Start Your
Commercial Pilot Career
at American Winds!

Earn your commercial pilot certificate in as little as 10 to 12 months.

As a premier FAA-approved Part 141 flight school near Cleveland, we offer accelerated pilot training courses, flexible scheduling options, and post-graduate job placement opportunities to help students, working professionals, and veterans get in the pilot’s seat faster.

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Kickstart Your Career: Job Placement & Post-Graduate Benefits

Commercial airline captains are in unprecedented demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees a need for more than 16,000 new airline and commercial pilots every single year over the coming decade, largely due to a wave of mandatory retirements.

What does that mean for you? You don’t need a backup plan. When you graduate from American Winds College of Aeronautics, the door is wide open. Because our programs are fully FAA-certified, airlines actively recruit our graduates for First Officer positions. The transition from our flight simulators to a commercial Captain’s seat happens faster than you might think!

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Commercial Pilot Earning Potential

The average salary for commercial pilots is more than $100,000 a year. And that wage goes up every year you work! Retiring Captains often report final-year earnings in excess of $500,000 – and that’s without adding in benefits, like insurance and retirement plans.

Average Non-Airline Commercial Pilot Pay

Year 1: $50,000-$80,000

Year 5-6 $100,000-$200,000

Year 10-12 $200,000-$312,000

Average Airline Pilot Pay

First Officer Year 1: $78,000-$100,000

Captain Year 5-6: $199,000-$300,000

Captain year 10-12: $235,000-$386,000

American Winds makes it easy for you to get your associate degree and R-ATP in far less time than a traditional 4-year degree – which means way less debt to pay down and getting paid to fly much sooner.

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How to Become a Commercial Airline Pilot

Transitioning from Victor airways to jet routes is easier – and faster – at American Winds! Here are the steps you’ll take to get into that left-hand seat on the big planes:

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Step 1 Earn Your Private Pilot Certificate (PPC)

  • 17 years of age or older
  • Pass FAA Knowledge Exam
  • Pass and oral test and a check ride
  • Log 40 hours of flight time (including solo, night, cross-country, and more)
  • What you can do: Fly solo and carry passengers
  • What you cannot do: Get paid to fly

Step 2 Get your Instrument Rating

  • Hold a Current PPL
  • Log 37 hours flight time in simulator and aircraft, as required by the FAA
  • Pass IFR check ride
  • What you can do: Fly in clouds and other meteorological conditions that limit visibility, using only the plane’s instruments
  • What you cannot do: Get paid to fly

Step 3 Earn Your Commercial Pilot Certificate (PPC)

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Hold a PPL
  • Pass FAA Knowledge Exam
  • Pass an oral test and check ride
  • Log additional 250 hours of flight time (including PIC, nighttime cross-country, minimum takeoffs/ landings at towered airports, and more)
  • What you can do: Get paid to fly!
  • What you cannot do: Teach others to fly, apply to major airlines

Step 4 Earn Your Certified Instructor rating (CFI, CFII or MEI)

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Hold current CPL or ATP certification
  • Hold instrument rating (for CFII)
  • Hold commercial pilot license for multi-engine planes (for MEI)
  • Pass the FAA knowledge test, FAA practical flight test and oral exam (for CFI)
  • Pass the Flight Instructor Instrument written examination (for CFII)
  • Obtain at least a second-class FAA medical certificate and pass the FAA practical flight test (for MEI)
  • What you can do: Get paid to rack up flight hours while teaching others to fly!
  • What you cannot do: Apply to major airlines

Step 5 Earn Your Restricted Airline Transport Pilot certification (RATP)

  • Age 23 years or older
  • Complete the associate degree program at American Winds
  • Complete 1,250 hours total flight time (1,500 without the degree) including:
    • 500 hours of cross-country flight time
    • 100 hours of night flight time
    • 75 hours of instrument flight time (simulated or actual)
  • Hold an instrument rating
  • What you can do: Apply to First Officer positions at airlines! As an FO, you’ll earn a great paycheck while working toward qualifications to become an airline Captain!

What is the Restricted ATP (R-ATP)?

It's the certificate required by the FAA to fly as a captain for the commercial airlines (regional / majors).

The traditional ATP certificate (commercial pilot license) requires a total of 1,500 hours of flight time. The FAA ATP Pilot Certificate should not be confused with the Restricted ATP certificate. The Restricted ATP is a designation that the FAA will grant the authority to colleges and universities with approved aviation degree programs to issue a certificate called the Restricted ATP. This commercial pilot certificate will allow college or university graduates to be hired with less flight time.

Restricted ATP (R-ATP) + Bachelor's Degree = 1,000 flight hours needed to be hired by the airlines.

Restricted ATP (R-ATP) + Associate's Degree = 1,250 flight hours needed to be hired by the airlines.

No Approved Aviation Degree = 1,500 hours needed to be hired by the airlines.

American Winds by the Numbers

As an FAA certified flight school and an accredited aviation college, American Winds helps you take flight faster with:

1-on-1 individualized instruction

24/7/365 availability for flight time

Hands-on training that starts on day 1

Flexible programs to fit a variety of career goals

Your Pilot Career Takes Off Here

Ready to turn your passion for aviation into a career? Get the personalized training and support you need to earn your wings and start building your future as a professional pilot.

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