There may be no better feeling than taking to the skies in your own airplane. While getting your pilot’s license can be a somewhat long and expensive process, it will be worth it every step of the way. And the reward is obvious—you'll be able to fly!
Pilot’s licenses are technically known as "certificates." However, the more common term is license, so we’ll stick to that.
There are different types of pilot licenses. The first and most common is the private license. This is the first step to flying. The private license allows you to fly only while obeying Visual Flight Rules (VFR). This means that you can see at least three miles in front of you. The private license also allows you to carry passengers. You can’t, however, take their money for the effort. If they’re good passengers, they’ll help you with your flight costs. Fuel and aviation supplies can get pretty costly.
The other types of licenses are commercial certificates, flight instructor certificates, and airline transport certificates, each with its own acquisition process and inherent responsibilities. Above and beyond these license types, you can also add ratings for different aircraft and flight techniques.
But it all starts with the basic private license.
There are several prerequisites for obtaining your private license. You must first pass a medical examination by an Airman Medical Examiner (AME). This is a somewhat rigorous physical examination and it will cost you about $50 for the process. If you’re under 40, this examination is valid for three years. Those of you older than 40 will have to retake the exam after only two years.
You will also have to pass a test for the comprehension of English. This is the international language of aviation, and it is vital for in-flight communication while traveling.
Age does play a role as you obtain your license. You will need to be 16 years old to get a solo certificate and 17 years old to get a private license. There is no upper age limit; you simply need to be in good enough health to pass the AME examination.
Once you’ve jumped through these hoops, it’s time for the fun part. You will need to spend at least 40 hours in flight. 20 of these hours need to be completed with an air instructor on board, and another ten must be flown solo. Most students will choose to fly far longer before taking their flight test. A good average is about 60-80 hours.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t include the hours you’ll spend on the ground studying aviation manuals for your written exams. All in all, you’re looking at spending about $3,000-$5,000 for the necessary flight instruction, and committing several months to the process.
And then the payoff: once you’ve completed the process, you’ll have a very special gift: the privilege of flight!
