How to Become a Pilot

Many people make the mistake of jumping headfirst into flight training without realizing the implications of the cost and time requirements involved. Take this advice from a former flight instructor and commercial pilot to make your transition into the wonderful world of flying the joyful adventure it should be. An introductory flight is the best way to get exposed to the world of general aviation at minimal cost.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A list of local flight schools from www.learntofly.com.
• The yellowpages is also a good resource to find flight schools.
• Two to Three hours of spare time. A whole day is best!

Become a Pilot on Your First Flight

1. Go to www.learntofly.com and type in your zip code. This will return a list of Cessna Pilot Centers near you. The majority of pilots today learned to fly in Cessna aircraft, so you will be in good company.
2. From the list, you can visit the individual flight centers in order to find location and pricing information. For instance, the Learn to Fly website will mail you a coupon for a 99 dollar introductory flight, but a quick search of a listed flight school revealed a 59 dollar introductory lesson.
3. Once you have found a flight school that is convenient to you, it is time to call and make an appointment for an introductory lesson. They usually have a special price, so be sure to ask for it.
4. Weather permitting, a company flight instructor will greet you and introduce you to a whole new world.

Tips & Warnings

• An introductory flight exposes you to an expert Certified Flight Instructor who can answer any of your questions.
• Most flight instructors will let you manipulate the controls on your first flight--even your first takeoff, depending on how comfortable they feel with you.
• You'll get a much better idea of the magnitude of flight training if you take this flight first.
• Instructional flights are statistically some of the safest flights.
• Be prepared to become addicted to flying. You may become highly distracted from Earthly ventures afterward.