Originally Posted by
Excargodog
Class 3 is basically private pilot, not for hire. Class 2 allows you to do commercial flying when you get your commercial. Class 1 is for airline captains. But the criteria for a class 1 doesn’t differ much from class 2, so it woukd be worth getting the class 1 just to know you can.
You'll need a 1C to get hired at almost any decent job, including the better corporate jobs last I heard.
Once hired, if you lose the 1C but can still hold a 2C, you can keep flying as an FO/co-pilot. Maybe even PIC in non-airline operations.
The standards are very similar, 2C is really a consolation prize if they can't quite bring themselves to give you a 1C.