How to Get Your Private Pilot License

This will not be your first airplane.

The dream of soaring free among the clouds is a common one, and one which can become reality for anyone over the age of 17. A private pilot's license allows you to fly small airplanes and carry passengers in those planes. It is not as easy to get as, say, a driver's license. You first must pass a battery of tests and log a certain amount of time in the sky and prove that you are medically sound.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Pass a standard medical examination. You must be in good health to obtain your private pilot's license.

2. Complete at least 40 hours of "stick time" -- time spent in control of an airplane -- consisting of at least 20 hours of flight accompanied by an instructor and 10 hours of solo flight. Three hours of instructor training must be dedicated to each of the following: cross-country flying to airports more than 50 miles away, instrumental flying and night flying -- including 10 night take-offs and landings and 100 miles of nautical flight. Your solo flights must include at least five hours of cross-country flying including a 150-mile nautical flight.

3. Take a Private Pilot Knowledge Test and score 70 percent or better.

4. Complete the FAA Practical Flight Test with an FAA-designated examiner.

Tips & Warnings

• You must also be able to read and write English fluently.

References

• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association: Flight Training
• Pilot Outlook: Private Pilot's License and Approximate Costs