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How do I know that I can learn to fly?
Somewhere there is someone just like you who recently became a pilot. Although the average
student pilot is 32 years old, anyone 16 years old or older can learn to fly an airplane.
People from a variety of occupations and backgrounds all over the world have trained and are
training to become pilots. Back to the top.
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What are the requirements?
There are three basic requirements for learning to fly powered airplanes in the United States.
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You have to be at least 16 years old.
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You have to be in good health.
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You have to be able to read, speak, and understand English.
You can apply for a student pilot certificate if you are at least 16 years old. When
you're 17, you can apply for a private pilot certificate. There is no maximum age limit
because it's health and not age that determines a person's ability to fly well.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires everyone who wants to be a pilot
to pass a routine medical exam every two years. This requirement ensures that pilots
do not have medical problems that could interfere with their ability to fly safely.
Allowances are made for many physical limitations. For example, glasses and contact
lenses are perfectly acceptable. The physical exam can be obtained anytime from one of
many FAA-designated physicians. Back to the top.
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How difficult is it?
As with any other skill you master, flying is learned step by step by step. It's a
fascinating experience. But, it is not impossibly difficult. It can be learned by nearly
anyone who is willing to invest some time and effort (and usually money).
Pilot training has
two aspects: ground training and flight training. Ground training takes place on the ground.
It covers flight rules and regulations, flight planning, navigation, aerodynamics, physiology,
powerplant, radio procedures, and weather. In the next phase, flight training, you learn how to
fly by actually controlling the airplane yourself. Under the supervision of a certified flight
instructor, you learn how to take off, land and fly cross country (fly from your home airport to
another airport and then back again).
Millions of people have learned to fly. By the time you're
ready for your private pilot certificate, you'll be secure in the knowledge that you're a safe
and competent pilot. Back to the top.
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Do I need special skills to fly?
No. Perhaps the most important element in successfully learning to fly is desire. Once
you're ready to invest your time and effort in learning to fly, then it's time to take
the first steps. Back to the top.
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Where is the best place to learn to fly??
Flight training schools exist across the country. Choosing the right one for you depends on your
specific needs and reasons for learning to fly. Most flight training programs use a mixture of
audiovisuals, textbooks, and workbooks designed for ground training. You may receive your ground
instruction from your certified flight instructor (CFI) individually or as part of a ground
training class. Certified flight instructors have been specially trained and examined by the
federal government to ensure that all of your training is the safest and most effective possible.
The flight training itself is conducted with your personal Certified Flight Instructor. You'll
probably learn to fly in an airplane that was developed for student pilots. Such planes are
designed to provide the best possible flight training environment.
The best flight training schools should have dependable equipment, dedicated instructors,
a staff that is willing to meet your needs, and a well-designed training program. Back to the top.
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How long will it take?
Most people receive their private pilot certificate after about 55 hours of flight time,
including time spent with an instructor in the plane (dual time) and time spent flying
alone (solo time). Training will include some night flying, some instrument flying
(flying solely by reference to the airplane's instruments), and some cross-country flying.
The minimum time required by federal regulation under Title 14 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 61 is 40 hours of flight time. You can fly in the early morning,
during the day, or on weekends. Scheduling your flying is up to you and your instructor.
How long it takes to accumulate flight time is largely up to you and your instructor.
Usually two or three hours flying per week will allow for a fairly decent learning rate,
with more hours during weeks when cross-country flights are made. Statistics indicate that
the average student pilot completes the requirements for a private pilot certificate in
four to six months. Depending on the schedule and number of hours spent flying, some people
will complete it sooner and others will take longer. Back to the top.
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What is the first step?
Deciding to learn to fly is obviously the first step and often the most difficult one.
Before you make the big decision to take flying lessons, you may want to experience
flying in a small plane. Once you've viewed your community from the perspective of a
general aviation aircraft and felt the sensation of flight, you'll know whether piloting is for you.
