I've answered this question too many times in the comments. So let's just get it out of the way What does it take to fly a jet? A road map to that rocket in the sky coming up! Many of us have dreamed of flying since we are kids and where some of us thought of this, some of us thought of this. Thank you Tom Cruise. Now not all of us are going get to fly fighter jets, so we settle for something a bit more practical, like private jets. If you think that type of thing is practical… So what does it take to fly jet? A lot more than you think. There's no fast track to flying jets and there's also no such thing as a jet pilot license. Everyone who wants to fly a jet starts in the same place So first and foremost, you have to get your private pilot license, or rather private pilot's certificate which is what it's actually called. For more information on getting that you can check out the video we made on it up here.
Now after you get your private pilot license, the next step is to get an instrument rating which teaches you how to fly by instruments alone. You see there's two ways, or rules as we call them, you can use to fly an airplane. You can fly by looking out the window to see where you're going. This is called visual flight rules or VFR.
Or, you can fly by nothing but instruments. This is called instrument flight rules or IFR. It requires additional training because unlike it sounds there's a lot more to flying by these rules than just flying by instruments. Now jet aircraft fly faster and higher than general aviation aircraft which typically puts them above 18,000 feet; and the FAA says that any aircraft flying above 18,000 feet is required to fly by instrument flight rules. So an instrument rating is a must. Okay, once you have your instrument rating now, you have to focus on your multi-engine rating. Believe it or not a private pilot license limits you to using a single-engine airplane. And seriously, when was the last time you saw a single-engine jet? Well outside of this guy. Now the flight characteristics of a plane change when you add additional engines.
So, to make sure pilots are safe additional training is required when more engines are added. Thus, the need for a multi-engine rating Now that's all the flight training you need to fly a jet. But, you can't just hop in one, start the engines, and fly off into the wild blue yonder. In fact, I tell you could get the engines started. Why? Because now you need a type rating. A Type rating is additional training on how to pilot a particular aircraft the specific to that aircraft.
Like how to start the engines. This means that a type rating is required for each type, see what I did there, of jet that you want to fly whether, it be a 787 or a small private jet. Now normally a type rating is for aircraft over 12,500 pounds, but the FAA decided to group all jet aircraft in there too. But, once you complete your type rating, you're finally free to fly a jet. Okay, now here comes one catch. Odds are, you're going to be flying a jet for someone else. Unless you're crazy rich or something. This means you're flying for hire. So you're going to need a commercial pilot certificate or airline transport pilot certificate. Which one you need depends on what or who you're flying for. Like charter corporate cargo or airline. And yes, it means more training All right guys, that's everything you need to know about what it takes to fly a jet! Hey guys, thanks for watching the video. If you liked it, make sure to give it a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button! Also tell us what you think inside of the comments down below.
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