Private pilot requirements: the full checklist
Age, medical, tests and every hour you need to log, from 14 CFR 61.103 and 61.109.
To earn a private pilot certificate for airplanes, you have to meet the eligibility rules in 14 CFR 61.103 and log the flight experience in 14 CFR 61.109. Here is the whole list in one place for Part 61 training in a single-engine airplane.
Eligibility
- Be at least 17 years old (16 to solo).
- Read, speak, write and understand English.
- Hold at least a third-class medical certificate or meet BasicMed rules (a student needs a medical certificate to solo).
- Pass the FAA knowledge test (the written) and the practical test (the checkride).
Flight experience: at least 40 hours
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Total flight time | 40 hours |
| Flight training with an instructor | 20 hours, including: |
| Cross-country training | 3 hours |
| Night training | 3 hours, including a cross-country over 100 nm total and 10 full-stop takeoffs and landings |
| Instrument training (by reference to instruments) | 3 hours |
| Checkride preparation | 3 hours within the 2 calendar months before the test |
| Solo flight | 10 hours, including: |
| Solo cross-country | 5 hours |
| Long solo cross-country | 150 nm total, full-stop landings at 3 points, one leg over 50 nm straight-line |
| Towered airport | 3 solo full-stop takeoffs and landings |
Source: 14 CFR 61.109(a) and 61.103. Part 141 schools have their own approved syllabus.
40 hours is the minimum, not the average
Most students take more than 40 hours, often 60 to 75, because the checkride is graded to the ACS standards, not to the hour count. Flying often (two or three times a week) and studying ground school between lessons is what keeps the total down. See how long it takes and the cost calculator.
Track it as you go
The logbook tracker counts your hours against every line in the table above, so you and your instructor always know what's left.
Logbook tracker
Your hours against every requirement
Open →Private Pilot course
59 lessons, in order
Open →Common questions
How many hours do you need for a private pilot license?
At least 40 under Part 61, including 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo. Most students need more.
How old do you have to be to get a private pilot license?
17 for the certificate. You can solo at 16.
Do I need a medical certificate for a private pilot license?
You need at least a third-class medical to solo as a student. After that, a private pilot can use a medical certificate or BasicMed.
Sources, review & change history
- Published
- Oct 26, 2026
- Review status
- Written from the FAA sources linked in the text. Not yet re-checked line by line or reviewed by a flight instructor.
- Changes
- Oct 26, 2026: first published.
Study aid only. Your instructor, current 14 CFR and the FAA's handbooks and ACS have the final word.