Class rating
Allowance to fly aircraft of similar design
In aviation, a class rating is an allowance to fly a certain group of aircraft that require training common to all aircraft within the group. A type rating is specified if a particular aircraft requires additional specialized training beyond the scope of initial license and aircraft class training. Which aircraft require a type rating is decided by the local aviation authority. Almost all single-engine piston (SEP) or multi-engine piston (MEP) single pilot aircraft can be flown without a type rating, but are covered by a class rating instead.
01United States
In the United States, all turbojets require a type rating. Aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of more than 12,500 pounds (5,700 kg) typically require a type rating.
In the United States, there are seven categories of aircraft, which contain the following classes:
| Category | Class | Category | Class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airplane | Single-engine land (ASEL) | Lighter-than-air | Airship | |
| Multiengine land (AMEL) | Balloon | |||
| Single-engine sea (ASES) | Powered-lift | , N/a | ||
| Multiengine sea (AMES) | Powered parachute | Powered parachute land | ||
| Rotorcraft | Helicopter | Powered parachute sea | ||
| Gyroplane | Weight-shift-control aircraft | Weight-shift-control aircraft land | ||
| Glider | , N/a | Weight-shift-control aircraft sea |
Class ratings may have limitations placed upon them. In the United States, if a pilot being examined for a multi-engine rating does not demonstrate the ability to control an aircraft under asymmetric thrust, their multi-engine rating will be endorsed as "Limited-to-Center Thrust". (In the European Union, a multi-engine centreline thrust aeroplane is considered a single-engine aeroplane when being used for an instrument rating skill test.)
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Class rating”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Iraqi Air Force C-172.jpg by Airman First Class Randi Flaugh, Public domain
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