If you wish to earn a living (or teach on the weekend) as a pilot you will need a Commercial Pilot License. You will also need an Instrument Rating unless you fly local sight seeing during daylight hours in good weather only. You will be very limited on what you permitted to do without an Instrument Rating on your Commercial License.

If you want to fly for pay this license is necessary. With the Commercial Pilot License, you will be able to take payment for Airplane Rides, Photography, Flight Instruction, Carrying Passengers for Hire, and many more activities. The minimum FAA requirement for this License is 250 Flight Hours as well as the required ground instruction. Most Commercial Pilot Applicants will have completed the required Instrument Flight Training to help accumulate the required 250 hours for this License.

You will have received the required cross country navigation skills and maneuver training upon completion of the Commercial Pilot License. You will know the FAA Regulations that are required to operate by as a Commercial Pilot.

Plan on about 30 hours of Flight Training and about 30 hours of Ground Instruction for completion of you Commercial Pilot License. You will also have home study you are responsible for completing.