How certificates and licenses fit together
There's bunch of authorizations that a person can receive from the FAA. Some are prerequisites to others and they all depend upon what kind of "thing" you are flying. Let's start there.
How the FAA defines the stuff you fly ...
In the FAA world, the things you can fly are first divided by "category". They FAA categories are: airplane, rotorcraft, glider, lighter-than-air, powered-lift, powered parachute, and weight-shift control aircraft. Aileron Aviation teaches in the "airplane" category.
Within the airplane category the FAA defines several "classes". The FAA airplane classes are: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine sea. Aileron Aviation teaches in the airplane category and single-engine land class. For example, a Cessna 172 is a single-engine land airplane.
How the FAA defines a pilot's authorization ...
The FAA organizes pilot authorization around risks. First, for the people around you then yourself. For example, a student pilot would not be authorized to fly a Boeing 737 even if they had the skill; sorry simulator gurus.
Here's the most common authorizations:
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Student Pilot Certificate - A student pilot.
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Private Pilot Certificate - Authorization to fly for personal reasons.
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Commercial Pilot Certificate - Authorization to get paid for flying.
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Airline Transport Pilot Certificate - Authorization to fly big or fast aircraft for airlines.
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Recreational Pilot Certificate - Authorization to fly with limitations on aircraft size or number of occupants.
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Sport Pilot Certificate - Authorization to fly a particular class of aircraft call light-sport.
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Flight Instructor Certificate (Certified Flight Instructor) - Authorization to teach others to fly.
But that's not enough authorization to pick an aircraft and go to the skies. The FAA adds to a certificate a rating. It's the combination of certificate and rating that gives a pilot the authority to pick a particular aircraft and go. The three common ratings are:
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class rating - The aircraft class is a rating. Like, singe-engine land. A person with a private pilot certificate that has a single-engine land rating is authorized to fly a Cessna 172.
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instrument rating - The authority to fly in less than visual conditions, aka "Instrument Meteorological Conditions", aka in the clouds.
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type rating - The authorization to fly a particular aircraft that is large or fast. An airplane with a maximum takeoff weight greater than 12,500 pounds requires a type rating. As well airplanes with a turbojet power plant require a type rating.
But wait... what about a pilot license? Where's the "license"? Certificate is the correct word. Here's the difference. Certificates never expire, but licenses do expire. Your private pilot certificate never expires, although there are recency of experience and training requirements to make it legal to use your private pilot certificate.
