After deciding you want to fly either as part of a profession or personal recreation, next choose a flight school. Plan out your schedules, have your finances ready, prepare mentally and physically, and go to it. Here is what you will usually discover as a first step in your journey.
Training Information
Student Pilot Requirements
Easy! There are no requirements to start taking lessons. Half way through your training, when you’re ready to fly the airplane by yourself for the first time, known as “solo,” you do need to be 16 years old and pass a 3rd Class medical exam by an FAA designated physician or AME, which also serves as a student license. You can find a list of local AME’s here. If you have questions about whether specific medical issues might prevent you from qualifying for a medical, you can check the FAA’s Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners, or join AOPA and call their technical staff.
You will also need to get the necessary flight and ground training and pass a pre-solo knowledge exam prepared by your instructor. When your instructor feels you’re ready to solo, he or she will endorse your logbook and student certificate. Then you can fly by yourself in the local area, though you won’t be able to carry passengers until you finish your private license,
Private Pilot Requirements
You must be 17 years old and be able to read, write, and speak English fluently. You’ll need a minimum of 40 hours of flight training, though the average time in the U.S. is around 60-70 hours. If you fly less than once a week, it may take longer. Conversely, if you fly twice a week, it will probably take fewer total hours to get your license. This training must include a minimum of:
20 hours of dual instruction including:
3 hours of cross-country to airports more than 50 miles away
3 hours of instruments
3 hours of night including a 100 nautical mile round trip and 10 night takeoffs and landings
3 hours of instruction within 60 days prior to your practical test
10 hours of solo flight including:
5 hours of cross-country including a 150 nautical mile round trip
3 takeoffs and landing at an airfield with a control tower
You must pass the private pilot knowledge test with a score of 70% or better. The test is 60 multiple choice questions from the FAA’s databank of about 700 questions. You can prepare for it in many ways, including home study with books or DVDs or with a classroom ground school taught at a local college or flying school.
The final step is the practical flight test with an FAA-designated examiner. Nationwide, the pass rate is about 90% for students on their first try! The exam contents is defined by the FAA’s Practical Test Standard (PTS), and it includes both an oral exam and a flight test.
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