§ 61.159 — Aeronautical Experience: Airplane Category Rating (Multiengine)

Regulation Text

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section, a person who is applying for an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane category and class rating must have at least 1,500 hours of total time as a pilot that includes at least:

(1) 500 hours of cross-country time.

(2) 100 hours of night flight time.

(3) 50 hours of flight time in the class of airplane for the rating sought. A maximum of 25 hours of training in a full flight simulator representing the class of airplane for the rating sought may be credited toward the flight time requirement of this paragraph if the training was accomplished as part of an approved training course in parts 121, 135, 141, or 142 of this chapter. A flight training device or aviation training device may not be used to satisfy this requirement.

(4) 75 hours of instrument flight time, in actual or simulated instrument conditions, subject to the following:

(i) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) of this section, an applicant may not receive credit for more than a total of 25 hours of simulated instrument time in a full flight simulator or flight training device.

(ii) A maximum of 50 hours of training in a full flight simulator or flight training device may be credited toward the instrument flight time requirements of paragraph (a)(4) of this section if the training was accomplished in a course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142 of this chapter.

(iii) Training in a full flight simulator or flight training device must be accomplished in a full flight simulator or flight training device, representing an airplane.

(5) 250 hours of flight time in an airplane as a pilot in command, or as second in command performing the duties of pilot in command while under the supervision of a pilot in command, or any combination thereof, subject to the following:

(i) The flight time requirement must include at least—

(A) 100 hours of cross-country time; and

(B) 25 hours of night flight time.

(ii) Except for a person who has been removed from flying status for lack of proficiency or because of a disciplinary action involving aircraft operations, a U.S. military pilot or former U.S. military pilot who meets the requirements of § 61.73(b)(1), or a military pilot in the Armed Forces of a foreign contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation who meets the requirements of § 61.73(c)(1), may credit flight time in a powered-lift aircraft operated in horizontal flight toward the flight time requirement.

(6) Not more than 100 hours of the total aeronautical experience requirements of paragraph (a) of this section or § 61.160 may be obtained in a full flight simulator or flight training device provided the device represents an airplane and the aeronautical experience was accomplished as part of an approved training course in parts 121, 135, 141, or 142 of this chapter.

(b) A person who has performed at least 20 night takeoffs and landings to a full stop may substitute each additional night takeoff and landing to a full stop for 1 hour of night flight time to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of this section; however, not more than 25 hours of night flight time may be credited in this manner.

(c) A commercial pilot may log second-in-command pilot time toward the aeronautical experience requirements of paragraph (a) of this section and the aeronautical experience requirements in § 61.160, provided the pilot is employed by a part 119 certificate holder authorized to conduct operations under part 135 of this chapter and the second-in-command pilot time is obtained in operations conducted for the certificate holder under part 91 or 135 of this chapter when a second pilot is not required under the type certification of the aircraft or the regulations under which the flight is being conducted, and the following requirements are met—

(1) The experience must be accomplished as part of a second-in-command professional development program approved by the Administrator under § 135.99 of this chapter;

(2) The flight operation must be conducted in accordance with the certificate holder's operations specification for the second-in-command professional development program;

(3) The pilot in command of the operation must certify in the pilot's logbook that the second-in-command pilot time was accomplished under this section; and

(4) The pilot time may not be logged as pilot-in-command time even when the pilot is the sole manipulator of the controls and may not be used to meet the aeronautical experience requirements in paragraph (a)(5) of this section.

(d) A commercial pilot may log the following flight engineer flight time toward the 1,500 hours of total time as a pilot required by paragraph (a) of this section and the total time as a pilot required by § 61.160:

(1) Flight-engineer time, provided the time—

(i) Is acquired in an airplane required to have a flight engineer by the airplane's flight manual or type certificate;

(ii) Is acquired while engaged in operations under part 121 of this chapter for which a flight engineer is required;

(iii) Is acquired while the person is participating in a pilot training program approved under part 121 of this chapter; and

(iv) Does not exceed more than 1 hour for each 3 hours of flight engineer flight time for a total credited time of no more than 500 hours.

