Commercial Pilot Certificate

Earn your commercial pilot certificate.

Training Schedule

Year Round; Train at Your Own Pace
Custom & Accelerated Options Available

Starting Cost

$9,725

See Price Chart Below

Commercial pilot certification allows a pilot to fly for compensation or hire. The commercial pilot certificate training includes flying complex aircraft, extensive cross-country operations, and acquiring a high degree of aeronautical competency and airmanship.

Prior to enrolling in our commercial pilot certificate course, you must have at least a private pilot certificate, a current biennial flight review, and a current medical certificate

If your biennial flight review is not current, we can complete that prior to enrollment. A TSA screening process will be necessary if you are not an American citizen. We can guide you through that process. If an American citizen, only a passport or birth certificate must be furnished. Once TSA screening is complete, you can enroll in our FAA-approved Part 61 commercial pilot course.

Commercial Pilot Requirements:

  • Private Pilot License

    Prior to starting our commercial pilot certificate, you must have at least a private pilot certificate.

  • Language Requirements

    You must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.


  • Current Medical

    You must possess at least a third-class FAA medical examination. You will require at least a second-class medical certificate to exercise your privileges as a commercial pilot.

  • 250 Hours of Flight Time

    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

  • Train with a Certified Instructor

    You must receive flight training from a certified flight instructor.

  • Pass written & practical tests

    You must pass the written aeronautical knowledge test and your Commercial Pilot Flight test


250 Hours Minimum Flight Time Logged

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:

  • 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes.
  • 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least:
  • 50 hours in airplanes;
  • 50 hours in cross-country flight, of which at least 10 hours must be in airplanes.
  • 10 hours of solo flight time or as PIC with an instructor on board in a single engine airplane, including:
  • one cross country flight over 300 nautical miles, with landings at 3 points, and a single leg distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the point of departure
  • 5 hours of night VFR with 10 take-offs and landings at a controlled tower
  • 20 hours of commercial instruction including:
  • 10 hours of commercial instrument training
  • 10 hours in a complex, technically advanced, or turbine airplane
  • a 2 hour day cross-country consisting of a straight light distance greater than 100 nautical miles from the point of departure
  • a 2 hour night cross country consisting of a straight line distance greater than 100 nautical miles from the point of departure
  • 3 hours of instruction time within the 2 months preceding your practical test

Price Estimate for your Commercial Certificate

Use our pricing chart to help give you an idea of what your training costs will be. Pricing for your commercial is based on someone who already has their private pilot license, has completed the majority of their time building, and needs only to complete the minimum required commercial training as outlined above. Hourly rates for time building in our Cessna 150, Cessna 172 and our Redbird Simulator are included (but not in the subtotal), should you require additional hours.

Rating

Description

Rate

Hours

Subtotal

Commercial Pilot

Cessna 172 Rental For Checkrides

$190

2.5

$475

Checkride Examiner Fee

$1200

–

$1200

Dual Flight Instruction in Cessna 172

$265

20

$5300

FAA Written Exam

$175

–

$175

Ground Instruction

$75

5

$375

Online Ground School

$300

–

$300

Solo Rental

$190

10

$1900

Solo Time Building – C150

$150

Variable

Variable

Solo Time Building – CC172

$190

Variable

Variable

Solo Time Building (AATD – 50 Hours Max)

$75

Variable

Variable

Commercial Rating Total

$9725

The process

How to Earn Your Commercial Pilot Certificate

01

Earn your Private Pilot Certificate

Before pursuing a commercial pilot certificate, obtain your Private Pilot Certificate through comprehensive ground and flight training. Master basic flight principles, navigation, and communication while logging flight hours to become a confident and competent private pilot.

02

Accumulate required flight hours.

Develop essential flight skills with a certified instructor, then advance to solo flights. Complete required flight hours, night flying, and more to become a well-rounded commercial pilot candidate.

03

Pass your written and flight tests.

To complete your commercial pilot certification training you must pass both a written and practical exam. Your ground school materials will provide you with the means to pass the written exam. The practical exam will consist of an oral and flight performance check which your flight instructor will prepare you for.

Don’t just take our word for it

250+ Happy Flight Training Students

  • “Learning to fly with Blue River has been nothing short of outstanding! The staff are always so helpful and the instructors are on top of their game day in and day out.”
    – Sebastian B.
  • Truly a phenomenal organization. These folks helped me obtain my private pilot license. I flew with several different CFIs and they were all great.
    Thanks to their use of flight schedule pro, and the ability to schedule myself I was able to find times that worked for me and my busy schedule. Another great aspect is flying out of Palmer so much beautiful scenery all around. If you’re on the fence, just do a discovery flight.
    – Daniel W.
  • Absolutely thrilled with my experience at Blue River Aviation! The instructors are top-notch. Their fleet of aircraft is well-maintained and up-to-date. The friendly staff and other students also helped me find a community and build long-lasting friendships while working on my private pilot license. I would highly recommend pursuing your training with Blue River Aviation.
    – Tayler H.

Frequently Asked Questions, Answered

This one varies dramatically due to the time building requirement. Once you’ve hit the minimum 250 hours (for Part 61), and assuming your certificate is current and you are proficient, the actual commercial training (e.g. maneuvers, systems, flight planning) doesn’t take very long. If you have your sights set on your commercial rating from the start of your training, talk to your instructor about ways you can knock out the commercial training requirements in tandem with others, along the way. As with all of our training, Blue River offers flexible scheduling and extended training hours to meet the needs of each individual student.

Absolutely. Many students train around work or school schedules. Our extended instruction hours (6 AM–10 PM) make scheduling flexible.

The commercial rating enables you to fly for hire, and is a required stepping stone for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a pilot.

Many of the students who come here have received previous training somewhere else. We are happy to help you finish your journey to become a commercial pilot.

Yes, we train and fly year round! The summers in Alaska are amazing and offer plenty of good weahter and long days for training. Like anywhere you go there are days that we can not fly due to bad weather. In the winter we keep most of the planes in hangars and plugged in so they are warm and ready to go even on the coldest days.

Whats Next?

Ready to get your commercial license with Blue River?

Fill Out Our Inquiry Form

In return, you’ll get an email from us with everything you need to know to get started, and a direct response from a member of our team within 48 hours

Read & Sign Our Enrollment Application

This outlines all of the technical and legal details; from payment policies and insurance to operating procedures and cancellations.

Feel free to call us with questions 907-414-0371

Register For Flight Schedule Pro

Our scheduling software; your digital home base for all your training at Blue River

Book Your Discovery Flight

Still Have Questions? Keep scrolling for our FAQs

Ready to take off?

Let’s get you flying!

Let’s check that you’re human*

Don’t have your private pilot certificate yet?

To earn a Commercial Pilot Certificate, you must possess a Private Pilot Certificate. Whether your dream is to earn your Private Pilot Certificate or you are planning to eventually earn advanced ratings, this step is the most fundamental toward becoming a professional pilot.

Learn More
Twin Comanche
Our Fleet

The best aircraft in the business.

BBlue River Aviation is proud of our expansive fleet. We provide aircraft for a wide variety of training. These include: Technologically Advanced Aircraft (TAA), Complex, Floats, Skis, Tailwheels, and Multi-Engine. Go check out the Blue River fleet!

Learn More
Twin Comanche – Twin Engine