A class rating is an allowance to fly a certain group of aircraft that require training common to all aircraft within the group. A Type rating

Type rating

A type rating is an allowance to fly a certain aircraft type that requires additional training beyond the scope of initial license and aircraft class training. What aircraft require a type rating is decided by the local aviation authority...

 is specified if a particular aircraft requires additional specialized training beyond the scope of initial license

Pilot licensing and certification

Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits to fly aircraft that are issued by the National Aviation Authority in each country, establishing that the holder has met a specific set of knowledge and experience requirements. This includes taking a flying test. The certified pilot can then...

 and aircraft class training. What aircraft require a type rating is decided by the local aviation authority. Almost all single engine piston (SEP) or multi engine piston (MEP) single pilot aircraft can be flown without a type rating, but are covered by a class rating instead. An exception to this under Joint Aviation Authorities

Joint Aviation Authorities

The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, was an associated body of the ECAC representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures...

 (JAA) regulations is the piston version of the Piper Malibu

Piper Malibu

The Piper PA-46 is a family of light aircraft manufactured by Piper Aircraft of the United States. The aircraft is powered by a single engine and has the capacity for one pilot and five passengers...

.

There are seven categories of aircraft, which may be further subdivided into two or more classes:

• airplane
  Fixed-wing aircraft
  A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
  
   category
  • single-engine land class
  • multi-engine land class
    • Multi-engine class aircraft are more commonly known as "multis," and their pilots are called "multi pilots" or "multi-engine pilots."
    • Pilots of larger multi-engine aircraft are sometimes called transport pilots, although mostly in the realm of military aviation (see the article on military transport aircraft
      Military transport aircraft
      Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
      
      ). The term transport pilot can be ambiguous in civil aviation, since the Airline Transport Pilot License
      Airline Transport Pilot License
      The Airline Transport Pilot License , or in the United States of America, an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate is the highest level of aircraft pilot rating -- or license...
      
       is a very specific civil qualification.
  • single-engine sea class - Pilots of all sea class aircraft are usually called "seaplane pilots" or "float-plane pilots"
  • multi-engine sea class
• rotorcraft
  Rotorcraft
  A rotorcraft or rotary wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine that uses lift generated by wings, called rotor blades, that revolve around a mast. Several rotor blades mounted to a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The International Civil Aviation Organization defines a rotorcraft...
  
   category
  • helicopter
    Helicopter
    A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
    
     class
  • gyroplane
    Autogyro
    An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
    
     class
• powered lift
  Powered lift
  Powered lift or powered-lift refers to a type of aircraft that can take off and land vertically and functions differently from a rotorcraft in horizontal flight....
  
   category
• glider
  Glider aircraft
  Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
  
   category
• lighter than air
  Aerostat
  An aerostat is a craft that remains aloft primarily through the use of buoyant lighter than air gases, which impart lift to a vehicle with nearly the same overall density as air. Aerostats include free balloons, airships, and moored balloons...
  
   category
  • airship
    Airship
    An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
    
     class
  • balloon
    Balloon (aircraft)
    A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
    
     class
• powered parachute
  Powered parachute
  A powered parachute is a parachute with motor and wheels. The aircraft's airspeed is typically about 25–35 mph . PPCs operate safely at heights ranging from a few feet off the ground to altitudes as high as 18,000+ feet...
  
   category
  • powered parachute land class
  • powered parachute sea class
• weight-shift-control aircraft category
  • weight-shift-control aircraft land class
  • weight-shift-control aircraft sea class

Military Peculiarities

• In the world of military aviation, jet fighters are referred to as "jets" or "fighters", regardless of the number of engines they have. For example, both the F-16 and F/A-18 are referred to as “jets” or “fighters”, even though the F-16 has one engine and the F/A-18 has two.
• Not all jets are fighters. Pilots of jet trainers like the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III are "jet pilots" but not "fighter pilot
  Fighter pilot
  A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
  
  s", since the C-17 is not a fighter aircraft
  Fighter aircraft
  A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
  
  .