Pilot reference
Private pilot requirements (61.109)
The aeronautical experience for a private pilot certificate, airplane single-engine, is 40 hours with twelve specific things inside it. Here they are, with a checker that tells you which ones you still owe.
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Single-engine land only. The night requirement has an exception for some Alaska residents (61.110); simulator credit of up to 2.5 hours applies only within the conditions of 61.109(k).
The 61.109(a) minimums
| Requirement | Minimum | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Total flight time | 40 h | 61.109(a) |
| Flight training from an instructor | 20 h | 61.109(a) |
| Solo flight time | 10 h | 61.109(a)(5) |
| Cross-country flight training | 3 h | 61.109(a)(1) |
| Night flight training | 3 h | 61.109(a)(2) |
| Night cross-country of over 100 NM total distance | one flight | 61.109(a)(2)(i) |
| Night takeoffs and full-stop landings in the pattern | 10 | 61.109(a)(2)(ii) |
| Flight training by reference to instruments | 3 h | 61.109(a)(3) |
| Checkride preparation, within 2 calendar months of the test | 3 h | 61.109(a)(4) |
| Solo cross-country time | 5 h | 61.109(a)(5)(i) |
| Solo cross-country of 150 NM total, three full-stop landings, one leg over 50 NM | one flight | 61.109(a)(5)(ii) |
| Solo full-stop landings at a towered airport | 3 | 61.109(a)(5)(iii) |
The rest of the path
- Age: 16 to fly solo as a student pilot (14 CFR 61.83), 17 for the private pilot certificate (14 CFR 61.103).
- Solo first needs the pre-solo knowledge and flight training endorsements and the 90-day solo endorsement (AC 61-65K A.3, A.4, A.6), and cross-country solos need their own (A.9, A.10).
- The knowledge test (PAR, Private Pilot Airplane: 60 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass) needs an instructor’s endorsement (A.36) or a home-study graduation certificate, and stays valid for 24 calendar months.
- The practical test needs the 61.39 endorsement (A.1), including that you have reviewed the areas you missed on the knowledge test (A.2), and is flown against the Private Pilot ACS, FAA-S-ACS-6C.
Forty hours is the legal floor, not a forecast. AOPA notes there is no industry-wide data on how many hours people actually take and suggests planning for somewhere between 50 and 70; see what it costs for the arithmetic.
How many hours do you need for a private pilot license?
At least 40 hours of flight time for an airplane single-engine rating under 14 CFR 61.109(a), including at least 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours solo. Most people take more; AOPA suggests planning for 50 to 70.
What counts as the long solo cross-country?
One solo flight of at least 150 nautical miles total distance, with full-stop landings at three points, and one segment with a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations (61.109(a)(5)(ii)).
Is the Part 141 minimum lower?
Yes: a Part 141 private pilot course requires 35 hours of flight training (Appendix B to Part 141). See Part 61 vs Part 141.
Sources
- 14 CFR 61.109, Aeronautical experience; 14 CFR 61.83; 14 CFR 61.103 (eCFR Title 14, current as of 9 November 2026).
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix (revised 25 September 2026). AC 61-65K, Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors, Appendix A.
- AOPA, How much does it cost to get a pilot’s license? (read 11 November 2026).
- Checked on 11 November 2026. If a rule has changed since, the regulation governs; tell us and we will correct the page.
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Last updated 11 November 2026.