PPL Stage
Terms relevant to PPL training and PPL holders — primary licence privileges, currency rules, and recreational flying concepts.
Operational(9)
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are the regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft solely by reference to instruments, with separation from other traffic and terrain provided by air traffic control rather than by visual reference.
Medical Certificate
A medical certificate is an FAA-issued document certifying that a pilot meets the physical and mental health standards required to exercise the privileges of their pilot certificate.
METAR (Aviation Routine Weather Report)
A METAR is a standardized, coded surface aviation weather observation issued every hour — or more frequently as a SPECI when conditions change significantly — from certified reporting stations worldwide, governed by ICAO Annex 3 and WMO Technical Regulations 49.3, and required for operator preflight weather assessment under 14 CFR §121.97 and FAA Order 7900.5.
Night Flight Time
Night flight time is the flight time logged between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight — defined in 14 CFR §1.1 (FAA) and EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 by reference to the sun's position rather than a fixed clock time — and is required as a distinct logbook column because specific certificate, rating, and currency requirements use night time as a separate qualifying criterion.
Pilot Currency Rules (FAA)
FAA pilot currency rules — primarily codified in 14 CFR §61.57 for recent flight experience and §61.56 for flight review — define the minimum recurrent flight activity a certificated pilot must maintain to legally exercise the privileges of their certificate, covering passenger-carrying recency, night recency, and instrument recency.
Stabilized Approach Criteria
Stabilized approach criteria are the operator-defined performance gates an aircraft must satisfy by a specified altitude (typically 1,000 ft AAL in IMC, 500 ft AAL in VMC) — codified in ICAO Doc 9870 (Manual on the Prevention of Runway Excursions), FAA AC 120-71 / 91-79, and EASA AMC1 ORO.GEN.110 — below which the approach must be discontinued via a missed approach if any criterion is unmet.
Student Pilot Certificate
A student pilot certificate is an FAA-issued authorization document that allows a student pilot to fly solo, serving as the foundational pilot certificate before earning a private pilot license.
Total Flight Time (Total Time)
Total flight time — colloquially "total time" on a pilot CV — is the aggregate of all flight time across all aircraft categories, all roles (PIC, SIC, dual, solo), and the entire career, defined under 14 CFR §1.1 (FAA) as pilot time commencing when the aircraft first moves under its own power for flight and ending when it comes to rest after landing, and under EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 with substantially equivalent language.
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are the regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going by visual reference to the ground and other aircraft.
Regulatory(18)
Airman Certification Standards (ACS)
The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) are FAA documents that define the knowledge, risk management, and skill standards an applicant must demonstrate to earn each pilot certificate or rating.
Approved Training Organization (ATO)
An Approved Training Organization (ATO) is a flight training provider certified by a national aviation authority under EASA or ICAO standards to deliver approved pilot training courses.
Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)
An Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) is a physician designated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 183 §183.21 to examine applicants for FAA medical certificates and to issue First, Second, and Third-Class medical certificates on behalf of the FAA.
BasicMed
BasicMed is an FAA medical certification alternative that allows qualifying pilots to fly under a self-attested medical regime supervised by any state-licensed physician, in lieu of holding a Third-Class FAA Medical Certificate.
Class 2 Medical Certificate
A Class 2 medical certificate is the standard required for private pilot privileges in the EASA system (Part-MED) and for commercial pilot privileges in the FAA system (14 CFR Part 67 Subpart C, Second-Class), with validity periods and examination requirements less stringent than Class 1.
Class 3 / Third-Class Medical Certificate
A Third-Class medical certificate (FAA) is the minimum standard for exercising private pilot privileges under 14 CFR Part 67 Subpart D — and is the medical regime BasicMed was designed to relieve qualifying pilots from.
Declared Training Organization (DTO)
A Declared Training Organization (DTO) is a lighter-weight EASA flight training provider that operates by declaration rather than full certification, authorized to offer PPL and LAPL training courses.
EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)
EASA is the EU aviation safety agency established by Regulation (EC) 1592/2002 and now governed by Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, responsible for setting airworthiness, licensing, operations, and UAS standards across 31 European Member States.
