A private pilot license can be obtained in the U.S. as long as you’re over 16 and can pass a Physical- a basic license allows you to fly single-engine aircraft. You can upgrade to a commercial or professional license as you continue on your quest. Here’s how to get a private pilot license:

You must be 16 or over and speak and read English fluently. Training requires fluency in English because it is the universal language used by all the world control towers and airports.

Do some research about flying lessons. Contact local aviation schools. Some local County airports have schools.

After finding a school that fits your needs and budget, enroll in the licensed flight training classes. flight school can cost around $6,000 for all the training including ground school and flight training.

As mentioned in my opening statement, a physical and medical certificate will be needed from a doctor that is qualified to perform an pilot physical. This will ensure you’re healthy enough to fly. If you don’t know where to go, the flight school should be able to help.
Ground school can take about 3 to 5 weeks.

After you have completed your ground school course work, you will need to sit for the FAA written test. The test is multiple choice. and you may need to find a test provider.
Flight training is next. 30-40 hours with an instructor. Your school should be able to provide access to a plane.

Perform a solo flight.

The final test is performed by an FFA certified examiner. the tester will ask you questions and go with on a flight to assess your skills. Once you pass the final test, you will be private pilot license holder with a visual flight rating (VFR) so you can fly a single engine aircraft at day or night in good visibility conditions.

Obtaining a private pilot license is hard but doable. Pick a good school, flight training is only as good as the teaching staff.

See Books & Stuff at my blog for more information on being a pilot…

Fly in Balance….

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http://www.livingpictures.org/pilot-training.htm

http://www.livingpictures.org/flightsimulator.htm

www.youtube.com/youcanlearntofly

The quest to learn to fly is a lot easier than what most people think. You don’t have to become a commercial or military pilot in order to fly.

You can be part of general aviation, or the area of aviation where pilots fly for the sheer enjoyment of flying.

Today there are thousands of potential pilots, just like you, who are learning to fly. They come from all walks of life and have various reasons for wanting to learn to fly. Some fly to expand business opportunities, while others seek to attain careers in the aviation industry. Some are even looking for an activity that they can share with their family.

Whatever your reasons may be, there are some basic requirements that you will have to meet in order to fly solo (which is a requirement to get your your license)

In the United States, you must be at least 16 years old (to fly solo), speak English, and pass a basic medical exam.

In Canada, you must be at least 14 years old (to obtain a Student Pilot Permit, 17 years old to obtain a license), speak English, and pass a basic medical exam. In Canada we also offer a Recreational License which takes half the time to get as opposed to a Private License, therefore it is cheaper.

In the United Kingdom, you must be at least 16 years old (to fly solo, 14 years old to start logging your time, and 17 years old to get your Private Pilot License), speak English, and pass a basic medical exam.

In Australia, you must be at least 16 years old (to fly solo, 17 years old to hold a Private Pilot License), speak English, and pass a basic medical exam.

That’s all. So, as long as you meet these requirements, you can take to the skies.

Please visit http://www.livingpictures.org/aviation  for a lot more information about aviation and flying, including aviation history, aviation employment, pictures of airplanes, experimental aviation (kit planes or home built airplanes) and aviation weather.

I am an avid supporter of flying.   I soloed at age 59, and it’s fantastic.   I wish to pass that passion on to others so feel free to spread the word.

1: Airplane Price Per Hour

2: Flight Instructor Price Per Hour

Depending on where you are in the country these rates can be dramatically different. These two rates will be the most important factors however, there are other factors that can dramatically increase your cost. I will give you some examples of things you want to look at.

1: The Flight School Itself: You need to poke your nose around the community and see what is going on. You will want to ask people who recently got their Private Pilot License and ask them how much it cost and how many hours they ended up having.

In many cases you will see much more than the flashy clean flight school. I know of many Flashy High Dollar Flight Schools that once you get out into the aviation community, you will want nothing to do with them. You may find many of the people you talk to ending up with an excessive amount of hours and may have had up to six instructors. I know this first hand since many of those students come to me half way through their training. This is one reason I always tell people to take some time and research and come up with a plan first.

There are on the other hand many flight schools that are concerned about their students and are willing to work with students to get them licensed in a cost effective manner. You just have to find them.

2: The Flight Instructor: If your instructor is not a good teacher your chances of getting your private pilot license in a cost effective manner get slimmer. You need to look into this. Other factors that have to do with the flight instructor is their aviation game-plan. If they are a good flight instructor that cares about his/her students you can plan with them and get things done in a cost and time effective manner. If you have an instructor that is just trying to get to the magic hiring number for an airline, your flight training will be compromised and you can plan on spending a lot more money.

3:Books and materials: In most cases you can get home study courses for about $200 or so. Some schools will require you get their $500 DVD packages. I have always told students to do what is best for them. All of the courses out there cover the same material taken from the official FAA publications. The material that is used for your practical test is the FAA publications.

4:Examiner Fees: This part most flight schools don’t even mention at all. Once again depending on where you are in the world, this price can vary a lot. One part of the country you may find a private pilot flight test for $200 but in others like here in phoenix it will around $400.

A few of these factors put together can make the difference between a happy safe confident Private Pilot and a frustrated student pilot. If you are on a tight budget and have been saving for a long time, these factors will make a difference.

Planning this out is the most important thing you can do. In order to pass the Private Pilot License flight test you need to be proficient. Depending on the rates, instructor, and Flight School You Choose, $8,000 – $9,000 is a realistic budget and finishing at 45-50 hours is realistic.

The Planning process is the most important part. There are many delays that can happen, weather, maintenance and people getting sick.

For Explaining this I break the Private Pilot License Cost down into four parts. I do this so you can understand each phase of training. Then we will add it all up and you can see were the expenses are coming from. I break everything down in the following manner:

-Private Pilot License Books and Materials Cost
-Private Pilot License Pre-Solo Pilot Training Cost
-Private Pilot License Post- Solo Pilot Training Cost
-Private Pilot License Flight Test Preparation Cost

Private Pilot License Cost

Each one of these areas has a cost. It is easier to understand when you have everything broken down in front of you. Planning for the Private Pilot License is the most important thing you can do.

About the Author: Frederick Longe has been flying since 1985. He has owned many airplanes and owned a flight school in Mesa, Arizona . He has logged over 9,000 Hours of flight instruction alone. In 1998 Longe was awarded one of the first Master CFI Designations in the country by the National Association Of Flight Instructors. Frederick Longe also has Two Degrees in Professional Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

You can find his book Airfreddy’s Guide on Learning to Fly at the link below:

Airfreddy’s Private Pilot License Manual