You have to take and pass the written portion of the air brakes test, as well as be road tested on a vehicle with air brakes. There is no actual air brake endorsement - if you do not meet the criteria to be eligible to operate an air brake equipped vehicle, you get a restriction on your licence - L.
Whether a vehicle has air, hydraulic, or air-over-hydraulic brakes has zero determination on the class of license required to operate it.
Class 1
In the US, the type of brake system has no role in determining what class of license is required to operate a vehicle.
Not automatically, in any state. If you do not complete and pass both the written air brakes test, AND conduct and pass your road test in an air brake equipped vehicle, you will receive a "no air brakes" restriction on your licence which prohibits you from operating a commercial vehicle equipped with air brakes. This is only applicable to commercial vehicles, and does not prevent you from operating, for example, a motorhome equipped with air brakes (as motorhomes are exempt from FMCSR regulation).
You can get a Class A CDL without air brakes - you'll just have a "no air brakes" restriction which prohibits you from operating a CMV equipped with air brakes. The vehicles you road test have to be commercial vehicles subject to FHWA regulations - recreational vehicles are exempt, so you cannot get a CDL with one.
Not for a Class C, unless you need to road test on a vehicle with air brakes.
Class C. Since the vehicle weighs less than 26,001 pounds you don't need a Class B CDL, but you can't put an air brake endorsement on a non-commercial driver's license so Class C it is. Make sure you bring a vehicle with air brakes to your road test; if you don't you'll receive a "no air brakes" limitation on your license. However, since a trolley is a rail vehicle, and not a road vehicle, it's likely you won't need a CDL for it, but will have to undergo company training to operate it.
Yes, in Kentucky you can get your Class M license even if your Class C license is suspended.
No. The weight determines what class licence you must obtain (there are non-CDL Class A and B licences available), and the usage is what determines whether or not you actually need a CDL class licence to operate it.
Yes they are, however, bus drivers get more specialized training beyond their class C license. They need a class B license. You first need a class C license before you can get a class B license.
There is no air brake endorsement. A CDL driver who does not complete and pass the written air brakes test AND complete and pass the road test in a vehicle equipped with air brakes gets a restriction prohibiting them from operating a commercial vehicle equipped with air brakes.
This can depend if you are trying to get your class A or class b. I actually have a class b license with hazmat and tanker endorsement. One thing you need to do is go to your drivers license center and get a cdl learning book and look over the chapters required to get the type of license you are trying to get. You will have to look over the air brakes chapter, along with all of the other chapters required for the class you are trying to seek. If you are trying to get your class A you will have to also look over the combination section along with air brakes. Then go to your testing center and take the test on the computer there. Then if you pass then you can set up an appointment to take the driving test.