(2) Flight-engineer time, provided the flight time—

(i) Is acquired as a U.S. Armed Forces' flight engineer crewmember in an airplane that requires a flight engineer crewmember by the flight manual;

(ii) Is acquired while the person is participating in a flight engineer crewmember training program for the U.S. Armed Forces; and

(iii) Does not exceed 1 hour for each 3 hours of flight engineer flight time for a total credited time of no more than 500 hours.

(e) An applicant who credits time under paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section and § 61.51(f)(4) is issued an airline transport pilot certificate with the limitation “Holder does not meet the pilot in command aeronautical experience requirements of ICAO,” as prescribed under Article 39 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

(f) An applicant is entitled to an airline transport pilot certificate without the ICAO limitation specified under paragraph (e) of this section when the applicant presents satisfactory evidence of having met the ICAO requirements under paragraph (e) of this section and otherwise meets the aeronautical experience requirements of this section.

Research Notes

Regulatory Cross-References

§ 61.159 is the 1,500-hour rule section for the full ATP certificate in the airplane category multiengine class. The minimum requirements are:

1,500 total flight hours
500 hours cross-country time
100 hours night time
75 hours actual or simulated instrument time
250 hours as pilot-in-command — including 100 hours cross-country and 25 hours night
50 hours in the class of aircraft for the rating sought

The 1,500-Hour Rule: Post-Colgan Context

Before 2013, the ATP required only 1,500 total hours on paper but the practical test could be passed with fewer in some circumstances. The Airline Safety Act of 2010 codified the 1,500-hour minimum as a hard floor with no waivers for the full ATP — no operator can take a Part 121 PIC with fewer hours, regardless of their experience profile. The R-ATP under § 61.160 introduced a structured exception for qualified pathways.

Cross-Country Time Definition

For ATP purposes, cross-country time uses the 50-nm-from-departure definition per § 61.1(b)(3)(ii), same as commercial. Every scheduled airline leg typically qualifies, which is why FO time in airline operations builds toward this requirement quickly.

Instrument Time: Simulated vs. Actual

The 75 hours includes actual IMC and simulated IMC in aircraft or approved simulators. Airline-level simulator sessions count — the FAA approved this to recognize that airlines train extensively in Level D sims where the experience is equivalent to or more rigorous than actual IMC flying.

Key Authorities

Pub. L. 111-216 — 1,500 hour mandate
AC 61-65J — logging and endorsement requirements
§ 61.160 — R-ATP reduced-hour exceptions
§ 61.1(b)(3)(ii) — cross-country time definition for ATP

CFI Commentary

Highlighted phrases in the regulation text above link to instructor notes at the bottom of this page. Look for the amber or blue highlights — each one flags a gotcha or a pro tip worth knowing.

Amendment History

Amendment History Coming Soon

Every time this regulation changes, we'll record it here — the date, what was amended, and a plain-English summary of what shifted.

AOA Notes

These notes correspond to the highlighted phrases in the regulation text above. Each one flags something worth knowing — a common misread, a checkride gotcha, or a practical pro tip.

Gotcha: Total hours vs. the sub-requirements — same problem as the commercial

Pilots track toward 1,500 total, which is correct, but the sub-requirements can become the actual bottleneck. The one I see most often: the 250 PIC hours with 100 cross-country PIC. During flight training, a lot of your cross-country hours are with a CFI — you're not acting as PIC. Solo and post-certificate cross-country hours build this bucket. Build a spreadsheet early in your career tracking all six buckets, not just total time.

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Pro Tip: Airline simulator hours in Level C or D sims count toward this 75

If you're flying right seat as a regional FO, every simulator training event in a Level C or D full flight simulator counts toward your 75-hour instrument requirement. This is one of the reasons FO time at a regional builds your ATP hours efficiently. Keep impeccable logbook records: log the sim sessions in a separate column, note the sim level, and track against the 75-hour bucket.