Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)
A Commercial Pilot Licence lets you fly as pilot-in-command for compensation or hire, carrying passengers or cargo. It's the step from recreational flying to professional responsibility — and to earning an income in the air.
Where to begin
The CPL comes in two forms, and the difference decides how much cross-country and instrument flying you need. Most commercial flying is conducted under Instrument Flight Rules, so most professional pilots take the first route.
01
Needs 50 hours cross-country and 40 hours instrument flight time, of which up to 20 may be flown in the simulator. Most airline and commercial operations are flown under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), so this is the usual professional route.
02
Needs 20 hours cross-country and 20 hours instrument flight time, of which up to 10 may be flown in the simulator. You can add the Instrument Rating later.
The licence itself
The licence that changes flying from something you pay for to something you're paid for.
A licence is not a job. Some airlines recruit low-hour commercial pilots as Second or First Officer depending on operational demand and their own criteria; many pilots instruct, fly charter or work in neighbouring countries first.
From a private licence to a professional standard
From your private licence to a professional standard: theory, hours, instruments and a test flown in both the aircraft and the simulator.
Chapter 01
Step 01
Where the commercial route begins, and what has to be in place first.
Milestone: Class 1 medical certificate
Commercial training builds on a valid Private Pilot Licence and Night Rating. A Class 1 medical certificate is the standard for professional flying, so it's the first thing to arrange.
Step 02
The deeper theory a professional pilot is held to.
Milestone: Commercial theoretical examinations
Comprehensive ground school prepares you for the commercial theoretical examinations. Eagle Air teaches in person or online at your own pace, with regular assessments along the way.
Chapter 02
Step 03
Real command experience: planning, navigating and deciding for yourself.
Milestone: 200 hours total, 100 as pilot-in-command
Hour building is flown cross-country, including 5 hours as pilot-in-command by night. Eagle Air runs hire-and-fly and organised fly-away trips into a variety of airfields and controlled airports. How much cross-country you need depends on whether you're taking the CPL with or without an Instrument Rating.
Chapter 03
Step 04
Flying accurately on instruments alone, without outside visual references.
Milestone: 40 hours instrument time (20 without the IF rating)
Instrument training is flown in the aircraft and in the FNPT II simulator: precise instrument flying, navigation and approaches in cloud, haze or at night, plus weather awareness and handling situations without external references. Up to 20 of the 40 hours may be flown in the simulator (up to 10 of 20 without the IF rating).
Step 05
Handling a larger, more complex aircraft with two engines.
Multi-engine training is flown on Eagle Air's twins — the Piper Seneca II and the Beechcraft Baron 55 — moving you onto more complex aircraft and systems.
Chapter 04
Step 06The moment it becomes yours
Demonstrating professional standards, in the air and in the simulator.
Milestone: CPL skills test
The course concludes with a final flight test in both the aircraft and the simulator, assessing you against the standard a commercial operation expects — the day your flying is judged as a professional's.
The advanced radio licence for controlled airspace and professional operations — required before the Instrument Rating.
Professional flying is held to the Class 1 medical standard, renewed at the required intervals.
Minimum hours apply and may vary based on individual progress.
Knowledge, handling and judgement
Advanced skills, deeper knowledge and the operational responsibility a commercial cockpit carries.
No surprises
Three different things, kept apart: what you need before you start, what you complete during training, and what's required before the licence is issued. Two of the hour requirements depend on which route you take.
Both routes stay listed below — choosing one marks the hours that belong to it.
01
What you need in place to begin commercial training.
Hold a valid Private Pilot Licence and Night Rating
Licence requirementHold a valid Class 1 Medical Certificate
The professional standard, issued by an approved aviation medical examiner.
Licence requirement02
What you complete with Eagle Air.
Complete the commercial theoretical examinations
Licence requirementA minimum of 200 hours total flying time
Licence requirementA minimum of 100 hours as pilot-in-command
Licence requirementA minimum of 5 hours as pilot-in-command by night
Licence requirementA minimum of 50 hours cross-country
For the CPL with an Instrument Rating.
Licence requirementCPL with an Instrument Rating — the route you selectedA minimum of 20 hours cross-country
For the CPL without an Instrument Rating.
Licence requirementCPL without an Instrument RatingA minimum of 40 hours instrument flight time
Of which up to 20 hours may be flown in a simulator. For the CPL with an Instrument Rating.
Licence requirementCPL with an Instrument Rating — the route you selectedA minimum of 20 hours instrument flight time
Of which up to 10 hours may be flown in a simulator. For the CPL without an Instrument Rating.
Licence requirementCPL without an Instrument Rating03
The final requirements for the licence itself.
Be at least 18 years of age
Licence requirementPass the final flight test, in the aircraft and the simulator
Licence requirementLicence requirement is set by the regulator; Eagle Air guidance is our own advice, not a condition of entry. Hours marked with a route apply only to that version of the licence.
Honest numbers
Approximately 15–18 months
Eagle Air’s own guidance · CPL page — how it works
On average, a Commercial Pilot Licence typically takes around 24 months. (FAQ — how long does it take)
200 hours is the legal minimum, not a plan. Eagle Air's own guidance says 15–18 months while the FAQ puts the average nearer 24 — both are shown here because your pace decides which is true for you.
What it costs
No CPL price is published, because the honest total is driven by the hours you fly — and this licence is mostly hours. The team will build you an estimate around your route.
The hours you actually fly
200 hours total and 100 as pilot-in-command are the floor; minimum hours apply and may vary based on individual progress.
With or without an Instrument Rating
The IF route needs 50 hours cross-country and 40 hours instrument time instead of 20 and 20 — a real difference in flying.
Aircraft and simulator time
Multi-engine training is flown on the twins, and up to half your instrument time may be flown in the FNPT II simulator.
What Eagle Air includes and what you arrange yourself is confirmed with the training team.
The horizon after this one
A licence that earns, and three ways pilots build on it.
Next · 01
Teach student pilots, build hours and develop the professionalism employers look for.
Detailed page coming soon
Speak to the Training TeamNext · 02
If you took the CPL without one, this is the rating most commercial operations expect.
Next · 03
Pass the ATPL theory with a CPL and Instrument Rating for a 'frozen ATPL', then build the 1,500 hours the full licence requires.
Your first step
Tell us the licence you hold, the hours you've flown and where you want to end up. The Eagle Air team can help you plan a realistic route to your commercial licence.