Ferry pilot requirements: how to become a ferry pilot

FAA certificate levels

Because a ferry pilot is being compensated to fly someone else's aircraft, ferry work sits firmly in commercial territory. A Private Pilot certificate is generally not enough.

Commercial Pilot certificate

The Commercial Pilot certificate is the practical baseline for most ferry flying. It allows a pilot to be paid to operate an aircraft and demonstrates a higher standard of airmanship than the Private certificate. For typical single-engine and many light twin ferry jobs, a Commercial certificate with the appropriate ratings is what owners and insurers expect.

Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate

For larger, faster, or turbine aircraft — and for many cabin-class twins — owners and their insurers frequently want an ATP certificate. The ATP is the highest pilot certificate and signals substantial experience. Even when not strictly required by regulation, the ATP often unlocks insurance approval for higher-value aircraft.

Medical certification

A ferry pilot must hold a current and appropriate FAA medical certificate for the operations being flown. Commercial operations generally call for at least a second-class medical. Keeping your medical current and unconditioned is essential — an expired or limited medical can stop a job before it starts.

Ratings for aircraft categories and classes

Your certificate must carry the right category and class ratings for the aircraft you intend to ferry:

• Airplane Single-Engine Land (ASEL) — for the broad universe of single-engine pistons.
• Airplane Multi-Engine Land (AMEL) — required for any twin, from light piston twins to cabin-class aircraft.
• Type ratings — required for turbojets and aircraft over 12,500 lbs; these are specific to the make and model.
• Instrument rating — not a category/class rating, but strongly preferred (often required) for the long cross-country flights ferry work involves, where weather avoidance and IFR capability matter.

The more ratings you hold, the wider the range of jobs you can take.

Total time and insurance-driven minimums

This is the part many new ferry pilots underestimate. Beyond holding the right certificate and ratings, the binding constraint is usually insurance. The aircraft owner's policy dictates who may fly the airplane, and underwriters set minimums based on the aircraft's value and complexity:

• Total time — a floor on overall experience.
• Time in type — hours specifically in the make and model, which can be the hardest box to check for an unfamiliar aircraft.
• Recent experience — hours flown in the last 90 days or year.

For a simple single-engine ferry, an insurer might accept a few hundred hours total. For a complex twin or a turbine, requirements commonly run well into four figures, plus meaningful time in type. Building a diverse logbook — and documenting it cleanly — is what opens doors to higher-value jobs.

Special considerations: endorsements and ferry permits

Endorsements

Many aircraft you will be asked to ferry require specific logbook endorsements in addition to your ratings:

• High-performance — for aircraft with an engine of more than 200 horsepower.
• Complex — for aircraft with retractable gear, flaps, and a controllable-pitch propeller.
• Tailwheel — for conventional-gear aircraft, which behave very differently on the ground.
• High-altitude / pressurized — for aircraft capable of high-altitude operation.

Ferry permit operations

A distinctive part of ferry flying is operating aircraft that are not currently airworthy under an FAA special flight permit (14 CFR 21.197) — for example, ferrying an airplane to a shop for repair. These flights carry conditions (often day-VFR, no passengers, sometimes specific routing) and demand extra caution and planning. Understanding how to operate safely under a ferry permit is a valuable skill that distinguishes experienced ferry pilots. Our guide to ferry flights covers permits in more detail, and our safety page explains the standards we hold pilots to.

How to get started on FerryFlight Hub

If you meet the qualifications above, getting started is straightforward:

1. Create your pilot account at the registration page.
2. Submit your credentials — FAA certificate, current medical, and ratings — for verification.
3. Get approved. We verify your certificate, medical, and ratings before you can accept any job, which protects both you and the owners you work with.
4. Browse and accept jobs that match your qualifications, set your terms, and start flying.

Learn more about flying with us on the for pilots page and see the full workflow on how it works.

Frequently asked questions

What pilot certificate do you need to fly ferry flights?

Most ferry work requires at least a Commercial Pilot certificate, because the pilot is being compensated to fly the aircraft. For larger, complex, or turbine aircraft, owners and insurers frequently require an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate plus significant time in type.

How many flight hours do I need to become a ferry pilot?

There is no single FAA-mandated hour requirement for ferry flights beyond the certificate and ratings you hold. In practice, minimums are driven by insurance: underwriters typically set total-time and time-in-type requirements that scale with aircraft complexity, often from a few hundred hours for simple singles to well over a thousand for twins and turbines.

What ratings and endorsements do ferry pilots need?

Ferry pilots need the category and class ratings for the aircraft they fly (single-engine, multi-engine, and so on), plus any endorsements the aircraft requires, such as high-performance, complex, or tailwheel. An instrument rating is strongly preferred for cross-country ferry work.

How do I get approved to fly jobs on FerryFlight Hub?

Create a pilot account, submit your FAA certificate, medical, and ratings for verification, and once approved you can browse and accept ferry jobs that match your qualifications. Credentials are verified before you can accept any job.