In aviation, a class rating is an allowance to fly a certain group of aircraft that require training common to all aircraft within the group. A type rating is specified if a particular aircraft requires additional specialized training beyond the scope of initial license and aircraft class training. Which aircraft require a type rating is decided by the local aviation authority. Almost all single-engine piston (SEP) or multi-engine piston (MEP) single pilot aircraft can be flown without a type rating, but are covered by a class rating instead.

In the United States, all turbojets require a type rating. Aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of more than 12,500 pounds (5,700 kg) typically require a type rating.^[1]

In the United States, there are seven categories of aircraft, which contain the following classes:

Class ratings may have limitations placed upon them. In the United States, if a pilot being examined for a multi-engine rating does not demonstrate the ability to control an aircraft under asymmetric thrust, their multi-engine rating will be endorsed as "Limited-to-Center Thrust".^[2] (In the European Union, a multi-engine centreline thrust aeroplane is considered a single-engine aeroplane when being used for an instrument rating skill test.^{[3]: FCL.620})

• A Mars water bomber, one of the largest multi-engine sea-class aircraft
• An airship class aircraft in the aerostat category, a Zeppelin NT
• An example of a glider class aircraft, a Schweizer SGS 2-33
• An example of a rotorcraft class aircraft, a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter
• An example of a very large multi-engine class aircraft, a C-17 Globemaster III
• An example of a jet fighter aircraft, a CF-18 Hornet

• Instrument rating