55. FLIGHT EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AIRPLANE CATEGORY. Each applicant for an ATP certificate in an airplane category rating must meet each of the following seven experience requirements.
A. Total Pilot Flight Hours. A minimum of 1,500 total pilot flight hours must have been accumulated by the applicant. The following types of flight experience may be credited toward the total pilot flight hour requirement:
All pilot-in-command (PIC) hours
All dual instruction received by the applicant
All flight time acquired as a second-in-command (SIC) in aircraft requiring at least two pilots by the approved airplane flight manual (AFM), airworthiness certificate, or in FAR Part 121 or 135 operations
For commercial pilots, up to 500 hours of flight engineer (FE) time acquired in FAR Part 121 operations (The FE time must have been acquired in an airplane requiring an FE. While acquiring these hours, the applicant must have held a commercial pilot certificate and been participating as a pilot or FE in a FAR Part 121 approved pilot training program. FE time may be credited at a rate of 1 hour of pilot time for each 3 hours of FE time. For example, if the applicant has accumulated 300 hours of FE time, 100 hours may be credited toward the 1,500 total pilot hour requirement.)
B. Hours as PIC. The applicant must have accumulated at least 250 hours an PIC. SIC hours acquired while performing the duties of PIC under the supervision of a qualified PIC may be credited toward this requirement.
C. Hours of Cross-Country. At least 500 flight hours must have been accumulated as a pilot in cross-country flight. Cross-country time is that time acquired during flight from a departure point to a destination point that is not the same as the departure point. It is also time acquired in a flight that is cross-country in nature even though the departure and destination points are the same (such as forestry patrol).
D. Hours of PIC Cross-Country. At least 100 flight hours must have been accumulated as PIC while conducting cross-country flight. SIC hours while performing the duties of PIC under the supervision of a qualified PIC may be credited toward this requirement.
E. Hours at Night. At least 100 hours must have been accumulated as a pilot at night. An applicant who has made over 20 night landings may thereafter substitute one additional night takeoff and landing to a full stop for 1 hour of nighttime.
F. Hours as PIC at Night. At least 25 hours must have been accumulated as a PIC at night. SIC hours while performing the duties of PIC under the supervision of a qualified PIC may be credited toward this requirement.
G. Instrument Hours. At least 75 hours must have been accumulated as a pilot in actual or simulated instrument conditions. Fifty hours of this time must have been in actual flight.