Aviation Forum / General / IFR / December 2006

I disagree.  The FARs should make the FAQ unnecessary, but that
obviously isn't the case.  And the point wasn't that the FAQs were
"unneeded", it was that they "no longer mirror the FAA policy", implying
that the policy changed, or that the answers in the FAQ are now incorrect.

It is good to have these Inspector manuals available however.

Jose

No, three [ or more] different airports.
§ 61.129   Aeronautical experience.
(a) For an airplane single-engine rating. Except as provided
in paragraph (i) of this section, a person who applies for a
commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category and
single-engine class rating must log at least 250 hours of
flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:

(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be
in airplanes.

(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which
includes at least-

(i) 50 hours in airplanes; and

(ii) 50 hours in cross-country flight of which at least 10
hours must be in airplanes.

(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in
§61.127(b)(1) of this part that includes at least-

(i) 10 hours of instrument training of which at least 5
hours must be in a single-engine airplane;

(ii) 10 hours of training in an airplane that has a
retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch
propeller, or is turbine-powered, or for an applicant
seeking a single-engine seaplane rating, 10 hours of
training in a seaplane that has flaps and a controllable
pitch propeller;

(iii) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a
single-engine airplane in day VFR conditions, consisting of
a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical
miles from the original point of departure;

(iv) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a
single-engine airplane in night VFR conditions, consisting
of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical
miles from the original point of departure; and

(v) 3 hours in a single-engine airplane in preparation for
the practical test within the 60-day period preceding the
date of the test.

(4) 10 hours of solo flight in a single-engine airplane on
the areas of operation listed in §61.127(b)(1) of this part,
which includes at least-

(i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical
miles total distance, with landings at a minimum of three
points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least
250 nautical miles from the original departure point.
However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the
longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of
at least 150 nautical miles; and

(ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10
landings (with each landing involving a flight in the
traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control
tower.

(b) For an airplane multiengine rating. Except as provided
in paragraph (i) of this section, a person who applies for a
commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category and
multiengine class rating must log at least 250 hours of
flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:

(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be
in airplanes.

(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which
includes at least-

(i) 50 hours in airplanes; and

(ii) 50 hours in cross-country flight of which at least 10
hours must be in airplanes.

(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in
§61.127(b)(2) of this part that includes at least-

(i) 10 hours of instrument training of which at least 5
hours must be in a multiengine airplane;

(ii) 10 hours of training in a multiengine airplane that has
a retractable landing gear, flaps, and controllable pitch
propellers, or is turbine-powered, or for an applicant
seeking a multiengine seaplane rating, 10 hours of training
in a multiengine seaplane that has flaps and a controllable
pitch propeller;

(iii) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a
multiengine airplane in day VFR conditions, consisting of a
total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles
from the original point of departure;

(iv) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a
multiengine airplane in night VFR conditions, consisting of
a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical
miles from the original point of departure; and

(v) 3 hours in a multiengine airplane in preparation for the
practical test within the 60-day period preceding the date
of the test.

(4) 10 hours of solo flight time in a multiengine airplane
or 10 hours of flight time performing the duties of pilot in
command in a multiengine airplane with an authorized
instructor (either of which may be credited towards the
flight time requirement in paragraph (b)(2) of this
section), on the areas of operation listed in §61.127(b)(2)
of this part that includes at least-

(i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical
miles total distance with landings at a minimum of three
points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least
250 nautical miles from the original departure point.
However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the
longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of
at least 150 nautical miles; and

(ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10
landings (with each landing involving a flight with a
traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control
tower.