What this checker covers
This checklist organizes the aeronautical experience items in 14 CFR 61.109(a) for a private pilot certificate in an airplane. It covers logged flight time and the specified night, cross-country, instrument, solo, and practical-test preparation experience. It is not a logbook, does not verify endorsements, and does not decide whether an applicant is eligible for a practical test.
The regulation contains different requirements for other aircraft categories and classes. This page only tracks paragraph (a). If you are training in a rotorcraft, glider, powered-lift aircraft, or another category, use the paragraph that applies to that rating instead.
Requirements tracked
The checker compares the figures you enter with the minimums in 14 CFR 61.109(a):
| Experience item | Minimum tracked |
|---|---|
| Total flight time in a single-engine airplane | 40 hours |
| Flight training received from an authorized instructor | 20 hours |
| Solo flight training | 10 hours |
| Cross-country flight training with an instructor | 3 hours |
| Night flight training with an instructor | 3 hours |
| Night cross-country flight | Over 100 NM total distance |
| Night takeoffs and full-stop landings | 10 of each, with each landing involving a traffic pattern |
| Flight training by reference to instruments | 3 hours |
| Flight training preparing for the practical test | 3 hours |
| Solo cross-country flight time | 5 hours |
| Qualifying solo cross-country flight | At least 150 NM total, full-stop landings at 3 points, and one straight-line segment of at least 50 NM |
| Solo takeoffs and full-stop landings at a towered airport | 3 of each, at an airport with an operating control tower |
The 3 hours of practical-test preparation flight training also have a timing condition. They must be completed within the 2 calendar months before the month of the practical test. The checker asks you to confirm that window separately because an hour total alone cannot establish when the training took place.
How to use the checker
Use your logbook totals, not estimates. Enter total flight time, instructor time, and solo time in the first section. Then enter the qualifying subsets in the instructor and solo sections, and mark the specific route or timing items only after confirming them in your records.
The specific training-hour categories can overlap. For example, an instructor-led night cross-country flight may count toward both night training and cross-country training when it meets each applicable requirement. Do not add the subtotals together to calculate total instructor time. They are already included in that broader total.
Solo cross-country time is a subset of solo time. The checker flags an instructor-plus-solo sum that exceeds total time, a training subtotal that exceeds instructor time, or solo cross-country time that exceeds solo time. These checks catch common entry inconsistencies, but they cannot determine whether a flight was properly logged or met every regulatory definition.
Reading the result
Each row shows whether the entered value reaches the listed minimum or how much remains. The summary counts listed items marked met. An incomplete row means the entered figure is below the displayed minimum or the corresponding logbook detail has not been confirmed.
If the entered totals conflict, the summary is withheld until the figures are internally consistent. Review the original entries and correct the totals rather than treating the warning as an FAA finding.
Important distinctions in the regulation
The required night cross-country flight is over 100 nautical miles in total distance. This is separate from the solo cross-country requirement, which calls for one solo flight of at least 150 nautical miles total distance. The solo route must include full-stop landings at a minimum of three points and a straight-line segment of at least 50 nautical miles between takeoff and landing locations.
The takeoff and landing items are not interchangeable with ordinary landing counts. For the night item, each landing must involve a flight in the traffic pattern and be to a full stop. For the solo towered-airport item, the airport must have an operating control tower, and the takeoffs and landings must be to a full stop.
The instrument-training requirement in paragraph (a) specifies training by reference to instruments. The regulation describes flight maneuvers and navigation tasks for this training. The checker records the hours only; it does not assess whether each maneuver or task was completed to the required standard.
What is not checked here
Aeronautical experience is only one part of the certification process. This page does not evaluate eligibility requirements under 14 CFR 61.103, knowledge and proficiency requirements under 14 CFR 61.107, knowledge-test results, medical qualification, endorsements, citizenship or identity documentation, or the practical test itself. It also does not decide whether a flight qualifies as cross-country or satisfies the applicable logging rules.
Ask your flight instructor to review the logbook and applicable endorsements before scheduling a test. For the controlling requirements, read the current regulation and consult FAA guidance that applies to your certificate and training.
Sources and methodology
The tracked minima are summarized from 14 CFR 61.109(a) in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. The checker compares user-entered hour and event totals with those listed minima. It does not import logbook records or make a legal determination.
The eCFR is the official online version of the Code of Federal Regulations. Regulations can change, so review the current text and confirm its application with your instructor or an FAA representative.
Frequently asked questions
Do the training-hour subtotals need to add up to 20 hours?
No. Cross-country, night, instrument, and practical-test preparation hours may overlap. Each qualifying subtotal is counted within the instructor-time total, not added on top of it.
Does this check whether I am ready for the checkride?
No. It only compares entered experience against selected minimums in 14 CFR 61.109(a). Eligibility, endorsements, knowledge, proficiency, and test readiness require separate review.
Why does practical-test preparation have a separate timing check?
The rule includes both a three-hour minimum and a time window tied to the month of the practical test. Entering three hours does not establish that they were completed during the required window.
Can I use this for a helicopter or glider certificate?
No. This page tracks airplane experience under paragraph (a). Other aircraft categories and classes have separate experience provisions in 14 CFR 61.109.
Related tools and resources
Flight planning
About this site
Related glossary terms
Glossary
Squawk 7700 is the transponder code used to indicate an emergency when no more specific code or instruction applies.
Glossary
Above ground level, or AGL, is an altitude measured from the surface directly below an aircraft. Learn how it differs from MSL.
Glossary
Automatic terminal information service, or ATIS, is a recorded airport broadcast of current weather and operational information.
Directory resources
Directory
FBO directory at selected US airports
Sourced FBO listings at selected airports, with questions to confirm directly with each operator.
Directory
A&P and IA aircraft mechanic directory
How to compare aircraft mechanic and repair-station listings, confirm credentials, and evaluate maintenance services.