The short answer

1,000 hours is §61.160(b): a bachelor’s degree with an aviation major and 60 semester credit hours of aviation coursework, from an institution authorized under §61.169. The restriction comes off when you meet the full §61.159 experience and are 23. One 20-minute video call, no checkride.

What the 1,000-hour pathway required — §61.160(b)

§61.160(b) sets 1,000 hours of total time as a pilot for an applicant holding a bachelor’s degree with an aviation major and at least 60 semester credit hours of aviation and aviation-related coursework, from an institution authorized under §61.169, plus a commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating. It is the pathway the four-year university programs are built around.

Like every §61.160(a)–(d) pathway it also carries §61.160(e): 200 hours of cross-country time instead of the 500 that §61.159 asks for. Hold on to that number — it is the one that decides when your restriction actually lifts.

What the restriction actually costs you

Under §61.167(b) the restriction means no acting as pilot in command in part 121 operations, in §91.1053(a)(2)(i) fractional operations, or in §135.243(a)(1) operations — and no serving as second in command in part 121 flag or supplemental operations requiring three or more pilots. Everything else an ATP can do, an R-ATP holder can do, which is why it is the standard first-officer certificate at the regionals.

Why 1,500 hours is not the finish line

The restriction is not removed by reaching 1,500 hours. It is removed by meeting §61.159 in full, and §61.159 wants 500 hours of cross-country — not the 200 your certificate was issued against. A regional first officer on short segments can pass 1,500 total hours with the cross-country column still well short.

§61.159(a) is the full airplane ATP experience requirement: 1,500 hours total time including at least 500 hours cross-country, 100 hours night, 50 hours in the class of airplane for the rating sought, 75 hours instrument (actual or simulated), and 250 hours pilot in command (or SIC performing PIC duties) of which 100 are cross-country and 25 are night.

Check your own cross-country column before you book. If it is the line holding you up, nothing here changes that — but it is better known now than found on the call.

What removal requires

Your degree and the §61.169 institution letter mattered when the R-ATP was issued. They are not what removes the restriction — §61.159 experience and age 23 are.

Also carrying the ICAO line?

Some ATP certificates carry a second limitation: “Holder does not meet the pilot in command aeronautical experience requirements of ICAO.” That is §61.160(h), a different limitation with its own removal test, handled in the same appointment at no extra charge. Details on the ICAO PIC limitation page.

How the appointment runs

  1. Identity verification (valid, unexpired photo ID)
  2. Certificate and logbook review against §61.159(a), line by line
  3. IACRA application signed live
  4. Temporary certificate without the restriction issued on the call

About 20 minutes, from anywhere with a stable connection. 24-hour advance notice is required for FAA DMS oversight entry.

Pricing — $200 flat

No travel fees, no rescheduling fees, and no charge if you are determined not eligible during the appointment. Details → Pricing

Related

R-ATP to Unrestricted ATP

The hub page: every pathway, the restriction, and how the appointment runs.

R-ATP at 1,250 Hours

Associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s with 30–59 aviation credits.

ICAO PIC Limitation Removal

The second line some ATP certificates carry. Same appointment, no extra charge.

Met §61.159 and turned 23? That is the whole test.

Submit the contact form and your document page opens with the list — scan with your phone or upload PDFs. $200 flat.

Schedule your ATP restriction removal →

Frequently asked

What degree qualifies for the 1,000-hour R-ATP?
A bachelor’s degree with an aviation major including at least 60 semester credit hours of aviation and aviation-related coursework, from an institution authorized under 14 CFR 61.169. That is 61.160(b). A bachelor’s with 30 to 59 of those credit hours falls under 61.160(d) at 1,250 hours instead.
I have 1,500 hours now. Does the restriction come off automatically?
No, on both counts. It is not automatic — an examiner has to process the removal in IACRA — and 1,500 total hours is not the test. 61.159(a) requires 500 hours of cross-country time, while your R-ATP was issued against the 200-hour allowance in 61.160(e). Read your cross-country column first.
Do I need another checkride?
No. 61.160(g) makes it an evidence question: the pilot is entitled to the certificate without the limitation on presenting satisfactory evidence of having met the 61.159 aeronautical experience requirements and the age requirement of 61.153(a)(1). Daytona DPE processes it on a 20-minute video call for $200 flat.
Does my university have to be involved again?
No. The 61.169 institution letter and your transcript were what got the R-ATP issued at 1,000 hours. Removing the restriction is a different test entirely — 61.159 experience and age 23 — and your school plays no part in it.
Can my logbook be checked before I pay?
Yes. Submit the contact form and your document page opens with the list; send the certificate and logbook evidence through it and eligibility is verified before the appointment. If something is short you find out before you have paid anything.