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In the United States, eligible current and former military pilots can use the FAA’s military-competence route to apply for a commercial pilot certificate under 14 CFR § 61.73. That certificate is only one step: the records, ratings, checks and knowledge test required for the application depend on the pilot’s background, and airlines set separate hiring requirements.
First, distinguish a commercial certificate from a commercial flying job
“Commercial flying” can refer to holding an FAA commercial pilot certificate, exercising the privileges that certificate allows in an eligible operation, or qualifying for airline employment. These are related but different outcomes. A commercial certificate does not itself qualify someone for an airline job; airlines establish their own experience and hiring standards.
This guide covers the U.S. FAA pathway for current or former U.S. Armed Forces pilots. It is not an individual eligibility determination: the FAA or an authorized examiner must assess the applicant’s service records, requested aircraft category and ratings, and the current rules.
How the FAA military-competence route works
The FAA’s Commercial Pilot – Military Competence Airman Certification Standards (ACS) describes the evidence and knowledge-test elements for applicants seeking a commercial certificate through military competence. The ACS lists records and experience items an applicant should be prepared to provide; the precise application depends on the applicant’s service history and the category, class and type sought.
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Gather official service and training records
- An official Armed Forces record showing that you are or were a military pilot.
- An official record showing graduation from U.S. Armed Forces undergraduate pilot training in an aircraft as a military pilot.
- Official evidence supporting the aircraft category, class and, where applicable, type you are requesting.
Ask the issuing military records office for documents that clearly establish the relevant training, qualifications and flight experience. Before applying, confirm with the FAA or an authorized examiner that the records meet the current requirements for your requested certificate and ratings.
Complete the applicable test, check and flight-time requirements
The ACS calls for a passing military-competence aeronautical knowledge test. It also identifies an official military pilot and instrument check in the requested aircraft category and, when applicable, class and type, completed before applying, along with at least 10 hours as a military pilot in a U.S. military aircraft category, class and type when applicable. Confirm how each item applies to your records and requested ratings; do not assume that service as a pilot automatically satisfies every civilian requirement.
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Check the limits on civilian ratings
The FAA says it can issue an aircraft type rating only when the aircraft has a comparable civilian type designated by the Administrator. Military aircraft experience therefore does not automatically translate into every civilian type rating. The ACS also describes separate evidence for an instrument rating: a military instrument proficiency check in the category and an official record showing instrument qualification for flying on Federal airways in the relevant category and class.
Prepare for the military-competence knowledge test
The FAA’s current ACS index lists “Commercial Pilot – Military Competence (FAA-S-ACS-12),” effective October 15, 2018. Use the ACS to understand the applicable standards, and confirm current testing instructions and test validity with the FAA before scheduling or relying on a prior result.
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A 2018 FAA notice described the then-introduced Military Competency Non-Category Specific test as 50 questions, with a 70 percent passing score and 24-calendar-month validity. The FAA marks that notice cancelled effective October 12, 2019, so those figures are historical—not a reliable statement of today’s test format or validity. A general commercial-pilot study guide may help with underlying knowledge, but check that any material actually covers the current military-competence test.
What the commercial certificate does—and does not—establish
The FAA’s commercial-pilot FAQ gives 250 total hours as an example of a commercial certificate requirement and cautions that airlines set their own experience minimums; few, if any, use the FAA example as their own hiring standard. The figure is not a universal airline hiring threshold. Check each prospective employer’s current criteria for total time, aircraft category, class or type ratings, recency and other qualifications.
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Military flying experience may be relevant to an employer, but the certificate route alone does not establish that an applicant meets a particular airline’s minimums or hiring criteria.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Plan separately for ATP qualification
Airline roles that require an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate involve a separate qualification path. The FAA’s ATP information describes the ATP Certification Training Program (ATP CTP) for specified airplane multiengine ATP applications, including ATP certificates issued with an airplane type rating. Whether ATP CTP applies depends on the certificate and rating sought.
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The FAA also describes restricted-privileges ATP certificates for graduates of authorized higher-education aviation programs who qualify at reduced experience levels. In the described pathway, restricted privileges allow service as a second-in-command until the required 1,500 hours are attained. That general explanation does not determine the current military-specific experience credit or threshold for an individual under § 61.160. Verify the live regulation and required documentation with the FAA before making a plan around military flight hours.
Confirm the medical certificate for the job you want
The FAA’s medical-certificate FAQ says a person exercising commercial or ATP certificate privileges must hold a medical certificate, subject to the exceptions it identifies. The applicable class depends on the operation and privileges being exercised. Check current FAA requirements for the intended job and operation rather than assuming that one medical class covers every role.
Quick Recap
A practical application checklist
- Define the goal. Decide whether you are seeking an FAA commercial certificate, a particular rating, or eventual airline employment; each has different requirements.
- Identify the requested aircraft category and ratings. Match them to your military aircraft, qualifications and the civilian ratings the FAA can issue.
- Collect official records. Obtain pilot-status, undergraduate pilot-training, qualification, check and flight-time records relevant to the application.
- Confirm remaining steps. Use the current FAA military-competence ACS and consult the FAA or an authorized examiner about the knowledge test, checks, experience and supporting records.
- Evaluate ATP requirements independently. If your target job requires an ATP, verify the applicable ATP CTP and experience rules, including any military-specific provision that may apply to your situation.
- Compare employer standards and medical requirements. Check each airline’s published hiring criteria and the medical class required for the privileges and operation involved.
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