Commercial Pilot Licence (Orbital)

The Commercial Pilot Licence (Orbital), usually shortened to CPL(O), is the dividing line between flying for fun and flying for a living. It allows the holder to carry passengers and freight for hire as pilot in command or co-pilot of light commercial craft, notably the Kestrel light shuttle and the Wren Microlifter, throughout the Earth, Luna and L5 Lagrange Station corridor.

Candidates must already hold the Private Spaceflight Licence, pass a class 1 aeromedical examination and sit seven commercial ground examinations covering law, navigation, systems, performance and human factors. In the air, the IFSB requires at least 70 hours of multi-crew flight time and a commercial check ride that includes an engine failure on ascent and a manual docking.

At Lumen, the Shuttle Operations course delivers the entire requirement in 12 weeks. The CPL(O) is renewed every 12 months through a proficiency check, and it is the mandatory prerequisite for all of our type ratings and endorsements, from the Atlas Heavy Freighter to the Seraph Medevac.

The public handbook lists every examination syllabus and includes guidance for pilots converting from older licences.

Holders typically start as Kestrel first officers or single-pilot Wren operators, building the multi-crew hours needed for heavy type ratings. Most employers expect a CPL(O) holder to have flown at least one full season before applying for further training.