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Learning to Fly: Getting Started
or
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Becoming a Private Pilot
But Didn't Know to Ask
by Steven H. Philipson
revised October, 2007
Flight! That incomparable feeling of being free from the chains of
gravity that hold one to the ground; freedom to move in three
dimensions, to travel rapidly where and when you want to; the feeling
of being in control, the self-satisfaction of realization of new
skills. These are the rewards of flying. But first, you've got to
learn how.
The road to becoming a private pilot isn't very long nor very
hard, but there are a few things that you need to know. This article
contains basic information about qualification, training, costs, time
and procedures that will lead you to your pilot's license. If after
reading this you have more questions, please feel free to give me a
call or send me an e-mail message. My phone number and e-mail address
are listed at the end of this article.
Aircraft and Instructors
The first thing that you need to do is find an airplane to fly and a
"Certified Flight Instructor" (CFI) to teach you. It's best to look
at airports that are convenient to your home or place of work. You
should look for flight schools and flying clubs. Both will have CFIs
associated with them and will recommend a few for you to talk to. You
should talk to a few different CFIs to find one whose schedule and
temperament suit you. You can start to fly and begin your flight
training immediately. If at any time you decide that you don't like
the instructor you're working with, feel free to change (you're paying
for this, so you ought to be happy). It's not a good idea to change
instructors frequently, but it's perfectly OK to try one or two
lessons with several different instructors so that you can find
someone with whom you are comfortable. Instructors charge anywhere
from about $35 to $95 per hour with $45 to $75 being most common.
There are several different aircraft used in basic training. Most
schools use two and four seat single engine airplanes because of their
simplicity and low cost. Many schools employ the two seat Cessna 152,
which is widely regarded as the best primary trainer ever made. Cessna
stopped manufacturing the 152 in the 1980's so some of these airplanes
are getting a bit tired. Until the late 1990's new two seat trainers
were not being manufactured, so it's common to find schools using four-
place aircraft for training such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Warrior.
These are fine as trainers but are slightly more expensive to operate.
Their use may be required though when both the student and instructor
are large people as most two seaters have extremely limited weight
lifting capabilities.
There are some new 2-seaters appearing at flight schools. Most
popular among them is the Diamond Katana. This appears to be a good
training aircraft but has some significant differences from the
majority of rental aircraft. Early models with a Rotax engine seemed
to not be as economical to operate as operators had hoped, but later
models with a more conventional Continental engine seem to be finding
favor with their operators. The Katana is a glider-inspired design and
most people find it to be both attractive visually and comfortable to
fly. A new development is the use of "light sport" aircraft as
primary trainers. These will generally be nearly new airplanes, so
expect their cost to be at the high end for trainers.
Two seaters run from $70 to $110 per hour (with the new Katanas at
the top end), and four seaters from $95 to $130 (with the higher price
being for a late model Cessna 172 or equivalent airplane).
Minimum Training Requirements
The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight experience before
an applicant may take a private pilot flight test. Of this, at least
20 hours must be dual instruction from a CFI, and 10 "solo", i.e. with
no one else in the plane. Yes, you do fly around by yourself before
you get your private pilot license. These are regulatory minimums
though and don't really reflect how long it takes to learn to fly.
There are many specific items that must be covered during training,
It generally takes significantly longer than the minimum 40 hours.
In the San Francisco Bay area, most people receive 25 to 35 hours of
flight instruction before they fly solo, and have a total of about
55 to 75 hours by the time that they take their flight tests.
Medical Requirements
All applicants for a student pilot's license must have a physical
exam administered by an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). AME's are
designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A list of
practicing AME's can be obtained from local FAA offices or the FAA
web site. Your flight instructor will also be able to direct you to
an examiner. The exams typically cost between $85 and $110, but some
examiners charge more for the same exam. Caveat emptor.
You don't have to be a prime physical specimen or an Olympic
athlete to become a pilot. If you're in reasonably good health and
have reasonable vision you'll probably qualify. Corrective lenses
for vision are O.K. There are a few medical problems that may be
disqualifying. These include epilepsy, diabetes, and recent heart
ailments. An AME will be able to advise you if you are uncertain of
your medical fitness to fly.
The usual medical exam gives you a "Third Class Medical
Certificate" which is valid for three years if you're under 40
years old when you take the exam, or for two years if you're 40 or
older. The certificate also becomes your student pilot license.
You do not need to take the medical exam until you are ready to fly
"solo" (i.e. with no one else in the plane), but if you have doubts
about your ability to meet the medical requirements, you may want
to take the exam before you spend money on flying lessons.
The Knowledge Test
In addition to the flight test, each applicant must pass a knowledge
test. (These used to be called "written" tests, but now they're
exclusively administered by computer so they've changed the name.)
The test covers basic aerodynamic theory, navigation, aviation
weather, flight and performance planning, and knowledge of the Federal
Aviation Regulations (FARs). The knowledge test must be successfully
passed before the flight test may be taken. Some people prefer to
take the knowledge test before they begin flight training. This
approach has two advantages: you'll have all of the useful theory at
your command before you start the applied work of actual flight, and
it won't hold up your flight test if you get it out of the way at the
beginning. Many people study for and take the knowledge test while
taking flight lessons and find that the theory and practical work
complement each other, thus making both types of training easier.
It's really a matter of personal preference as to which approach to
take.
