That is a range 10 to 50 hours
A local community college has an aviation program at a nearby community airport. I asked one of their twenty-something instructors for a guesstimate on how much training I would require to get a commercial license with about 250 hours TT, complex endorsement, but no instrument rating. He said about 40-50 hours. Then he introduced me to their Top Gun, examiner (sixty-something), of whom I asked the same question. He said 10 hours. I'm thinking, split the difference, but I thought some of you might give me a realistic guesstimate. The plan would be to pass the knowledge test first.
Many thanks in advance.
I learned long ago early in my CFI career not to give hard estimates, predictions or guarantees on how long it would take to solo or complete a rating. The FAR's say you must log 10 hours min with a CFI towards the COM rating. There is a national average or typical I am sure.
Students do want to know and need to know "how's it going". They do need and deserve to know where the end of the tunnel is and how to get there. An organized course and lesson plans: OBJECTIVE, SCHEDULE, INSTRUCTORS ACTIONS, STUDENTS ACTIONS and COMPLETEION STANDARDS are key. The don't have to fancy outlines on paper but the instructor should be able to lay the plan out. Basically the FAR and PTS will tell you all you need. Of course there is the written which is a glorafied private pilot test, but does get into weather and decision making more.
Too many CFI's 'wing-it' and really don't have an aim or drive towards the end game, the check ride. You and your CFI should be working towards the goal, proficiency in each element and moving on to the next. Any thing else is a waste of time. Usually you need about 1.5 to 2 hours flight test prep. Now I don't give an estimate but as my students progressed I would set a Check ride date in advance, say some where in the half way point. It was a good target, set the pace and was good motivation having a date. Of course I was confident at that point it was a reasonable goal.
When you can fly all the maneuvers required in the PTS (get one if you don't have one) with in commercial pilot limits, you are ready. There is of course knowing your plane fwd and backwards. There's more emphasis on "decision making" than a private pilot. You will be given problems during the oral and during the flight with "judgment" in mind.
The Commercial single rating is the most FUN rating by far. You get not only get the prop and gear to play with, but you fly the plane by the seat of your pants, near its limits, further out in the envelope than pvt. It's totally VFR and lots of banking and yanking.
8's on pylons
8's around pylons
Lazy 8
Chandelle
Steep Spiral
All the private manuvers (steep turns, stall series) to a higher standard
One question do you have your Inst rating? I recommend people get their instrument first. You only need 125 hours TT for the Inst rating. The instrument is more way more technical and it will take 40-50 hours. It is also more practical in expanding your personal flight capabilities. There is nothing wrong with COM first than INST, but just my suggestion.
The CFI that told you 40-50 hours, may be covering his bases (not to disappoint) or may have been a slow learner himself. May be he thinks you are not a very fast learner?
He probably just does not know. There is no way to predict without flying with someone. Flying regularly, a few times a week, is important to minimizing training time.
If your instructor has you fly straight and level too much or takes you for 2 hour lessons and joy rides, he or she is wasting your TIME. If you're not tired after an hour, he or she is not working you hard enough. Lessons should be short, an hour or less. Instructors wasting time might stretch training out to 50 hours. Get another instructor. You don't need to pay for boring holes in the sky. The commercial rating is FEEL rating, there is NO instrument work, it's all VFR. You also better know your planes system fwd/backwards. Also you will know the AIM/FAR better than you ever have. You will be asked questions while flying to distract you. So there is still lots of book work.
There are good books with great graphics and text to explain the hows and whys of each COM maneuver.
BOTTOM LINE: How long? When you can fly all the PTS maneuvers to proficiency in limits, with ease while being distracted with knowledge questions. 10 hr's is the min you must log towards the Com rating. It's a fun rating. Because its a VFR rating winter might cause training delays if you are in the North.
