Recreational Pilot

The Recreational Pilot certificate is the simplest, most local-focused manned-aircraft certificate in the FAA system. Perfect for pilots who want to fly small airplanes within their local area — without committing to full Private Pilot requirements.

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Certification Requirements

Minimum 30 hours of flight training
Daytime operations only
50 NM flight limit (unless endorsed)
Single-engine aircraft (180 HP or less)
One passenger

Knowledge & ACS Alignment

Recreational Pilots use a subset of the Private Pilot ACS. SkyFlight provides clean, simple breakdowns of each applicable Area of Operation:

Ground Reference & Basic Maneuvers
Airport Operations
Emergency Procedures
Navigation Basics
Airspace & Weather Minimums

Training Tools

SkyFlight Recreational Pilot Test Bank
Short-form handouts & summaries
Printable study sheets
Bridge-path guide: “Recreational → Private Pilot Upgrade”