FAR Part 121 — Scheduled Airline Operations
14 CFR Part 121 is the FAA regulation governing U.S. scheduled passenger and all-cargo air carrier operations, including domestic, flag, and supplemental operators such as American, Delta, United, FedEx, and UPS. It prescribes operating certificates, crewmember training programs (§121.401), flight/duty time limits (§§121.470–121.471), and mandatory Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Programs (§121.367).
FAR Part 137 — Agricultural Aircraft Operations
14 CFR Part 137 governs agricultural aircraft operations in the United States — aerial application of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and seed dispersal — establishing certificate requirements, pilot qualifications, operating limitations, and recordkeeping for both private and commercial ag operators.
FAR Part 67 — Medical Standards and Certification
14 CFR Part 67 establishes the FAA's medical standards for pilot certification, defining three classes of medical certificate — First, Second, and Third — with progressively less stringent standards, and the certification procedures governing issuance, denial, and Special Issuance.
Flight Training Organisation (FTO)
A Flight Training Organization (FTO) is an ICAO and legacy EASA term for an approved organization that provides flight crew training under a structured and regulated curriculum.
IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application)
IACRA is the FAA's web-based system for submitting, tracking, and processing airman certification and rating applications, replacing the traditional paper-based FAA Form 8710-1.
Licence Conversion
Licence conversion is the regulatory process by which a pilot certificate or rating issued by one civil aviation authority is recognized, validated, or re-issued by another authority — for example, converting an FAA PPL to an EASA Part-FCL PPL.
Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA)
Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) is an FAA aircraft category defined in 14 CFR §1.1, limited to aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 lb (1,430 lb for seaplanes), a maximum stall speed of 45 knots CAS, a maximum cruise speed of 120 knots CAS, and no more than two seats — the category that Sport Pilot Certificate holders are authorized to fly.
Part 141
Part 141 refers to FAA-certificated flight schools that operate under 14 CFR Part 141, following an FAA-approved curriculum with structured syllabi, stage checks, and periodic oversight.
Part 61
Part 61 refers to flight training conducted under 14 CFR Part 61, where instructors set the curriculum and training pace without a formal FAA-approved syllabus.
Part-FCL
Part-FCL (Flight Crew Licensing) is the EASA regulation that establishes the requirements for the issue, revalidation, and renewal of flight crew licenses and ratings in European aviation.
Training(23)
Ab Initio
Ab initio is a Latin term meaning 'from the beginning,' used in aviation to describe training programs that take students with no prior flight experience through to a professional pilot qualification.
Air Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP)
The ATP-CTP is an FAA-mandated ground and simulator training course, required under 14 CFR §61.156 since August 2013, that every ATP-certificate applicant must complete before sitting the ATP Aeronautical Knowledge Test.
Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL)
The Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), known in the United States as the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, is the highest level of pilot certification, required to serve as pilot in command of scheduled airline operations.
Certified Flight Instructor — Instrument (CFII)
A Certified Flight Instructor — Instrument (CFII) is a flight instructor who holds an instrument instructor rating, authorizing them to provide training for the instrument rating and to conduct instrument proficiency checks.
Class Rating
A class rating is a regulatory authorization permitting a pilot to fly a specific class of aircraft, such as single-engine piston, multi-engine piston, or single-engine seaplane.
Class Rating Instructor (CRI)
A Class Rating Instructor (CRI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.CRI permitting delivery of class rating training on single-engine piston (SEP), multi-engine piston (MEP), single-engine turboprop (SET), and certain complex single-pilot aircraft — the intermediate instructor authorization for class-rated aircraft below the Type Rating Instructor (TRI) complexity threshold.
Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
A Commercial Pilot License (CPL), known in the United States as a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is an advanced pilot credential that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command for compensation or hire.
Cross-Country Flight
A cross-country flight is a flight between two points that exceeds a specified distance, typically 50 nautical miles, and is a required component of most pilot training programmes.
Cross-Country Time — FAA and EASA Variations
"Cross-country" flight time is not a single definition in aviation regulations — the FAA uses at least four distinct definitions under 14 CFR §61.1(b)(3) depending on the certificate sought, while EASA Part-FCL FCL.010 applies a single pre-planned-route standard; misapplying the wrong definition to logged hours causes certification failures.
