Recreational Pilot

Recreational pilots are primarily people who learn to fly for fun, with little interest in becoming professional pilots or using airplanes as a practical means of traveling from place to place. Recreational pilots must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 30 hours of flight time (the typical average is more than 40 hours), including a minimum of 15 hours of flight instruction, and a current FAA medical.

Like Sport Pilots, Recreational Pilots do have several restrictions to their certificate, including: 50nm cross-country limit, day flight only, one-passenger limit, no charity or business related flights, and an aircraft with a max of 180hp and 4 seats. As a result of these restrictions, the vast majority of people studying for their Recreational Pilot certificate continue to earn their Private Pilot license.