FAA ATP Hours Calculator (USA)

To fly as captain or first officer for a US airline you need an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, and 14 CFR 61.159 sets the flight time you need first. This calculator adds up the time that counts on each line, compares it with the rule and shows the gap. In Advanced it also uses the lower restricted ATP (R-ATP) totals in 61.160, simulator and flight engineer credit, and your flying pace.

The formula

total counted = aircraft time + simulator time (up to 100) + flight engineer time ÷ 3 (up to 500)
night counted = night time + (night full-stop landings − 20), up to 25 more
instrument counted = aircraft instrument + simulator instrument (up to 25, or 50 at a part 142 center)
multi-engine counted = airplane time + full flight simulator time (up to 25)
still needed = rule − counted (zero if met)
done = counted ÷ rule × 100%
months to go = still needed ÷ (hours a month × share of that kind)
date = start date + months × 30.4375 days, rounded up

Worked example

A pilot has 820.0 hours total, 310.0 cross-country, 64.0 night, 48.0 instrument, 610.0 pilot in command (180.0 cross-country and 30.0 night) and 22.0 multi-engine, and no simulator or flight engineer time.

• Total: 1,500 − 820 = 680.0 hours to go; 820 ÷ 1,500 = 54.7% done.
• Cross-country: 500 − 310 = 190.0 to go (62%). Night: 100 − 64 = 36.0 (64%). Instrument: 75 − 48 = 27.0 (64%).
• Pilot in command: 610 is more than 250, and 180 and 30 cover the 100 cross-country and 25 night, so PIC is met.
• Multi-engine: 50 − 22 = 28.0 to go, only 22 ÷ 50 = 44% done, so it's the line furthest behind.
• Pace: flying 60 hours a month, 40% cross-country (24 h), 10% night (6 h), 8% instrument (4.8 h) and 10% multi-engine (6 h). Total takes 680 ÷ 60 = 11.33 months; cross-country 190 ÷ 24 = 7.92; night 36 ÷ 6 = 6.0; instrument 27 ÷ 4.8 = 5.63; multi-engine 28 ÷ 6 = 4.67. Total is the slowest: 11.33 × 30.4375 = 344.96, rounded up to 345 days, so from 19 October 2026 every line is met on 29 September 2027.
• With an aviation bachelor's degree and 60 credit hours (R-ATP, 61.160(b)) the same pilot needs 1,000 − 820 = 180.0 total hours, and 310 cross-country already beats the 200 needed.

What counts, line by line (61.159)

• Total: at least 1,500 hours as a pilot. No more than 100 hours from a full flight simulator (FFS) or flight training device (FTD) representing an airplane, and only from an approved part 121, 135, 141 or 142 course. Simulator hours over 100 are shown as not counted.
• Cross-country: 500 hours (200 on any R-ATP route).
• Night: 100 hours. After 20 night takeoffs and landings to a full stop, each extra one can stand in for 1 hour of night flight time, up to 25 hours (61.159(b)).
• Class: 50 hours in the class of airplane for the rating, so multi-engine for an ATP multi-engine land rating. Up to 25 can be in a full flight simulator of that class in an approved course; FTDs and aviation training devices don't count here.
• Instrument: 75 hours of actual or simulated instrument time. No more than 25 from an FFS or FTD, or 50 if trained in a part 142 training center course.
• Pilot in command: 250 hours as PIC, or as SIC doing PIC duties under a PIC's supervision, or both, with at least 100 cross-country and 25 night.
• SIC in a part 135 program (61.159(c)): a commercial pilot in an FAA-approved SIC professional development program under 135.99 can log SIC time towards the total, but not as PIC and not towards the 250.
• Flight engineer (61.159(d)): in a part 121 approved program, or an Armed Forces flight engineer program, 1 hour counts for every 3, up to 500 hours, towards the total.
• ICAO limitation (61.159(e)): crediting night landings, part 135 SIC time or flight engineer time puts "does not meet the pilot in command aeronautical experience requirements of ICAO" on the certificate until you meet them.

R-ATP routes (61.160)

• Military or former military pilots: 750 hours total (not if removed from flying status for lack of proficiency or a disciplinary action).
• Bachelor's degree with an aviation major and 60 or more aviation credit hours: 1,000 hours. 30 to 59 credit hours: 1,250 hours.
• Associate's degree with an aviation major and 30 or more aviation credit hours: 1,250 hours.
• The degree must come from a school with an FAA letter of authorization under 61.169, with a commercial certificate and instrument rating from its part 141 course.
• Every route needs 200 cross-country hours and otherwise meets 61.159. 61.160(f) also allows 1,500 hours with 200 cross-country. These certificates carry the restriction in 61.167(b).

Other things you need

Hours are not the only requirement. Age (23 for an ATP, 21 for an R-ATP), the ATP certification training program (CTP) before the knowledge test, the knowledge and practical tests and a medical certificate are in other sections of part 61 and part 67 that this page did not re-check: check the current rule in 61.153, 61.155 and 61.156.

Sources, checked on 19 Oct 2026

• 14 CFR 61.159 on eCFR (up to date as of 15 Oct 2026): every hour figure, the simulator limits, night landings, SIC and flight engineer credit and the ICAO limitation used here were confirmed on this page.
• 14 CFR 61.160 on eCFR (up to date as of 15 Oct 2026): the 750, 1,000 and 1,250 hour routes, the 200 cross-country hours and the 61.167 restriction were confirmed on this page.

Need to turn h:mm logbook times into tenths? Use the decimal flight time calculator. Staying current on the way? The FAA pilot currency calculator checks your 90-day and IFR currency.

Planning aid only. Always check the current regulations and your logbook, and ask your instructor, school or the FAA.