There are three commonly used methods of preparing for the knowledge
test. One is to take a regular course given by flight schools and
local colleges. These typically meet once to several times per week,
and take about a semester to complete. They are particularly good if
you have trouble setting aside time to study on your own. Costs are
what is usually charged for a community college extension course, plus
about $90 to $150 for books and materials.
Next, there are "weekend ground schools" that are two to three day
intensive study courses. These are put on by flight schools, pilot
associations, and commercial training operations. They are very
useful for people with busy or irregular schedules who are not able to
take a full semester course. The knowledge exam is usually given the
day after the course ends. These courses typically run from $125 to $350.
Finally, there are home study methods. These vary from full-up
CD and DVD packages to simply buying several books and studying on
one's own. A new development is on-line web-based programs. (Look for
more info on those on this page in the near future.) Home study courses
run from about $75 to $500 depending on contents. Those who decide to
"book it" often perform extremely well as their motivation is high to
begin with. If you decide to go it on your own you can choose from a
variety of fine training manuals. One package that I like consist of
the following: The Jeppesen Private Pilot Manual (basic theory and
regulations), a combined Airman's Information Manual and Federal
Aviation Regulations (FAR/AIM, available from several sources), and the
Gliem Private Pilot Test Book, which contains all of the knowledge exam
questions with answers explained. You will probably also want to
purchase a basic "flight computer" such as an E6-B. This is a circular
slide rule and plotter that simplifies many aviation calculations.
They are also available in electronic form. Your instructor may
recommend other useful texts. Total cost for books and supplies runs
about $90 to $150.
There are several good sources for home study materials. "Aviation
Supplies" and "The Airport Shoppe" are two stores located at several
Bay area airports that have extensive stocks. Materials are available
by mail order from San Val Aviation Supply in Van Nuys, CA, Chief
Aircraft Parts in Portland, OR, and Sporty's Pilot Shop in Batavia, OH.
There are many sources available on the World Wide Web. Popular aviation
magazines list many other source of instructional material and list
schedules for instructional programs.
Some of the organizations that give ground school classes also give
the knowledge test itself. The fee for the exam may be included in the
fee for the course, or it may be an additional fee. Exams are given
"on-line" -- administered on a computer terminal at a commercial
testing center. Your instructor will be able to direct you to a test
center. The computer tests are run about $85 each. Results are
provided immediately. This is convenient as you must have the results
before you may take your flight test.
Training Schedules
There's no minimum time period to get a license. If you try to
take one to two lessons per week you can expect to take about six
months to complete your training. Some people have completed
intensive training in as little as two weeks while others have
stretched out to over a year. Two lessons per week is about optimum.
Planning on less than one lesson per week will generally cause you to
need more hours to complete your training as more time is needed on
each lesson to review material forgotten since the previous lesson.
The Flight Test
The final step is the private pilot flight test. This is taken
with an FAA Designated Examiner (DE) who is usually a very experienced,
senior flight instructor. The exam takes 4 to 5 hours, and includes
your planning of a flight to a distant airport, an oral exam, and a
flight in which you demonstrate your piloting skills. DE's in the
San Francisco Bay area charge about $400 for their services.
Total Costs
Total costs vary with the flight school or club. With a flying
club, expect to spend $10,000 to $11,000. Some flying schools will
"guarantee" your license for as little as $4,000 but there usually are
big loopholes -- read the fine print. Others will have you pay as you
go, and you'll probably spend around $12,000. A breakdown of costs for
a typical flying club in the San Francsico Bay area appears below.
It's a good idea to have at least half of your anticipated costs set
aside before you begin training. This will allow you to get through
initial training without delay. It also allows you to find the
incentive to come up with the rest of the money by the time it's
needed. You will usually solo before you spend $5,000, but you will
likely know well before that whether or not you want to go that far,
or all the way to private pilot.
Typical Costs:
Aircraft Rental 65 hours @ $76/hr $4,940
Flight Instruction 50 hours @ $65/hr 3,250
Ground Instruction 25 hours @ 65/hr 1,625
Club Membership 6 months 270
Study Materials 140
Medical Exam 85
Knowledge Test 85
Flight Test 400
______
Total $10,665
Above costs are based on use of a Cessna 152 trainer. Use of
a "classic" Cessna 172 would increase the rental cost by $1495
for a total cost of $12,160. Use of a late model Cessna 172SP
would increase costs by $2795 for a total cost of $13,460.
Private Pilot Privileges
Once you pass your flight test you may carry passengers and fly
wherever you want. You cannot charge your passengers for your
services as a pilot but you can share expenses with them. New
private pilots usually take some additional instruction almost
immediately after their flight test to "check out" in (i.e., learn how
to fly) more capable and powerful four seat aircraft (the more
passengers, the more ways to share the cost). Beyond that, there are
instrument ratings (so that you can fly in the clouds), commercial,
instructor, glider, seaplane and other ratings, but you can find out
about all that later.
There's a whole lot to learn, but the whole process is quite
enjoyable. If you want to discuss any of this, or simply just talk
about flying, please feel free to give me a call. I'll be happy to
talk with you even if you want to fly with someone else, or are not
even sure that you want to learn to fly.
May you have the best of luck in "earning your wings"!
Steven H. Philipson
Gold Seal CFI- airplane SEL/MEL, instrument, glider, AGI
FAA Aviation Safety Counselor
phone: (408) 530-9584
click here to: send mail to Steve (Please remove the < no-spam > from the e-mail address)