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The Pilots Desk
US-FAA14 CFR 135.245

Second in command qualifications

Read the official rule

In plain English

Second in command (SIC) qualifications: the SIC must hold at least a commercial pilot certificate with appropriate category/class ratings and an instrument rating for IFR operations, and must meet recent-experience and the operator’s training requirements.

Key points

  • SIC: commercial certificate with appropriate ratings.
  • Instrument rating required for IFR.
  • Must complete the operator’s training and recent experience.

Common pitfalls

  • Logging SIC time when an SIC isn’t required or qualified.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and your operator’s ops specs.*

This is an original plain-English explanation for training and reference, not legal advice and not for navigation. Always rely on the current official rule linked above. Last reviewed June 8, 2026.