Definition
Endorsements added to an existing pilot or flight instructor certificate that authorize the holder to act in additional aircraft categories or classes beyond those originally certificated. For a flight instructor, this means qualifying to give instruction in another category (such as rotorcraft) or class (such as multiengine) of aircraft.
Plain English
Extra qualifications added to a certificate so the holder is allowed to fly or teach in types of aircraft they weren't originally approved for.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight instructor endorsement guidance when an instructor is preparing a pilot to add a new aircraft privilege to an existing certificate.
Derivation
“Additional” means added to what is already there. “Rating” comes from the idea of classifying or assigning a level or kind. In aviation, a rating is not a score; it is an official aircraft privilege placed on a pilot certificate.
Why Pilots Care
These ratings expand the aircraft a pilot may legally operate and the conditions under which they may fly, directly affecting training options and career progression.
Intuition Check
Do not read “rating” as a grade or review. In this FAA context, a rating is an official permission on a pilot certificate for a certain kind of aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
After completing the multiengine course, the instructor applied for the additional aircraft rating to teach in twin-engine airplanes.
Example Sentence 2
Many private pilots pursue an instrument rating as their first set of additional aircraft ratings to fly in low-visibility conditions.