The short answer

750 hours is §61.160(a), the military pathway. The restriction comes off when you meet the full §61.159 experience and are 23 (§61.160(g) → §61.153(a)(1)). One 20-minute video call, no checkride, unrestricted temporary certificate issued on the call.

How 750 hours happens — §61.160(a)

§61.160(a) is the shortest pathway in the rule: a military pilot, or former military pilot, may hold an ATP certificate with restricted privileges at 750 hours of total time as a pilot, presented with DD Form 214 discharge papers and military pilot training records. Like every §61.160(a)–(d) pathway it also carries the reduced cross-country allowance in §61.160(e) — 200 hours of cross-country time instead of the 500 that §61.159 asks for.

That 200-hour allowance is the detail that catches people out later, and it is on this page for a reason: see “Why 1,500 hours is not the finish line” below.

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 military-pathway pilot flying short domestic legs can pass 1,500 total hours and still be several hundred cross-country hours 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.

Read your own logbook totals against that list before you book anything. If the cross-country column is the one holding you up, nothing on this page changes that — but knowing it now is worth more than finding out on the call.

What removal requires

Also carrying the ICAO line?

Military-pathway certificates often 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, and it is 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.

ICAO PIC Limitation Removal

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

Military Competency (MCE / MIE)

Military experience converted to civilian certificates and ratings.

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

Is the military R-ATP really 750 hours?
Yes. 14 CFR 61.160(a) sets 750 hours of total time as a pilot for a military or former military pilot presenting DD Form 214 and military pilot training records. It is the lowest total in the rule, and like every 61.160(a) through (d) pathway it also allows 200 hours of cross-country time instead of 500 under 61.160(e).
I just passed 1,500 hours. Why is my ATP still restricted?
Because the test is 61.159, not a total-time number. 61.159(a) requires 500 hours of cross-country time, and your certificate was issued against the reduced 200-hour allowance in 61.160(e). Pilots flying short domestic legs routinely reach 1,500 total hours while still short on cross-country. Read your cross-country column, not your total.
Do I need another checkride to remove the restriction?
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 handles it as an administrative action on a 20-minute video call.
What if I am 22 with all the hours?
Then you wait. 61.160(g) points at the age requirement of 61.153(a)(1), which is 23. There is no exception and no examiner can grant one. Book the appointment for the week you turn 23 and arrive with the logbook already in order.
Can my military records be reviewed before I pay?
Yes. Submit the contact form and your document page opens with the list; send the certificate, logbook evidence and DD Form 214 through it and eligibility is verified before the appointment. If something is short you find out before you have paid anything.