Plain English Meaning

Pilots who have earned an official FAA license that allows them to legally fly an aircraft.

Full Definition

Pilots who hold a current pilot certificate issued by the FAA, authorizing them to act as pilot in command or in another specified pilot capacity within the limits of that certificate and any associated ratings.

Context Anchor

Seen in FAA handbooks when the text is talking about people who already have pilot approval, rather than people who are just beginning flight training.

Derivation

From the Latin certificare, meaning 'to make certain.' A certificated pilot is one whose qualifications have been formally confirmed by the FAA. The FAA uses 'certificated' rather than 'certified' as a deliberate legal term to refer specifically to holders of an FAA-issued certificate.