What is a Commercial Pilot License?
The Commercial Pilot License (CPL) is the qualification that allows you to be paid to fly, to operate single- or multi-engine aircraft for compensation, by day or night, in visual and instrument conditions.
It is the gateway from flying as a private pilot to flying as a professional, bringing together everything built in the earlier stages into a single professional licence. Holding a CPL makes you eligible to be employed as a pilot; it does not, by itself, guarantee a particular job, which depends on experience, the market and each employer's requirements.
All Programs
Explore every training path at Sky Team Aviation.
How Training Works
CPL training consolidates everything from your earlier stages into professional-standard flying. The full programme follows four structured components.
Foundations: PPL
You begin with your Private Pilot License, aviation theory, basic handling, solo flying and navigation, which forms the foundation for everything that follows.
Ratings: Night, IR & Multi-Engine
You progress through the Night Rating, Instrument Rating and Multi-Engine Rating, building the operational skills and experience required for commercial flying.
Instructor Rating (CFI)
The Flight Instructor Rating develops your ability to teach, provides a route to build flight hours, and is a core component of the SkyTeam programme.
Commercial: CPL
The CPL consolidates all your training to professional standard, completing the full 200-hour programme and qualifying you to fly for compensation.
Flight Training Requirements
The CPL requires a minimum total of approximately 200 flight hours including all previous stages. Exact figures depend on the training plan and progress.
What this program gives you
This licence lets you act as pilot in command on aircraft certified for single-pilot operations, for compensation.
Build the flight hours and operational experience your career needs.
Build a career where every flight is a step toward more responsibility and growth.
Invest in your future as a professional pilot.
Qualify to work as a co-pilot on medium-sized commercial aircraft.
Build the confidence, discipline, and skill set a successful aviation career requires.
Examinations & Your Pilot Journey
To obtain your Commercial Pilot License, you must complete the required examinations. This milestone sits on a structured aviation career path.
Written Exams
Eight written subjects covering professional-level knowledge across air law, navigation, meteorology, aircraft systems, performance, human factors and flight planning (approximately 19 subjects across the full programme).
CPL Skill Test
A practical skill test with a designated examiner, assessing commercial-standard flying across all required exercises.
Your Path Beyond PPL
Your progression follows a structured pathway toward becoming a professional airline pilot.
Who Can Apply
To enrol in the Commercial Pilot License, you must hold the following prerequisite qualifications.
PPL with the preceding ratings (NR, IR, MER, CFI).
A current Class I aviation medical.
Full requirements checklist
Be at least 18 years old.
Hold a Class 1 medical certificate.
Hold a General Radio Telephony certificate.
Pass the SA-CAA Commercial Pilot License (CPL) theory examination.
Pass the CPL practical flight test on a complex aircraft (with retractable landing gear, adjustable flaps, and a constant-speed propeller) with a Grade 1 Designated Flight Examiner (DFE).
Submit your CPL application to the SA-CAA and pay the required fees.
The hours you need to log
Log at least 200 flight hours, up to 20 of which may be flown on approved simulators.
If you choose a CPL with an instrument rating, you need 180 flight hours.
Accumulate at least 100 hours as Pilot in Command (PIC), including 5 hours of night command.
Complete a night cross-country flight with at least 3 legs, each longer than 50 nautical miles, with at least 10 night take-offs and 10 night landings.
Pass the CPL practical flight test on a complex aircraft with a Grade 1 Designated Flight Examiner (DFE).
Submit your application to the SA-CAA and pay the required fees.
What You Can Do With a Commercial Pilot License
The CPL allows you to fly professionally and makes you eligible to be employed as a pilot.
Single- or multi-engine, day or night, VFR or IFR
Eligible to fly for compensation
Eligible to be employed by operators and airlines
Employment depends on hours, performance and market
Time to Complete
Your training timeline depends on how consistently you train and how quickly you progress.
Training frequency
Student availability
Weather conditions
Learning pace
Training Cost
The cost of obtaining a Private Pilot License depends on your training pace, flight hours, and overall progression.
Your investment is tailored to your training plan.
Every student progresses differently, which means your total investment is influenced by how consistently you train and how efficiently you build your flight hours.
Get Your Personalized Cost Breakdown
Speak with our team to receive a clear, structured breakdown tailored to your training plan, no commitment required.
Request Pricing DetailsCommercial Pilot License FAQs
Common questions about CPL training at SkyTeam Aviation.
