Airline transport pilot licence facts for kids

The airline transport pilot licence (ATPL) is the highest pilot certificate you can get. In the United States, it's called an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate.

This license allows a pilot to be the main pilot, also known as the pilot in command, on big planes for airlines. These are the planes that carry passengers or cargo on regular flights. In places like Europe and the United Kingdom, pilots must have an ATPL to be the main pilot of an aircraft that needs more than one pilot for commercial flights.

What an ATPL Means for Pilots

Pilots who want to fly planes for money usually start by getting a commercial pilot licence (CPL). This license lets them do jobs like crop dusting or towing banners.

However, if a pilot wants to fly for an airline, carrying passengers or cargo for money, a CPL isn't enough to be the main pilot on a large plane. A CPL holder can only be the main pilot on planes that need just one pilot, or be the co-pilot on planes that need two or more pilots. To be the main pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft, a pilot needs an ATPL.

Just like other pilot licenses, an ATPL doesn't have an expiry date. But pilots must always keep their other flight ratings up to date. These ratings show they are qualified to fly specific types of planes or fly in certain weather conditions.

How to Get an ATPL

In Europe (EASA) and the United Kingdom

To get an ATPL in these regions, a pilot must already have a CPL. They also need a special rating for flying planes with multiple engines and an instrument rating for flying in bad weather. Plus, they need a certificate for working well with other pilots in a multi-crew cockpit.

Pilots must have flown a lot of hours. For airplanes, they need 1500 hours of flight time. This includes at least 500 hours flying in multi-pilot planes. They also need a certain number of hours as the main pilot. Some hours from flying helicopters or gliders can count towards this total. For helicopters, they need 1000 hours of flight time.

Pilots must pass a "skill test." This test shows they can fly a multi-pilot airplane as the main pilot, especially when flying by instruments. They need to have a specific rating for the type of aircraft used in the test. This test can even be done in a very realistic flight simulator.

The youngest age to get an ATPL is 21 years old. Pilots must also have a Class 1 medical certificate, which means they are in excellent health. There are separate ATPLs for flying airplanes and helicopters.

Pilots aged 60 to 64 can still be the main pilot, but they must fly with another pilot in commercial flights. After age 65, they can no longer fly for commercial airlines.

Exams for the ATPL

To get an ATPL in Europe, pilots must pass 14 different written exams. Many pilots take a special course, either full-time for six months or part-time for a year, to prepare for these exams.

The 14 subjects they are tested on include:

• Rules of the air (Air law)
• How airplanes work (Aircraft General Knowledge)
• Flight instruments
• Weight and balance of the aircraft
• How the plane performs
• Planning and monitoring flights
• How humans perform in flying (Human Performance)
• Weather (Meteorology)
• General navigation
• Using radio for navigation
• How to operate the aircraft
• How planes fly (Principles of Flight)
• Radio communication when flying by instruments
• Radio communication when flying by sight

All these exams must be passed within 18 months. After passing the exams, pilots then have 36 months to get their CPL and Instrument Rating.

Many pilots take their ATPL exams before they even get their CPL. This is because passing the ATPL exams also counts for the CPL. If a pilot has a CPL and has passed all the ATPL exams, it's sometimes called a "frozen ATPL." This isn't an official term, but it means they've done most of the hard work for the ATPL.

In the United States

After a plane crash in 2009 (Colgan Air Flight 3407), the rules changed. Now, all pilots flying for commercial airlines must have an ATP certificate. This change meant that new commercial pilots needed to have 1500 hours of flight time, much more than before.

However, there are special rules for pilots with military flying experience or those who graduated from certain university aviation programs. They can get a restricted ATP certificate (R-ATP) with fewer hours. An R-ATP can be obtained at age 21.

To take the main ATP flight test, a pilot needs at least 1500 hours of flight experience. This must include 250 hours as the main pilot. The pilot must also be at least 23 years old.

Restricted ATP certificates allow pilots to fly as a co-pilot. They can get this if they meet one of these conditions:

• Military pilots who are 21 or older with 750 total flight hours.
• Graduates from approved four-year aviation degrees, who are 21 or older with 1000 total flight hours.
• Graduates from approved two-year aviation degrees, who are 21 or older with 1250 total flight hours.
• Pilots with 1500 hours who are 21 or older.

Once a pilot with a restricted ATP gets the full required hours, the restriction is removed.

The ATP flight test can be taken in a smaller plane. However, to fly large planes or jet aircraft, pilots also need a "Type Rating." This is a special qualification for a specific type of aircraft. Most pilots in the US get their ATP certificate and a Type Rating at the same time. This usually happens during their training program with an airline.

See also

In Spanish: Licencia de piloto de transporte de línea aérea (avión) para niños

• Pilot licensing and certification
• Pilot certification in the United States
• Pilot licensing in Canada
• Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom
• EASA pilot licensing