What Can You Do With A Private Pilots License?
Why listen to me?
I’m a commercial airline pilot who has personally paid this cost, so I know what I’m talking about, especially when it comes to answering the question ‘what can you do with a private pilots license?’.
As well as the cost of getting a PPL, I’ve also paid the total cost to become a commercial airline pilot, which was expensive.
If you’re interested in becoming a commercial pilot, you can learn how to train to become an airline pilot, find the best flight school, pass selection and much more.
What Can You Do With A Private Pilots License?
There are several things that you can do with a private pilot license (PPL).
Holding this license will allow you to act as a pilot in command whilst flying small, light aircraft.
Simply put, it is similar to your driving licence for a small aeroplane. This means you cannot make money with your PPL.
Travel With Family And Friends
This means you can fly in style and take your friends and family on exciting getaways all over the country.
Instead of spending hours stuck in traffic on the roads, you can head to your local airfield, hire an aircraft and fly your lucky passengers to their destination.
Or, if you want to take your lucky friends and family for a leisure flight around your local airfield, this is just as much fun.
This is arguably the most significant benefit of holding a private pilot’s license.
Other Perks
Ultimately, having a private pilot’s licence gives you the freedom to fly as a hobby, including cross-country flights.
This also means you can continue flying, building flight hours and refining your flying skills. This is one of the methods you can follow if you are looking to become a commercial airline pilot.
It’s even more incredible that you can achieve your PPL at 17 years old or even 16 years old for a glider certificate.
You can also conduct non-profit flying, like flying for a charity airshow, towing gliders and more.
You Can’t Make Money From A PPL
You cannot make any money from your flying, so you cannot provide your flying services for a profit. You cannot charge or accept any money for flying with a PPL.
However, you can request an equal share of the operating expenses from those you have onboard. So if you fly three friends for a day, then you are eligible to split the expenses four ways.
How Can I Make Money Flying?
You would need a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) for this. Therefore, you can’t carry passengers that have paid you for their tickets.
A CPL requires far more pilot training and will usually cost more than a PPL. You can read about how much it costs to obtain a private pilot certificate.
As well as your CPL, you can obtain an instrument rating allowing you to fly for a commercial airline. This will require further flight training as well as ground school.
What About Working As A Flight Instructor?
There are exceptions to the above rule about not making money with a PPL.
If you hold an instructor’s rating, you can charge for your services as a flight instructor. However, plenty of additional training is required to become a flight instructor.
Flight instructing is how many private pilots do their ‘hour building’ and is a cost-efficient way of achieving more hours during your pilot training.
Are There Exams For A PPL?
You must pass a series of exams, depending on whether you are in the United States, under FAA regulations or in the United Kingdom.
You can read more about the cost of getting a PPL and the exams required to achieve a PPL.
You will also have to hold a specific level class medical certificate. However, don’t be put off by this, as the regulations and limitations on this medical certificate is usually much lower than the medical requirements to be a commercial airline pilot.
To Summarise What Can You Do With A Private Pilots License
A private pilot’s licence is a fantastic thing to achieve.
It will give you one of the best freedoms in the world, the freedom of flight.
I can guarantee that your friends and family will be incredibly impressed when you offer to take them flying for the day – it’s certainly a perk that not many people can offer!
Whether or not you are trying to achieve your PPL for its perks or whether its a step in your commercial pilot training, you must remember that it does take hard work and a reasonable amount of money to get your licence.
However, I can promise you that you will never forget the first time you take your friends and family flying.