To gain this experience, contact AngelAir at (480) 857-4100, and a friendly member of our
staff can arrange an introductory flight at a reasonable rate. Back to the top.
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What will my first flight be like?
You instructor will introduce you to the airplane you'll learn to fly. You'll be briefed
on the instruments, controls, and equipment in the plane and on what to watch for when you're flying.
After this preflight briefing, the two of you will take off. When aloft and under close
supervision of your instructor, you'll take control of the airplane. It will be unlike
anything you've experienced before. Soon you'll feel the exhilaration -- impatient for the next flight!
Back to the top.
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What kind of tests will I take?
No test is required for a student pilot certificate. But, before a private license is issued you
must pass two tests. One is a written FAA examination. The other is a practical examination of your
flying ability with a designated FAA examiner to demonstrate your ability to maneuver the airplane
safely and confidently. You will have practiced the maneuvers many times before, and your flight
instructor will have prepared you thoroughly. Back to the top.
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How much does it cost?
Flight training costs vary. Fuel prices, maintenance, and insurance costs are but a few
of the variables. You can expect to pay between $5,000 and $7,000 for a good private-pilot
flight-training program. Many schools offer finance packages that allow low monthly payments
spread over several years. See our Learn More page for more information. Compared to the costs
of training in other business skills, becoming a licensed private pilot is a good value. Prorated
over a lifetime, it's probably one of the best bargains you'll ever find. The cost of becoming a
pilot is a solid investment in your future. Back to the top.
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Is flying safe?
General aviation airplanes are built to rigid federal specifications, and they are constantly
checked and rechecked to make sure they are mechanically and structurally safe. People who fly
are safety conscious. As the pilot-in-command of an airplane, you're also in command of most
variables that affect flying safely. Safety is the most important word in the general aviation vocabulary.
Your flight instructor will emphasize training you to operate the airplane safely. Flying as
pilot-in-command of an airplane puts you in charge. A well-built and well-maintained airplane
in the hands of a competent, prudent, and well-trained pilot makes flying safer than many other
forms of transportation. Back to the top.
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What happens if the engine quits?
An aircraft engine is a piece of finely built machinery that is designed to keep running. If
the improbable should happen, however, the airplane won't fall out of the sky. It will descend
slowly in a glide. Simply do what your instructor will have had you practice during your lessons:
select the nearest safe landing site and land there without power. Back to the top.
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What about insurance?
Life insurance - The insurance companies have come to learn how extremely safe flying really
is. Most new policies don't even mention general aviation flying. If you have an older policy,
restrictive clauses for private flying can often be removed at little or no cost. Liability
insurance - Some flight training schools include this insurance in your rental fee. If not, many
people purchase special low-cost pilot insurance that covers private flying. At any rate, you
should check with your own insurance agent to find out where you stand and whether there are any
additional requirements. Click here for a link to Renters Insurance. Back to the top.
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Do I have to own an airplane?
whether there are any additional requirements. Click here for a link to Renters Insurance.
Not at all! Of course, owning your own general aviation airplane will give you complete freedom
to set your own schedule. You'll have a pride of ownership like nothing you've known before. But
many pilots don't own their own planes. Most pilots - at least in their training phase - rent
airplanes. Rental fees are normally based on an hourly rate for actual flying time. Back to the top.
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What happens after I get my pilot’s license?
You'll never be quite the same person you were before. You'll have access to a whole new world
of personal freedom. You'll think of travel in terms of hours, not miles. You'll know what it
means to make your own schedules, go your own way, far above the crowds, the congestion, the
hassle, and the annoyances of ordinary transportation. You'll find a new sense of personal
fulfillment in your ever-growing flying skills. You'll push the old boundaries of your life
forward and you'll have the opportunity to plan, seek, and find new experiences that will
enrich your life in countless ways. You'll gain greater self-reliance and confidence.
Through your own initiative and effort, you'll be a master of our 20th century's most
distinctive and rewarding
art - flying. Back to the top.
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