At KLM Flight Academy, the type rating is part of an integrated MCC/type rating course of about 3 months. Type rating training includes theoretical knowledge instruction on systems, performance and procedures, simulator training and line training under supervision, followed by a skill test. According to a pilot in 2022, type rating training at an airline includes a fixed number of ground school days and about 8 simulator sessions before this test. According to a pilot in 2015, a Boeing 737 type rating in the US consisted of 9 simulator sessions, with the 10th as the test. One pilot reported in 2015 that small differences in seating position and cockpit layout between simulators made flying noticeably harder during the Boeing 737 type rating in the US. At a US cargo airline, the Boeing 747-400 type rating obtained in 2017 was followed by 9 days of LQT and differences training, after which operating experience (OE) began from Anchorage. For the Cessna Citation, one pilot completed the CJ3 type rating at SimuFlight in 2013, followed by differences training for the CJ2, which meant memorising two sets of limitations. According to a pilot in 2005, easyJet gave priority to candidates through the TRSS scheme, while direct entry had limited places. Type-rated candidates for the 737 or A319 preferably had 500 hours on type in the last five years. A small number of frozen ATPL holders got in through the ATP scheme of CTC.1234

For a first type rating on a multi-pilot aircraft, an MCC certificate is a prerequisite, unless the type rating is combined with an MCC course, alongside 70 hours PIC, a valid multi-engine IR and passed ATPL theoretical knowledge exams (according to pilot discussions in 2009). A type rating is valid for 1 year and can be revalidated (FCL.740). To revalidate a multi-engine class rating or type rating under EASA FCL.740.A, you must both pass a proficiency check and fly 10 route sectors during the validity period, which may be replaced by 1 sector with an examiner, possibly during the check. Airline pilots must meet EASA recency requirements of at least 3 take-offs, approaches and landings in the last 90 days on the same type or a simulator of that type (FCL.060). A Class 1 medical certificate is valid for 12 months, and from age 60 for 6 months (MED.A.045). Business jets and turboprops require the same licences as airliners. The experience requirements for these aircraft are substantial. Airlines variously ask for type-rated and non-type-rated first officers. According to one pilot in 2025, flying the first 500 hours multi-crew is necessary in any case. According to an aspiring pilot in 2025, you can apply to SWISS with a technical vocational qualification and German at B2 level. At SAS it is possible to apply without a type rating and with fewer than 1,500 hours, with the type rating fully paid.1567

A type rating costs between EUR 25,000 and 40,000, depending on the aircraft type and the provider. According to a pilot in 2022, a type rating costs between EUR 25,000 and 50,000. According to Transavia, you pay EUR 65,000 for its training programme, with the airline covering the difference from a comparable pilot training course costing about EUR 120,000, including the type rating. Accommodation, travel costs and meals are not included in the Transavia training programme. According to a Transavia pilot in 2016, the 737 type rating was still paid for by Transavia. According to a professional pilot in 2023, type ratings for business jets are often more expensive than for an A320 or B737. According to a pilot in 2024, non-rated pilots at a Portuguese ACMI/wet-lease airline had to pay about EUR 120,000 for an A320 type rating under a pay-to-fly arrangement. In 2011, Aircrew Training Center offered a B737 type rating for EUR 35,000 as part of a package. In 2009, Orange Aircraft Leasing charged EUR 20,000 for the B1900 type rating, including Crew Resource Management (CRM), firefighting and ditching. With an MPL route, the type rating is included by definition. According to a pilot in 2024, with an MPL such as the Brussels Airlines cadet programme, the type rating is part of the training costs, because the Multi-Pilot Licence is only issued after the type rating. In airline-linked programmes, the airline often pays for the type rating. In a cadet or MPL arrangement, the type rating is often paid or pre-financed by the airline, usually in exchange for a bond. This means you fly for the airline for a number of years and usually repay part of the cost if you leave earlier. It is advisable to buy a type rating only if an airline requires it as a condition of employment, or if the rating is obtained through the airline itself. When comparing ATPL routes, it is advisable to find out who pays for the type rating and whether not having a type rating leads to a lower starting pay scale.12568910

A type rating is an addition to your pilot licence that qualifies you to fly a specific aircraft type. Every commercial aircraft requires a separate type rating. Whether you are getting your first type rating after training or moving to a new type, good preparation is essential. You need to know the aircraft systems, including hydraulics, electrics, fuel and avionics, as this forms the basis of your ground exam. It is important to study normal and abnormal procedures, checklists, memory items and emergency procedures, because you will be tested on these intensively in the simulator. You must also understand the performance charts, V-speeds and limitations of your new type, which comes up in both the theory exam and the simulator.

In November 2017, a KLM vacancy for external airline pilots required a valid type rating on a jet, so pilots with a turboprop rating could not apply. A type rating on a jet or on a specific type such as the EC135 is often required, sometimes combined with a minimum number of flying hours. According to an aspiring pilot in 2024, HEMS co-pilot vacancies at the end of 2024, including a European one, asked for an ATPL/CPL(H) and IR with no minimum hours, with a preference for an EC135 type rating and MCC. Another vacancy at ADAC Luftrettung asked for at least 500 hours and good German (C2 or language proficiency level 4). Candidates report that a type rating plus hours on type is often a stumbling block in applications. In 2006, KLM was looking for new pilots for all types, including the KLM Cityhopper Fokkers, with progression to 'mainline' KLM possible. New pilots received their type rating at KLM if needed. In 2006, easyJet sought 12 candidates through one flight school who could start a type rating immediately and would be hired if successful. The school approached 18 candidates for this, including 6 reserves, without a separate easyJet selection taking place (according to pilot discussions in 2006).3611

In 2013, Transavia described how after a type rating, non-type-rated first officers joined as Junior First Officer the day after passing their aircraft exam, on a permanent contract with a two-month probation period. In April 2011, 12 students from one flight school were allowed to take part in Transavia selection for a temporary summer contract; all had completed the extra circuit training and a full 737 type rating. The Turkish Airlines Take-Off Cadet Program comprises integrated ATPL(A) training of about 18 to 24 months, followed by a type rating (usually Boeing 737 or Airbus A320) in Turkey, after which graduates start as First Officer. If you are hired by an offshore operator, it provides the type training with IR on a multi-engine aircraft; you then have to stay for a number of years or repay a proportional share if you leave earlier. At the end of 2009, 10 graduates of one flight school received a summer contract with Jetairfly, paying EUR 8,000 for base training to activate a Boeing 737 type rating; the remaining simulator hours were already part of their course. When moving from one airline to another, bear in mind that after a recent type rating you will have to repay its cost under your contract. According to pilot discussions in 2022, one pilot without the usual secondary school diploma sent hundreds of applications after training without a response, worked for years as a flight attendant and paid for a type rating himself before he could start at a 737 wet-lease operator. Only with flying hours did doors open. According to a pilot in 2017, a 2009 graduate waited more than 3 years for his first job; his debt of about EUR 165,000, including about EUR 40,000 for the first type rating, still stood at more than EUR 120,000 years later.12310121314