Learning to fly and getting a pilot certificate is a lot of fun. Like obtaining a driver’s license, you will need to obtain instruction, pass a written test, and then pass a final flight check.
The equivalent to a driver’s learning permit when flying is a Student Pilot Certificate and is issued on the basis of a medical examination, which must be obtained from an FAA Designated Medical Examiner. As a student pilot you will be issued a 3rd Class Medical Certificate and it doubles as a Student Pilot Certificate on the reverse side. The Medical/Student Pilot Certificate is valid for 24 calendar months. When you have received sufficient training to qualify for solo in your aircraft, your flight instructor will endorse your Student Certificate. When you are ready to fly cross-country (XC) by yourself, your Student Certificate will again be endorsed for this privilege.
A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE is the "equivalent" of your driver’s license. You will be able to carry passengers, although not for compensation or hire. For a Private Pilot Certificate you will need at least the following number of hours flying:
AT LEAST a total of 40 hours of flying time and must include:
20 hours of dual instruction, which includes at least 3 hours of cross-country instruction and 3 hours instruction in preparation for your flight check. You also need to have 3 hours of night flying as well as 3 hours of flight by reference to the instruments.
10 hours of solo flight including 5 hours of cross-country. Each cross-country flight must have a destination at least 50 NM from your home base and one flight must be a minimum of 150 NM long and include landings at a minimum of three airports.
There is no specific amount of dual required for solo flight. Very few people solo before 8 hours of instruction. Most people are soloed by 16-20 hours. There is a wide variable in hours because people are different, the weather may be a factor or it may depend on how often you fly. A certain amount of each lesson is spent in review of the previous lessons so a long span between lessons may require more review time.
You will also need to pass a written examination before you take the flight check for your Private Pilot Certificate. This is not a difficult examination and the government does publish a book containing all of the questions you could possibly be asked. You can complete a home/self study course to prepare for this examination or, some people prefer to attend ground school. A passing grade on the test is a 70%.
You may take instruction at any age but you must be at least 16 to solo an airplane. The minimum age to obtain the Private Pilot Certificate is 17.
APPROX. COST OF A PPL
40 Hours Piper 140 @ $61.00 .........= $2,440.00
20 Hours Instructor time @ $25.00 ..= $ 500.00
Books, Maps and Plotters ................= $150.00
Medical Examiner Fee Avg...............= $ 80.00
FAA Flight Exam Fee.......................= $ 325.00
FAA Written Exam Fee....................= $ 90.00
Grand total.......................................= $3,585.00
Contact the Williamson Flying club with any further question regarding flight training, i.e. how and where to get started, etc..
Note: the above estimated cost of a private pilot certificate doesn't apply to every individual, these figures are using the regulation bare minimums and the WFC rates.
Instrument Rating
The instrument rating is an addition to your private pilot's license. It allows
you to fly the airplane solely by reference to the flight instruments in the
cockpit. The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of instrument training in
addition to other flight experience time. During the course of your instrument
training you will learn topics such as advanced radio communications, instrument
navigation and advanced aviation weather.
Commercial Certificate
The commercial pilot's certificate allows you to fly for compensation or hire.
The FAA requires no specific amount of instruction, however you must have
a minimum of 250 hours of flight time in addition to other flight experience.
While training for your commercial pilot's certificate you will learn maximum
performance maneuvers, mastery of a complex airplane, commercial pilot rules
& regulations and how to fly the aircraft to precise standards.
Certified Flight Instructor
The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certificate allows you to instruct a
person for their private or commercial pilot's license. During training for
your CFI certificate, you will also gain extensive knowledge in aircraft performance
and systems. We also offer training for the Certified Flight Instructor -Instrument
(CFI-I) certificate, which allows you to instruct a person for their instrument
rating. During training for a CFI-I certificate, you will learn advanced instrument
navigation and instrument operations. The CFI & CFI-I certificates involve
intensive training. An instructor must not only know how to fly an airplane,
but must know how to teach a person in the many subject areas required for
each of the different licenses and ratings.
