A private pilot’s license is a certification that allows you to fly any airplane (that you’re rated in) solo or with passengers. Pilots may use a PPL to fly stunt planes, travel for business, or simply go on vacation. For a complete list of what one can do with a PPL, read our extensive list of what you can do with a private pilot’s license!
A PPL is a major accomplishment for many people and can open many new doors, but it does have certain restrictions. These restrictions include what visibility conditions a pilot can fly in, the maximum height a pilot can fly at, and the kind of compensation a pilot can receive for their services.
So, can you get a job with a private pilot’s license? When it comes to getting a job that involves flying passengers, the short answer is no. A PPL only allows a pilot to fly passengers without receiving compensation. However, there are a few jobs in which a private pilot can use their license.
In addition, there are certain amounts of money private pilots are authorized to accept from passengers. A private pilot can accept reimbursement from passengers for fuel and rental costs AS LONG the pilot pays their own share.
There are also several caveats that allow some private pilots to use their license designation to earn money.
In this article we’re going to explain exactly when a private pilot is authorized to accept compensation for their services. We’re also going to discuss jobs that a pilot may hold with only a PPL. Finally we’ll look at the necessary steps one must take to accept compensation for any flight.
Table of Contents
Exactly how much money can a private pilot charge for a flight?
According to FAA regulations a private pilot must pay at least their pro-rata share of the flight expenses, including fuel, oil, airport fees, and rental costs.
What does this mean? Say a pilot is flying themselves and 3 passengers with the following expenses:
- Airplane Rental Cost: $100
- Fuel Cost: $50
- Airport Landing Fee: $50
The total expenses of the flight are $200.
The pilot must pay his share, in this case, 25% or $50. The passengers are able to cover the rest.
This rule applies to most situations, but not all. For instance, during a search and rescue case sanctioned by either the federal, state, or local level of government, a private pilot may be reimbursed 100% of the operating costs of the airplane. The same is true of some charity and disaster relief flights.
Again, the private pilot isn’t profiting off of these flights, they’re just getting reimbursed for all the costs.
Other exceptions
There are a couple of very specific roles in which a private pilot may use their license to earn money.
The first is as a salesperson. A private pilot with at least 200 logged hours may fly an airplane (with passengers) to demonstrate the airplane’s capabilities for the purposes of selling it. In this situation, the pilot is only potentially making money off of the sale of the airplane and not for the services of flying it.
Another role is towing gliders. A private pilot with at least 100 hours and specialized training may be paid to tow gliders (gliders are towed into the air to fly since they have no engine of their own to take off with).
There are also some ‘gray areas’ that pilots have operated in before. Private pilots worked as pipeline or other infrastructure inspectors in the past. However, the FAA regulations do not explicitly cover this and are generally not considered acceptable.
What happens if the pilot is just accepting cash for flying people around? A private pilot could technically get away with accepting money for flights for a while. However, the penalties for unauthorized activities can range from license revocation to serious legal repercussions. The most likely scenario for getting caught would be in the event of an incident, even a minor one. The FAA investigates all aviation incidents thoroughly.
What does it take to fly passengers and get paid for it?
So, if a private pilot can’t fly passengers for compensation, who can? Pilots who hold a commercial designation are authorized to fly for payment. A commercial license is not the same as an airline transport license (the designation necessary to fly airliners), it is simply the license required to get paid for your services.
What are the requirements?
To obtain a commercial certificate in an airplane, a pilot must have:
- 250 hours of flight time. Of these 250 hours must be in a powered aircraft (not a glider)
- Of those 250 hours, 100 hours must be of pilot-in-command time. Many of the hours spent getting a PPL are ‘dual’ and do not count towards this requirement.
- 50 hours of cross-country time. Cross country is any flight over a distance greater than 50 nautical miles
- 20 hours of training. This is further broken down to 10 hours of instrument training (flying using only the instruments), 10 hours of complex (this just has to do with the type of airplane being flown), and test preparation.
- 10 hours of solo training
These all fulfill the requirements to be a commercial pilot but not an instrument-rated pilot. Almost always a pilot will get their instrument rating before their commercial. The reasons are:
- An instrument rating (IR) allows pilots to fly in little or no visibility
- An IR license allows pilots to fly above 18,000 feet
- Some airports prefer or require an IFR approach
- Without an IR, commercial pilots are restricted in their activities.
Without an instrument rating, a commercial pilot may only fly passengers for compensation if the distance is less than 50 NM and during the daytime. Because of this, it is almost always the case that pilots get their instrument rating first.
Summary
A private pilot’s license allows a pilot to fly (theoretically) any distance in most aircraft. However, it does not allow the pilot to receive compensation for flying. Passengers may pay their share of the cost of the flight for expenses such as fuel, oil, rental costs, and airport fees. In certain circumstances, private pilots may be reimbursed fully, such as for authorized search and rescue missions.
A commercial license is the minimum licensure designation that allows a pilot to receive payment for regular flight services. It requires a minimum of 250 hours of flight time. Generally, pilots will opt to get their instrument rating prior to pursuing a commercial license.
While having a PPL doesn’t allow pilots to fly passengers for payment, it is the first and necessary step to becoming a commercial pilot.
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