Definition
A category and class qualification added to a pilot certificate that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command of an airplane within that category and class. Airplane ratings are issued by class — such as single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, or multi-engine sea — and are earned by meeting the FAA's training, knowledge, and practical test requirements for that class.
Plain English
An airplane rating is the official permission, written on your pilot certificate, to fly a particular type of airplane. The rating tells you what kind of airplane you're allowed to fly as the person in charge — for example, a single-engine plane that lands on land, or a two-engine plane that lands on water.
Context Anchor
Seen in pilot certification, training requirements, and light-sport airplane discussions when describing what a pilot is allowed to fly.
Derivation
Rating' comes from the Latin 'ratus,' meaning 'reckoned' or 'judged.' In aviation, a rating is a formal judgment by the FAA that you have met the standard to fly a particular kind of aircraft. So an airplane rating is the FAA's recorded judgment that you are qualified for that specific class of airplane.
Why Pilots Care
It determines whether a pilot is legally allowed to fly an airplane without needing further training or an additional endorsement.
Intuition Check
Do not read rating as a review, grade, or skill score. Here, a rating is an official FAA qualification that shows what kind of aircraft a pilot is authorized to fly.
Example Sentence 1
After passing his checkride, he held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating.
Example Sentence 2
A pilot holding only a glider rating must obtain an airplane rating before flying powered airplanes.