The commercialization of urban air mobility (UAM) requires a pilot certification framework tailored to powered-lift aircraft, which combine the characteristics of airplanes and helicopters. In October 2024, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration promulgated SFAR 120 (14 CFR Part 194), a ten-year special regulation that establishes a powered-lift category rating combined with aircraft-specific type ratings and permits initial training in aircraft equipped with a single set of functioning flight controls. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, by contrast, requires a pilot type rating for VTOL-capable aircraft on the basis of existing licenses, with customized syllabi combining helicopter, airplane, and powered-lift elements. In Korea, the Aviation Safety Act does not yet define a certification category for UAM aircraft, and the Act on Promotion and Support of Urban Air Mobility regulates only operator designation requirements. This study compares the finalized U.S. and European frameworks, identifies the regulatory gap in Korea in light of the pilot operation model announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in July 2026, and proposes a phased introduction plan consisting of a new certification category with concurrent type ratings, a time-limited special regulation for the initial cadre of pilots, and conversion pathways for existing commercial pilots.

Abstract
1. 서 론
2. 미국의 UAM 조종사 자격체계
    2.1 SFAR 120의 제정 경위와 구조
    2.2 자격증명 및 형식한정 요건
    2.3 초기 조종사 양성 특례
3. 유럽의 UAM 조종사 자격체계
    3.1 형식한정 중심 접근
    3.2 기존 자격 보유자 전제의 전환 구조
4. 국내 법제 현황과 제도 공백
    4.1 항공안전법상 자격증명 체계
    4.2 도심항공교통법과 시범운용모델
    4.3 제도 공백의 식별
5. 국내 도입 방안
    5.1 미국 · 유럽 체계의 비교
    5.2 단계별 도입 방안
6. 결 론
References

• 김세준(Professor, Dept. of Liberal Studies in Natural Sciences, Hanseo University) | Se-Jun Kim Corresponding author