Sec. 61.151 Eligibility requirements: General.

To be eligible for an airline transport pilot certificate, a person must--
(a) Be at least 23 years of age;
(b) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language.
(c) Be of good moral character;
(d) Meet at least one of the following requirements:

(1) Hold at least a commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating;
(2) Meet the military experience requirements under Sec. 61.73 of this part  to qualify for a commercial pilot certificate, and an instrument rating if the person is a rated military pilot or former rated military pilot of an Armed Force of the United States; or
(3) Hold either a foreign airline transport pilot or foreign commercial pilot license and an instrument rating, without limitations issued by a contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Sec. 61.159 Aeronautical experience: Airplane Category rating.

(a) A person who is applying for an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane category and class rating must have at least 1,500 hours of total time as a pilot that includes at least:

(1) 500 hours of cross-country flight time.
(2) 100 hours of night flight time.
(3) 75 hours of instrument flight time, in actual or simulated instrument conditions:
(i) An applicant may not receive credit for more than a total of 25 hours of simulated instrument time in a flight simulator or flight training device.
(ii) A maximum of 50 hours of training in a flight simulator or flight training device may be credited toward the instrument flight time requirements of paragraph (a)(3) if the training was accomplished in a course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142.
(4) 250 hours of flight time in an airplane as a pilot in command, or as second in command performing the duties and functions of a pilot in command while under the supervision of a pilot in command or any combination thereof, which includes at least:
(i) 100 hours of cross-country flight time ; and
(ii) 25 hours of night flight time.
(5) Not more than 100 hours of the total aeronautical experience requirements of paragraph (a) of this section may be obtained in a flight simulator or flight training device that represents an airplane, provided this aeronautical experience was obtained in an approved course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142.

(b) A person who has performed at least 20 night takeoffs and landings to a full stop may substitute each additional night takeoff and landing to a full stop for 1 hour of night flight time to satisfy the requirement of paragraph (a) however, not more than 25 hours of night flight time may be credited in this manner.

(c) A commercial pilot may credit the following second-in-command flight time or flight engineer flight time toward the 1,500 hours of total time as pilot required by paragraph (a) of this section:

(1) Second-in-command time
(i) Required to have more than one pilot flight crew member by the airplane's flight manual, type certificate, or the regulations
(ii) Engaged in operations under part 121 or part 135 of this chapter for which a second in command is required; or
(2) Flight-Engineer Time, provided the time --
(i) is acquired in an airplane required to have a flight engineer by the airplane's flight manual or type certificate;
(ii) is acquired while engaged in operations under part 121 of this chapter for which a flight engineer is required;
(iii) Does not exceed more than 1 hour for each 3 hours of flight engineer flight time for a total credited time of no more than 500 hours.
(1) Credits second-in-command or flight-engineer time under paragraph (c) of this section toward the 1,500 hours total flight time requirement of paragraph (a) of this section;
(2) Does not have at least 1,200 hours of flight time as a pilot, including no more than 50 percent of his or her second-in-command time and none of his or her flight engineer time;

Sec. 61.161 Aeronautical experience: Rotorcraft category and helicopter class
rating
 

(a) A person who is applying for an airline transport certificate with rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating, must have at least 1,200 hours of total time as a pilot that includes at least:

(1) 500 hours of cross-country flight time;
(2) 100 hours of night flight time, of which 15 hours are in helicopters;
(3) 200 hours of flight time in helicopters, which includes at least 75 hours as a pilot in command,
(4) 75 hours of instrument flight time in actual or simulated instrument meteorological conditions, of which at least 50 hours are obtained in flight with at least 25 hours in helicopters as a pilot in command.

(b) Training in a flight simulator or flight training device may be credited towards the instrument flight time requirements of paragraph (a)(4) of this section,

(1) Training in flight simulator or flight training device must be accomplished in a flight simulator or flight training device that represents a rotorcraft.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, an applicant may receive credit for not more than a total of 25 hours of simulated instrument time in a flight simulator and flight training device.
(3) a maximum of 50 hours of training in a flight simulator or flight training device may be credited toward the instrument flight time requirements of paragraph (a)(4) of this section if the aeronautical experience is accomplished in an approved course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142 of this chapter.