license) which is not the same as not "Private pilots liscense " :P With this license you cannot take money form people you fly with- except money on gas.
To work for hire you need a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). See this link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Pilot_License
To work for an airliner you need an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL or ATP) You can find extra info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_Transport_Pilot_License

Answer 2

Once you get a PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE, as other posters have said - you can fly, you can share expenses, but you cannot do this for hire.

The next step is to keep flying, build time and experience. It will take about 50+ hours for private license. To get the COMMERICAL license, you will need (if it's still the same) 200 hours of flight time.

As other poster also mention, this isn't good for much. You can fly for money, but nobody will hire you. What most aspiring pilots do next, is get an INSTRUCTOR permit. This allows you to train other pilots. While you're at it, you also want to get NIGHT, TWIN ENGINE, and INSTRUMENT endorsements - since as a "real" pilot, you'll need these anyway. It also helps build up the hours, since each of these requires time in the cockpit.

As you can see, getting 200+ hours and a lot of extra training is not going to be cheap. Depending on what sort of options and what rates, you'll probably find it costs about the same as a college degree.

As a flight training instructor - like the one who's going to train you - you'll probably end up like my nephew. For about 2 or 3 years, he lived at home and didn't make a lot of money; if the weather's lousy that day, you don't fly and don't make money. But, he met some interesting people (one guy interested in flying was a VP at Exxon, I think) and got lots of hours.

Eventually you get enough time that some small air operator will hire you; maybe a combination training school-charter firm; you'll fly shuttle flights with tiny 4 or 6 seaters between some small midwest town and the nearest big city. Then it'll be flying for some commuter airline, the 12 or 24 seater flights on feeder runs.

Then you have the hours to graduate to the bigger aircraft - Dash-8's, Embraer, etc. Up here they run Saab 350's (35 seats twin turboprop) and pilots only stay long enough to get a real pilot job with the big guys. Eventually you can get on with one of the bigger airlines. Once you're past the 6-seaters, the airline will pay for your training on the bigger planes. My nephew is 40 and has been flying jets (737 and bigger) for 8 years for United.

Good luck!

Answer 3

As mentioned, you need a commercial license in order to make money from flying.
There are a minimum number of hours you must have in order to get a Commercial rating plus some more advanced maneuvers.
The best thing to do, is find out about attending a flight training school wherein you can get your commercial and instructor ratings. Spend some time as an instructor to build up your hours, and then start looking for work with a charter company or airline.
The reason you must build up your hours is that most commercial flying enterprises won't hire you unless you have at least a thousand hours of time, primarily for insurance reasons.
If you want to fly for a major airline, having a bachelor's degree doesn't hurt either.
If you really want to go first class and get your degree as well as your ratings, look at one of the aviation universities such as Embry Riddle. There are others too. A little digging on your part as well as some other answers you'll probably get from here will help.

Answer 4

As others have mentioned, you can't make money charging to fly people (or things) places with a PPL. Even with a Commercial license, you can't just go off and start charging people on your own. In order to fly people (or things) from one place to another, you need get a operator certificate (unlikely), or you need work for someone who has one (more likely, but not until you have a lot of time). The operator certificate certifies not just the pilot, but the whole operation including the aircraft and how they are maintained. Usually the pilot requirements are more stringent than just having a commercial certificate. For example, to be the pilot-in-command of an on-demand air taxi or air cargo operation, you need to have at least 500 hours before you can fly VFR (in good weather), and 1200 hours before you can fly IFR (in bad weather).

With just a commercial certificate, about your only options to make money are getting your flight instructor certificate (after you get your commercial) and instructing, banner towing, or flying parachuters.

Answer 5

Dear Amy,

It is clear you have not actually started your training, or have only just barely started. One of the first things you will learn about it your rights and responsibilities as a student pilot and as holder of a US Private Airman Certificate. (Which is often called the Private Pilot's license.)

By the time you are an active student pilot you will have learned that a commercial license is required before you can charge money for your services as a pilot.

Congratulations on your decision to become a pilot. Enjoy!

Answer 6

No, being a private pilot you can fly people, but not for money. Your passengers can split the fuel, oil, etc.. If you want to charge people you need to go and get a commercial pilots license. This allows you to charge people to go for a ride or a trip. Also if you fly an experimental aircraft you cannot charge people. I would suggest that you go and get your Instrument License before you go and get your commercial license. You never now when you might have to fly IFR. Good Luck and have fun.

Answer 7

Of course it is. These people don't know what they are talking about. Everybody you take ponies up gas money and you make sure it is more than the rental of the plane. As long as you aren't advertising a charter service and flying a few hundred hours a year, nobody is going to ask or care.

Here in Canada, we call it a Private Pilot License.

Answer 8

Folks, check the card - it says 'Certificate Number' not 'License Number'. It's only a 'license' to learn....
Now, to answer this question, you are allowed to share expenses, as long as you pay your portion. For instance, you can rent a plane, take 3 people and each pay 1/4 of the rental. And you can get paid for the flight as long as it is incidental to your job. Check out the FAR's, and ask your instructor. But, most of the time, the best way is to get your Commercial Certificate. That way, there's no questions...

Answer 9

No, you can't make money with a private cert.
You can, however, split the cost. ie: you and a buddy go flying and he pays 1/2 or so. He could even pay 100% but if you go over that you will be making money and that's a no-no.

Answer 10

To fly for hire takes the Commercial License. Ask your instructor.