Okay, how geeky is that? Don’t answer that. How silly is it that the new requirements for charity flights require 500 hours, but a commercial certificate only 250 hours? So, I started looking at the aeronautical experience requirements for a commercial ticket (airplane), beyond the total 250 hours (I currently have 185.4, so I need 64.6 more).
- 100 hours in powered aircraft – okay, I have 165.1 in ASEL as of today, so I’ve got that covered
- 100 hours PIC time
- 50 in airplanes – I have 129.3
- 50 cross country – I have 86.2
- 20 hours training in commercial areas of operation – okay, I need to do some of that
- 10 hours of instrument training – I already have an instrument rating (total of 32.1 hours sim & actual)
- 10 hours complex time – I have 0.0
- 2 hour/100 mile straight-line day VFR cross-country – VTA-CKB-VTA qualifies, so I have one, but does it count if I wasn’t officially a commercial student at the time and it wasn’t dual, probably not. I’m not sure if any of my dual cross-countries were 100 mile straight-line, I have plenty of solo VFR cross-countries that would qualify
- 2 hour/100 mile straight-line night VFR cross-country – either the VFR or the 100 mile straight-line would be an issue here, so I need one of these
- 3 hours in practical test prep in 60 days preceeding checkride – obviously this will come later
- 10 hours solo in commercial areas of operation
- 300 mile cross-country/250 mile straight-line – nope, don’t have this one yet
- 5 hours night/10 take-offs & landings at controlled airfield – I have 25.3 hours of night and I’ll have to see if I have 10 t/o and landings at controlled fields at night, I think I do, but I could easily get those if I don’t have them or if they need to be done while “officially” a commercial student.
So what does that prove? I dunno. I obviously need to get instruction in the commercial maneuvers, etc. I also don’t need to do all that much “hour building”. If I assume that the 20 hours dual and the 10 hours solo need to happen after I’ve “officially declared myself” as a commercial student, it is probably time for me to talk to Harold (or Clint or some other instructor) soon. BTW, they have a 182RG at LHQ now, so even if I didn’t go for the commercial yet, I could look into getting the complex and high-performance endorsements.
Peace.