Private Pilot License
A Private Pilot License (PPL) or, in the United States, a Private Pilot Certificate, is a license that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft privately, i.e., not for pay (the pilot can however offer a pro-rate share). The basic requirements to obtain the license and the privileges it confers are agreed upon internationally by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), but the actual implementation varies widely from country to country. According to the ICAO, it is obtained by successfully completing a course with at least 40 hours (45 in the UK and Spain) of flight time (solo time included), passing a number of written theory exams, completing an extensive solo cross country flight (minimum solo flight time is 10 hours), and successfully demonstrating flying skills to an examiner during a flight test or checkride (including an oral exam).
