Things You'll Need:
- Visual Flight Rating (VFR) Pilot Manuals
- Flying Lessons
- Aviation Illustrated Magazine Subscription
- Aviation Manuals
- Aviation Study Tapes
- Aviation Study Software
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Step 1
Be at least 16 years old. Read, speak and understand English. English is the language used by control towers and airports all over the world.
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Step 2
Check with local, general aviation airports for information about flight schools in your area.
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Step 3
Enroll in a licensed flight school. Typically, it costs $3,000 to $4,000 for ground school and flight training.
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Step 4
Obtain a medical certificate from a qualified doctor of aviation medicine before beginning the course. The flight school can usually recommend a doctor in your area.
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Step 5
Complete a three to five-week ground school course.
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Step 6
Take the written FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) test at the end of the course work. The test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and can be taken at FAA testing centers or with other licensed test providers.
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Step 7
Complete 30 to 40 hours of actual flight time with an instructor. The school will provide the plane.
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Step 8
Complete your "solo" - a flight without an instructor on board.
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Step 9
Complete your final exam, called a "check ride." An FAA-certified examiner will ask questions and accompany you on a flight in order to assess your abilities.
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Step 10
Receive your private pilot's license with a visual flight rating. This allows you to pilot a single-engine aircraft day or night in weather with good visibility.
Comments
jussomeguy said
on 10/30/2009 Although this article is mostly correct in the most general of ways, there are a couple of specific points that need clarification.
Step 3 mentions a price completely unrealistic in most parts of the US. Sure, someone somewhere has paid less than $4000 to get a pilot's certificate, but it's highly likely that you will pay more. Rates do vary widely based on the region where you live and the phase of the moon. I live in an "expensive" part of the country, and learning to fly here costs +/- $15,000. Yes, some even pay more, and thankfully many succeed at paying well less than $15K -- but if you walk in with the expectation of laying down 3 or 4 grand for a license to fly, sooner or later your expectations are going to be reset.
I doubt there are many places left where you can rent an "economical" airplane (with fuel) for much less than $75/hour. Many training airplanes are well o...
mr-answers said
on 7/25/2009 There are other ways beside CAP to reduce the cost of flight training see http://www.ehow.com/how_5215418_pilots-license-budget.html
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dwcharron said
on 10/28/2007 The age requirment you listed is somewhat misleading. To pilot a glider or a balloon you must be 16 years old; for everything else, like a single engine airplane, you must be 17 years old.
RE: http://www.risingup.com/fars/info/part61-103-FAR.shtml
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 If someone joined CAP to get their pilot license, they didn't look into what they were doing. It does have a good basic aerospace education program (used in most hight schools). I was a cadet for 7 years and got a lot out of the program and would highly recommend it. I have also found 3 missing aircraft and 7 lost Boy Scouts in search and rescue missions.