Private Pilot Training

Completing your private pilot training will undoubtedly be one of your greatest accomplishments. Flight instructors work closely with their students to help them become the pilots they dream of being. Experience is not required most of the time, but the students must be over 17 years old. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) requires 40 hours minimum flying time for a pilot to qualify.

Private Pilot Training Processes

To obtain a private pilot's license a student will first have to acquire a medical certificate. The FAA regulations dictate that a student must be able to read and write English. A student will have to pass both the practical and written test before obtaining a license. It is very easy to actually start flying, but there are three phases of training a student will need.

The first phase prepares the student to take sole control of the airplane (fly solo). A student will need anything from twelve to eighteen hours of training to obtain the ability to master controlling the airplane. There are very basic maneuvers the instructor will teach the student at this stage. This is the stage during which a student will have to obtain the medical certificate as well.

Phase two is when the students start learning to fly from one point to another; then they will need to learn to return to the starting point. This kind of skill is called cross-country. During this phase the students will obtain all the knowledge needed to take the written exam. The final phase prepares students for their flight test. When the students pass both exams they will be issued private pilot's licenses. The certificates give the students the right to fly and even take other passengers for rides as well.