Licensing & Certification for pilots
Licenses, ratings and medicals: the path from a student pilot to the airline transport pilot license and a type rating, under EASA and FAA rules.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Aircraft Categories and CS-23 / Part 23
Covers the light airplane certification codes CS-23 and Part 23 and the normal, utility, aerobatic and commuter categories with their limits.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Aircraft Certificates and Flight Permits
The certificates an individual aircraft needs, from registration and the certificate of airworthiness to the ARC and noise certificate, and how permits to fly, ferry permits and experimental certificates let other aircraft fly.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Aircraft Maintenance Checks and Programs
How airliners are maintained: the approved maintenance program and where its tasks come from, line and base maintenance, daily, A and C checks, the crew's own checks and the technical log, the release to service and the FAA inspection programs.
CPL · ATPL
Airline Pilot Training and Checking
Follows an airline pilot's training from indoctrination and conversion through line training and consolidation to recurrent training, proficiency checks and line checks.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Class and Type Ratings
Explains aircraft category, class and type ratings under EASA and FAA rules, when a type rating is required, and the difference between revalidation and renewal.
CPL · ATPL
Commercial and Airline Transport Pilot Licenses
Covers the privileges and requirements of the CPL, ATPL/ATP certificate, restricted ATP and MPL, plus the MCC course, ATP-CTP and age limits.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Continuing Airworthiness and Maintenance
Explains how an aircraft is kept airworthy through maintenance programs, required inspections, airworthiness directives, pilot preventive maintenance and release to service.
ATPL
Failure Conditions and System Safety
Explains how certification classifies failure conditions by severity and links each to a maximum allowed probability, including software assurance levels.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Flight Instructors and Examiners
The FAA and EASA instructor and examiner certificates, what each may teach or test, endorsements, logging dual given, and the role of airline training captains.
PPL · CPL · IR · ATPL
Flight Simulation Training Devices
The categories of simulators and training devices, from computer-based training to full flight simulators, and what training each can credit.
PPL · CPL · IR · ATPL
Flight Time Logging and Recent Experience
Explains how pilots log PIC, solo, cross-country and instrument time, and the recent experience, night currency and flight review rules that keep privileges valid.
ATPL · Type rating
FSB Reports and Differences Training Levels
How the FAA Flight Standardization Board decides type ratings, common type ratings and differences training for related aircraft, and what levels A to E mean.
CPL · IR · ATPL
Instrument Rating
Covers the instrument rating's privileges, training and cross-country requirements, and how it is kept valid through revalidation, currency and proficiency checks.
PPL · CPL · IR · ATPL
Knowledge Tests and Checkrides
The EASA theoretical knowledge examinations and FAA knowledge tests, the handbooks and Airman Certification Standards behind them, stage checks, and the practical test or skill test for a license.
CPL · ATPL
Large Airplane Certification (CS-25 / Part 25)
Covers the CS-25 and Part 25 transport-category standards, including icing certification envelopes, flight into known icing, stall warning margins and emergency exit and evacuation requirements.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Medical Certification
EASA and FAA medical certificate classes, who issues them, the examination, special issuance and BasicMed, and a pilot's duties when medical fitness decreases.
CPL · ATPL
Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) and Jet Orientation Courses
The MCC course required before flying multi-pilot airplanes, when it is needed, its theoretical and simulator training, the APS MCC variant, what jet orientation courses add and how to choose between them.
PPL · CPL
Pilot Endorsements and Additional Ratings
FAA logbook endorsements for complex, high-performance, high-altitude and glider towing operations, the technically advanced airplane, EASA differences training and the night rating.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Pilot Licensing Framework
Explains how pilot licensing is organized under ICAO Annex 1, EASA Part-FCL and FAA Part 61, including training organizations, foreign licenses and language proficiency.
CPL · ATPL
Structural Design and Design Loads
Limit and ultimate loads, the factor of safety, proof and burst pressures, primary structure, and the safe-life, fail-safe and damage-tolerant philosophies behind structural inspection programs.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
Student, Private and Recreational Pilot Licenses
Covers the student pilot stage and first solo, and the privileges and requirements of the LAPL, PPL and FAA sport and recreational certificates.
PPL · CPL · ATPL
The Pilot's Operating Handbook and Airplane Flight Manual
What the POH and AFM are, their standard sections, which parts are approved, how supplements work and how pilots use them before and during flight.
CPL · ATPL · Type rating
Type Certificate Data Sheets (TCDS)
What a type certificate data sheet is, the information it holds on models, engines, weights, speeds and seating, and how pilots and type-rating candidates use it.
CPL · ATPL
Type Certification
How aircraft designs are certified against airworthiness codes, from ICAO Annex 8 and the certification specifications to type certificates, special conditions, STCs and equipment standards.
Test yourself on Licensing & Certification
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