Private pilot certificate
The cornerstone certificate — fly almost anywhere for personal travel, carry passengers, share costs.
The private pilot certificate (PPL) is the cornerstone of personal flying and the foundation for every professional rating. It gives broad privileges for non-commercial flying.
Requirements: at least 40 hours of flight time (the legal minimum; the national average is higher), including dual, solo, cross-country and night training, plus a knowledge test and a practical test (checkride). A third-class medical or BasicMed is required.
Privileges: act as pilot in command of aircraft for which you're rated, carry passengers, fly day or night, VFR (and IFR with an instrument rating), and travel essentially anywhere. You may share operating expenses pro-rata with passengers and fly incidentally to a business.
Key limitations (§ 61.113): no flying for compensation or hire, and you may not carry passengers or property for hire — with narrow exceptions (cost-sharing, charity flights, glider towing, aircraft-sales demos).
What's next: add an instrument rating (fly in cloud and the IFR system), a multi-engine or other category/class rating, or pursue the commercial certificate to be paid to fly.
*Reference and training only — verify current requirements with the FAA.*