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CPL

CPL

What is a CPL - Commercial Pilot License?

When researching flight training modules, we come across the abbreviation CPL. To clarify what CPL means, let's start by elaborating on it. CPL stands for Commercial Pilot License and is an abbreviation of an aviation phrase made up of the first letters of the words. The Commercial Pilot License is a flight crew license that certifies that you are professionally qualified to fly commercially.

Let's proceed with the definition of commercial pilot once we've answered the question of what CPL is. Flight crew licenses include the LAPL, PPL, CPL, ATPL, and MPL. The holders of these license types have varied levels of authorization. You can only use Ultra-Light category aircraft with LAPL, for example. To better grasp what commercial pilot means, let's go over the different types of flight crew licenses first, then look at the CPL and commercial pilot license privileges.

Flight Crew Licenses

The flight crew licenses are as follows, according to the ICAO - International Civil Aviation Authority document;

  • SPL – Student Pilot License
  • GPL – Glider Pilot License
  • LAPL – Light Aircraft Pilot License
  • PPL – Private Pilot License
  • CPL – Commercial Pilot License
  • ATPL – Airline Transport Pilot License
  • MPL – Multi-Crew Pilot License

What is a CPL License?

The CPL license is a commercial pilot's license that allows the holder to fly for income.

What can You Do with CPL License?

In certain ways, the CPL can be referred to a commercial pilot certificate. Pilots with a CPL – Commercial Pilot License, unlike PPL holders, can make profit from the flights they fly.

Depending on the commercial pilot training - CPL training option chosen, the time required to obtain a CPL authorization, which allows you to fly for profit, will vary.

How to Get CPL License?

There is not only one single answer to the question of how to get a commercial pilot license. The duration of your CPL flight training depends on the flight training method you choose.

This period is between 12 and 18 months if you plan to acquire your flight training from a flight school that has been approved by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The commercial pilot license training fees range between 40,000 and 50,000 Euros if you take flight instruction from a flying school.

Another option for people interested in learning how to become a commercial pilot is to apply to one of the four-year pilotage faculties of the universities designated by the Council of Higher Education. Some of these universities are private, and you must pay a fee to obtain an academic degree there. In addition, as part of the flight instruction, you must pay the CPL license price. This option lasts four years, and you'll have to pay between 55,000 and 60,000 Euros for flight instruction in addition to academic education.

Another way to obtain a CPL license is to enroll in one of the airline companies' flight training academies. These academies have varying application requirements and commercial pilot license fees. You do not have to pay a fee for flying instruction if you are accepted for one of the airline companies' flight academies. However, at the start of your flight school, you sign a long-term payment contract for around 140,000 Euros. When you start working for the appropriate airline company, the debt payment is withdrawn from your wage. You can start working in the airline companies in about 24 months if you start your flight training there.

What are the Requirements for CPL?

Pilot candidates considering a career as professional commercial pilots have several flight training options. Other than flight training, there are various other prerequisites for becoming an airline pilot.

When applying for a position with an airline, you must have a commercial license and a multi-engine aircraft instrument flight authorization with a minimum validity duration of six months. In addition, depending on the airline's requirements, you must have an IETLS or TOEFL score that verifies your English proficiency. You must also not have a criminal record.

Another requirement for applying for jobs with airlines is that you have a valid Medical Class 1 certificate. To obtain a Medical Class 1 certificate, you must apply to a health institution that has been approved by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.

What are the Commercial Airline Pilot Health Requirements?

The requirements of commercial airline pilots and eye fitness standards are some of the topics that those who aspire to be airline pilots are most interested in learning about. Pilots working for airlines do not have any difficulties since they wear spectacles. However, in addition to the health institution where you obtain your Medical Class 1 certificate, you must have your glasses or contact lenses with you on your flights.

Everything you wonder about Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and flight training is at Avian Aviation! You can contact us for detailed information.

CPL is the abbreviation of the English term Commercial Pilot License. Pilots holding a CPL license may fly for commercial income.

We can summarize the requirements for holding a CPL - Commercial Pilot License as follows.

  • Being at least 18 years old,
  • Being at least a high school graduate, and having a Medical Class I health certificate,
  • Having completed CPL theory and practical training,
  • Being successful in the theory exams held by DGCA,
  • Completing the minimum flight hours required to obtain a CPL license,
  • Not having a criminal record.