Flight Examiner (FE / FIE / IRE / CRE / TRE)
Flight Examiners are a family of EASA examiner authorizations under Part-FCL FCL.1000–FCL.1025 — including the Flight Examiner (FE), Flight Instructor Examiner (FIE), Instrument Rating Examiner (IRE), Class Rating Examiner (CRE), and Type Rating Examiner (TRE) — each authorizing the conduct of specific skill tests, proficiency checks, and examiner assessments, with authority granted by and under oversight of the relevant national competent authority.
Instrument Rating
An instrument rating is an additional qualification added to a pilot certificate or license that authorizes the holder to fly under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), navigating solely by reference to cockpit instruments in reduced visibility or cloud conditions.
Instrument Rating Instructor (IRI)
An Instrument Rating Instructor (IRI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.IRI permitting delivery of instrument rating training — including the full IR(A) syllabus under FCL.605 and Competency-Based IR training under FCL.605.A — in both aircraft and approved FSTDs, without requiring the full Flight Instructor (FI) certificate for the corresponding aircraft category.
Integrated vs Modular ATPL Training
The two structurally distinct paths to a frozen ATPL under EASA Part-FCL: the Integrated ATPL(A) program under FCL.510.A and Appendix 3.A — a single ab-initio course from zero flight hours to frozen ATPL at one Approved Training Organization — versus the Modular path under FCL.310, FCL.605, FCL.720.A, and FCL.735.A, which builds the frozen ATPL through sequential standalone courses that may be completed at different ATOs over an extended period.
Knowledge Test (Written Exam)
A knowledge test is the written, multiple-choice examination that a pilot applicant must pass before taking the practical test for a certificate or rating.
KSA Grading (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes)
KSA grading is the legacy training-assessment model that graded pilot performance against three taxonomic categories — Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes — and which Competency-Based Training and Assessment has progressively replaced with competency- and observable-behavior-based grading.
Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL)
The Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) is an EASA pilot license designed for recreational flying in light aircraft, offering a lower-cost and less complex pathway to piloting than the traditional PPL.
Multi-Engine Rating
A multi-engine rating is an additional class rating added to a pilot certificate or license that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command of aircraft with more than one engine.
Night Rating
A night rating is an additional qualification under EASA and certain other regulatory frameworks that authorizes a pilot to exercise the privileges of their license during nighttime hours, which is not included in the base PPL or LAPL privileges outside the United States.
Private Pilot License (PPL)
A Private Pilot License (PPL), known in the United States as a Private Pilot Certificate, is the foundational pilot credential that allows an individual to act as pilot in command of an aircraft for personal, non-commercial purposes.
Skill Test
A skill test is the EASA practical examination conducted by an authorized examiner to assess a pilot candidate's competency for the initial issue of a license, rating, or certificate, serving as the European equivalent of the FAA checkride.
Solo Flight
A solo flight is a flight in which the student pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft, having been endorsed by their instructor to fly without supervision.
Sport Pilot Certificate
The Sport Pilot Certificate, codified under 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart J (§§61.303–61.327) and established by the FAA's 2004 Light-Sport Aircraft Rule, allows pilots to fly Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) without an FAA medical certificate, requiring a minimum of 20 flight hours and a U.S. driver's license as medical evidence.
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT)
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) is the specialized flight training mandated under EASA Part-FCL FCL.745.A and codified in ICAO Doc 10011 that prepares pilots to recognize, prevent, and recover from aeroplane upsets — large deviations in pitch, bank, or speed that can lead to Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I), the leading cause of fatal accidents in commercial aviation.
Business(5)
Cadet Program and Bonded Training
A cadet program is an airline-sponsored ab-initio pilot training pipeline that recruits zero-time candidates and trains them to First Officer standard; bonded training is any arrangement in which the training cost is sponsored by an employer against a contractual service commitment, with liquidated damages provisions if the pilot leaves before the bond period expires.
Discovery Flight
A discovery flight is an introductory flying experience designed to give prospective students their first taste of piloting an aircraft, typically lasting 30 to 60 minutes with a certified flight instructor.
Dual Instruction
Dual instruction is flight time during which a student pilot flies with a certified flight instructor (CFI) who provides training, guidance, and oversight from the other seat.
Flight Hour
A flight hour is the fundamental unit of measurement in aviation training and billing, representing one hour of aircraft operation as recorded by the aircraft's Hobbs meter or tachometer.
Simulator Time
Simulator time is training time logged in a Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) — such as an AATD, BATD, or full-flight simulator — that may count toward the flight hour requirements for pilot certificates and ratings.