Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

5 Answers

What ratings carry over when I get commercial.

Asked by: 6755 views , , ,
Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Private Pilot

I am a private pilot SEL and am interested in getting my SES(single engine sea) I am currently working on my commercial rating. If I were to get my SES as private and then take my commercial check ride would my SES be able to be used as commercial or only private and I would need to test in the SES?

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

5 Answers



  1. Wes Beard on Nov 21, 2012

    The only ratings that are automatically upgraded are commercial aircraft specific type ratings to the ATP level at the same category and class. No category or class ratings are upgraded.

    In your example, you ASES rating will stay at the private level after you pass tour commercial practical test.

    I would wait to addon your ASES rating till after passing the commercial test. You can then take the commercial ASES. If done this way, the same number of practical tests will result in commercial ASEL and ASES ratings.

    +2 Votes Thumb up 2 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. jacob conell on Nov 22, 2012

    Would an instrument or multi rating carry over?

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. drew meltebeke on Nov 22, 2012

    Thanks, i do believe instrument does but don’t think multi does =)

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  4. Sam Dawson on Nov 22, 2012

    Instrument is class specific- such as instrument airplane, instrument RW. So if you get an instrument in a SEL you have an instrument airplane rating, subject to limitations. In this case if you are a private MEL, then get you instrument airplane in a SEL your certificate will read instrument airplane, MEL VFR Only (or something to that effect), unless/until you have this limitation removed by taking an abbreviated check ride in a MEL.
    Since a SES is an airplane and SE the instrument would apply to it as well as the SEL.

    +2 Votes Thumb up 2 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  5. Wes Beard on Nov 22, 2012

    There are items in the instrument PTS that a single engine airplane cannot accomplish. For example, one engine inoperative ILS. Therefore, if you already have a ASEL certificate with instrument privileges and want an AMEL certificate you are required to pass those items in the instrument PTS that couldn’t be accomplished in an ASEL aircraft. If you choose not to, as Sam said, your license will have the limitation, AMEL – VFR ONLY.

    The reverse is also true going from an AMEL to ASEL airplane. At this time, though, I am not aware of an ASE only maneuvers in the instrument PTS. If that is the case, your instrument rating will be valid for an ASEL aircraft once passing that test.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.