How To Get Started With Flight Training

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Start Flight Training So, you’ve made the decision that you’d like to become a pilot. What now? I’m going to tell you a few things that will make your search for a flight school much easier and more efficient. You need to find the flight school that’s right for you and your specific needs, and I’m here to help.

Basic Private Pilot Certificate Requirements

The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight training for the private pilot certificate. It usually takes about 60 to 70 hours, with the national average being 70 hours. Plan for 60 hours and be pleasantly surprised if it ends up being less.
You’ll take an FAA written exam, 60 questions.
At the end of your training, you’ll have a checkride which consists of a flight test and oral exam with a designated FAA examiner

Do Your Research

Earning your pilot certificate is a significant investment, so you’ll need to do some serious research. Start by finding all the general aviation airports within comfortable driving distance. A quick internet search can accomplish that goal. Next, dig around on the internet and find all the flying schools and flying clubs at your nearby airports. You may also want to visit the airports and ask the front desk about flight schools at the airport. There may be a few smaller (but possibly good) organizations that don’t show up on your internet search. Now it’s time to get into the nitty gritty.

Types Of Flight Schools

There are basically 3 types of flight schools you’ll find out there.

Part 141 flight schools
Part 61 flight schools
Flying clubs that offer part 61 flight instruction

Part 141 flight schools

Part 141 flight schools are a very structured environment regulated by part 141 of the federal aviation regulations and typically move pilots through their training programs very quickly…sometimes a little too quickly. An example of a part 141 flight school is ATP Flight School. Flight schools of this sort often want large amounts of money up front and don’t offer refunds under any circumstances. At schools like this, it’s common for the flight instructors to be interested in building flight time and not so concerned about your well being as an aspiring pilot. In addition, their goal is to move you through the training program quickly, so you may be missing some valuable training experience. You may get your pilot certificates faster, but you’re trading a small time savings for a significant hit in quality of training. These flight schools are often known as puppy farms…large quantity of puppies, not so concerned about quality.

However, there are circumstances for advanced ratings such as the instrument rating that part 141 schools can offer a significant cost savings. Part 141 schools for example, don’t require you to have 50 hours cross country time to complete the instrument rating while part 61 schools do. You can always start with a more flexible part 61 flight school for your private pilot certificate and then switch to a part 141 school for the instrument rating. Just weigh the pros and cons.

Part 61 flight schools

Part 61 flight schools are regulated by part 61 of the federal aviation regulations. The training programs are more flexible, but often times still structured. At part 61 flight schools, you can learn at your own pace and most importantly…pay as you go. These flight schools usually also allow pilots to rent the fleet aircraft so you can spread your wings once you earn your pilot certificate. The quality of instruction is usually very high at part 61 flight schools and the flight instructors are there because they want to be there and they are (usually) genuinely concerned about your well being as an aspiring pilot. It may take a little longer to get your pilot license, but it’ll be at a pace comfortable for you and you’ll get good quality training and the experience you need to be a safe pilot. And, even though it may take a little longer, it’ll probably still be cheaper than the part 141 flight school. The aircraft are usually pretty new (won’t find many planes over 10 years old), and the option to learn in a more advanced glass cockpit is usually available.

Flying Clubs

Flying clubs are usually non-profit organizations and often offer part 61 flight instruction. The flight instructors in flying clubs are either retired from their jobs or still working and flight instruct on the side in the evenings and weekends. You can rest assured that these organizations are not out to get your money. The flight instructors are there because they love flight instructing. You’ll likely get great quality instruction for a very good price at a flying club. If you work a full time job yourself and are learning to fly on the evenings and weekends, this could be a great option for you. Flying clubs generally have low aircraft and instructor rates because they’re non-profit organizations with older aircraft. The aircraft are generally mid-70’s or 80’s models, but are also typically very well kept. It is possible you might save a couple thousand going with a flying club with older aircraft over a part 61 flight school. It’ s an option to consider as long as it meets your needs. This is actually the option I chose to get my private pilot certificate and instrument rating.

Estimating Costs

What you pay for is what you get! If you learn to fly in lat model aircraft with nice glass cockpits, you’ll pay more. If you learn in 70’s model aircraft with steam gauges, you’ll pay less. The rental rate of the aircraft really dominates your total cost. To estimate your total training cost for your private pilot certificate, add the aircraft rental rate to the instructor hourly rate and multiply by 60. This gives you a quick and dirty estimate of your cost for 60 hours of flight training at a given flight school. Of course, there are additional costs such as books, ground school enrollment, etc. Below is a list of all the costs you might incur so you can hunt down prices. It does no good for me to post prices because they vary widely by region.

Rental rate for the aircraft multiplied by an average training time of 60 hours
Instructor rate for an average training time of 60 hours (varies widely depending on amount of ground training
Training materials such as books, CDs, etc
Ground school course
FAR/AIM
VFR charts
Airport/Facility directory
Private pilot practical test standards book
FAA medical exam
FAA written exam
FAA practical test
Flying club initiation fee and insurance
Flying club dues
Insurance coverage for solo flight hours

Ground School

All types of flight schools usually offer at least a spring and fall private pilot ground school. Part 141 schools will typically work you through ground school in a matter of weeks while part 61 operations usually spread the ground school over 2 -3 months meeting once or twice a week. Ground school is usually recommended because it will prepare you for the FAA written exam and oral exam in a nice structured classroom environment.

Picking a Flight Instructor

You have every right to be picky when selecting a flight instructor. If you don’t like the one you are assigned or don’t feel a good connection with the one you’ve been working with, don’t be afraid to make a change. It is your money…end of story. Here’s a few things you should look for in a flight instructor, and don’t be afraid to interview them.

Professional and organized
Friendly and easy to talk to
Patient
Easy to get in touch with (answers the phone, responds promptly to emails, etc)
Availability fits your schedule
Detail oriented
Adapts his/her teaching style to match your needs

It may take you a while to figure out if your instructor has the right qualities and is a good match for you, but don’t be afraid to do something about it if you decide your instructor isn’t a good match. You should also be aware that different instructors have different ideas on how to charge for ground training. Some believe that the minute you walk in the door, it’s time to start charging while others are a little more cautious about what they charge for. A good instructor will only charge you for time spent specifically on training…not including the time you talk about what you did over the weekend. Overall, as long as you’re happy with your flight instructor and you’re moving along in your training, that’s all that matters.

Conclusion

I know this is a ton of information, but it’s worth your time investigating. You’ll be spending quite a bit of money on your flight training and a lot of time with your flight instructor. If you take your time to select the right flight school or club and instructor, you’ll enjoy your flight training journey the way it should be enjoyed. Getting your pilot certificate could be the most fun and rewarding thing you ever do, so enjoy it!

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