At the pinnacle of professional aviation proficiency is the Airline Transport Pilot certificate (ATP). As an ATP, you must be at least 23 years old and have completed a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time. Most ATP's have several thousand hours of flight time. ATP's must also possess a commercial certificate and an instrument rating. They may not instruct without a CFI rating.

ATP's can hold a Class I medical, which requires renewal every six months, or a class II which requires renewal every year. Revalidation of certificates must be every 24 months via a flight review.