There are options such as flight schools, universities, and academies of airline companies to obtain CPL - Commercial Pilot License training. The average cost of flight schools, which is the most affordable option, is between 35,000 and 40,000 Euros.

CPL - Commercial Pilot License is sufficient for you to apply for a job. However, at the time of your job application, you must have a valid Medical Class I health certificate, a minimum of ICAO Level 4 English language proficiency, and an MEP IR authorization valid for at least 6 months.

CPL - Commercial Pilot License training is a 25-hour flight training under normal conditions. The first 10 hours of this training is the Basic instrument flight training. The second 10-hour part is carried out with a single-engine aircraft, and the last 5-hour part must be carried out with a complex aircraft with retractable landing gear. In the light of this information, it is possible to get CPL training without ME and IR training. However, under these conditions, the CPL training will be carried out for 25 hours and the last 5 hours must be a complex aircraft like Cessna 172RG style with retractable landing gear.

The CPL license is a type of pilot license, just like the PPL license. Pilot licenses do not have a validity period, and they are valid for a lifetime for the person who is entitled to have the license. However, in order to continue to use the privileges that your pilot license defines for you in the PART-FCL, you must keep the medical certificate and language proficiency valid. In addition, all of the ratings such as SEP, MEP, and IR, which are written on your pilot license, have certain validity periods and revalidation/renewal procedures. Therefore, although the license period is for lifetime, if you do not have a valid rating in accordance with the aircraft you intend to use, you cannot fly.

CPL license, namely Commercial Pilot License, is a type of pilot license that provides the license holder with the opportunity to fly for commercial income.

The complex aircraft concept used in the last 5 hours of the CPL - Commercial Pilot License training is the type of aircraft whose landing gear can be retracted. This could be a single-engine airplane like the Cessna 172RG model.

It is possible to carry out the first 10 hours of the CPL - Commercial Pilot License training with a normal single-engine airplane. However, the last 5 hours must be carried out with an aircraft, the landing gear of which can be retracted, which is described as a complex aircraft. For this purpose, flight schools may use a single-engine aircraft with retractable landing gear, or a twin-engine aircraft, if available in their fleet.

According to the SHT-FCL document, you must have a Class 1 Medical certificate for the CPL - Commercial Pilot License training.

Commercial pilot license training is normally 25 hours of flight training. The 10-hour part of this training is the Basic IR training. However, if you have received IR - Instrument Rating Training before the CPL - Commercial Pilot License training, your CPL training is applied for 15 hours. If your CPL training is applied for 15 hours, you can complete the flight training in approximately 2 weeks.

In order to become a CPL - Commercial Pilot License holder, you must first complete the training and successfully pass the checkride flight after meeting the necessary conditions to attend the training.

We can summarize the necessary requirements to start CPL training as follows;

  • Having a valid Class 1 medical certificate,
  • a NVFR registered PPL certificate,
  • Having at least 150 hours of flight,
  • Having no criminal records, 
  • Having completed the theoretical part of the commercial pilot license training.

The requirements to be met before the Check Ride flight to be carried out after the CPL training are as follows;

  • Completing ATPL theory training and being successful in the exams held by DGCA,
  • Having a minimum of 200 flight hours. At least 20 hours of these flights must be cross-country flights as PICs.

In order to start the CPL - Commercial Pilot License training, you must meet the following requirements;

  • Having at least 150 flight hours, Having a Private Pilot License with a Night VFR rating,
  • Having a valid class 1 medical certificate,

In order to participate in the Check Ride flight after the CPL training, you must have completed the following requirements;

  • Having successfully completed the theoretical training given in the content of CPL training,
  • Having completed the ATPL Theory training and successfully passed the exams held by DGCA.

In order to obtain the CPL - Commercial Pilot License, which provides the authorization to fly for commercial profit, it is necessary to complete successfully the CPL training and to be successful in the check ride to be performed afterward.

CPL - Commercial Pilot License is a type of pilot license that authorizes the license holder to fly for commercial purposes.

In order to start the CPL - Commercial Pilot License training, you must have completed a minimum of 100 hours of PIC flight.