How to Get a Private Pilot License: A Comprehensive Guide

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In the realm of aviation, nothing quite matches the thrill and freedom of being a pilot. You’ve probably contemplated how to get a pilots license, or at least thought about it.

If you’re thinking about pursuing this incredible profession or merely wish to soar the skies for leisure, this guide will give you some idea on the pathway to obtaining your pilot license. Which, as a forewarning, is incredible difficult but like no other achievement you can imagine accomplishing.

Here, we’ll dive into the details, answering pressing questions, outlining requirements, and offering invaluable advice to help you navigate this journey with ease.

1. What is a Private Private Pilot License?

Before we delve into the intricate details of how to get a private pilot license, it’s crucial to comprehend what kind of pilot’s licenses are available.

Here is the short list of licenses in order:

• Private Pilot License
• Instrument Rated License
• Commercial Pilot License
• Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) License

A Private Pilot License (PPL) is an internationally recognized certification that serves as your gateway into the aviation world. It’s important to note that while recognized, most countries do not allow cross-transference without a certification process.

A private pilot is a pilot that fly’s only for recreation. As a private pilot, you are only allowed to fly yourself and willing passengers for NO COMPENSATION. This is very important as you can receive very harsh penalties from the FAA if you break these rules.

Primary Roles of a Private Pilot

• The license permits you to operate an airplane during the day or night under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), with few restrictions.
• You can also transport passengers. However, you are not permitted to charge for your services or seek employment as a pilot with only a private pilot license.
• Sharing operational costs with passengers is acceptable, making it an economical choice for group travels.

Essentially, a private pilot license lays the foundation for further pilot training, and for many, it’s the first stride towards an airline pilot career.

This is what many pilots in the industry look at as your license to learn flying. After obtaining your Private Pilot License, you are allowed to fly by yourself without an instructor and gain experience in your flight journey.

2. Eligibility for a Private Pilot License

Before you set your sights on the sky, there are specific requirements you must meet to qualify for PPL training:

• You must be at least 16 years old to fly solo and 17 to receive your private pilot certificate.
• Proficiency in English, including reading, writing, speaking, and understanding, is mandatory.
• A third-class medical certificate is required.
• Basic mathematical skills, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, are also necessary.

You will also have to file in IACRA, Integrated Airmen Certification and Rating Applications, for your student pilot license which you will receive in the mail after submitting all requested documents to the FAA for review. This process normally includes a background check as required by the TSA.

Be prepared in advance, as your flight instructor will tell you, by having all of your documents available and ready to submit. Also make sure to have your flight medical completed by an AME, Aviation Medical Examiner, prior to this. There have been many students that get stuck along this portion for many different reasons that can take extensive amounts of time for the FAA to review and either approve, deny, or request further information.

It’s recommended to start your path as a student pilot here, as the medical certificate is generally regarded as the longest part of the process.

3. Steps to Become a Private Pilot

The journey to obtaining your PPL is an exhilarating one. It typically takes around three months to complete, but the duration depends on your dedication and effort. It’s important to note that everyone will work in different frames to complete this and you should not be discouraged by how long it takes you.

Some students have taken years to accomplish this (although its not recommended) and some have completed this in a matter of weeks. It just depends on your availability and financial obligations. Don’t feel rushed either way.

You will find that most other pilots recommend saving up the either the complete amount or a very large portion of the total cost before starting this process as it’s crucial to save consistent and current with training to really get the knowledge and feel in your muscle memory.

This can be daunting but like so many other pilots, when you run out of financials, your training will either have to stop or be intensely scaled back which could cause you to have to retake portions or a lot of the training. It’s better to have the funds available and pay-as-you-go.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started earning your private pilot license:

3.1. Meet the Requirements

Create a checklist of all the prerequisites, such as age, paperwork, and skills to become a student pilot. If you meet these requirements, you’re ready to embark on your training journey. This can be more of mental quick go-through to make sure you do actually meet the requirements. Specifically, as mentioned above, the medical portion can be the biggest hurdle for lots of pilots.

3.2. Complete Ground School

Your ground school classes cover a wide range of topics, including aerodynamics, weather, flight planning, and navigation. This typically takes about four weeks and can be done virtually. It’s not required to do this virtually, however you can save a lot of money and time by completing online at home.

Afterward, you must pass the FAA written exam to complete this step. Talk with your flight instructor on the specifics of when you take this test. Everyone’s learning abilities and flight instructors have different recommendations for when to take this test.

Some recommend to take it shortly after gaining the knowledge, others recommend waiting until you’re ready for your final check ride with the DPE, Dedicated Pilot Examiner.

The FAA’s website has the ACS (Airmen Certified Standards) checklist right on their site that you should review. The DPE can test you on any of the knowledge listed in the ACS, so you should well prepared ahead of time. The guide basically tells you what to study and know. Find it here.

3.3. Complete Flight Training

The FAA stipulates a minimum of 40 hours of actual flight training to secure a PPL. This includes day and night flying, cross-country, and other types of flight training requirements. Your flight instructor will guide you in all required skills, and most student pilots train for 50 or more hours to build the skills and confidence they need.

Again, remember, every pilot is different and will accomplish this in different times. Some students take over 120 hours before being fully proficient. Some take less. Don’t feel rushed or let any instructor or student make you feel rushed. If you find yourself being rushed by an instructor, switch instructors. It’s not safe for you or them.

The goal is to feel confident in the material as safety is a very revered topic in the aviation community by most all professional pilots.

But also, don’t forget to have fun. Remember why you’re choosing to fly in the first place. This is forgotten too many times by student pilots. It can be stressful going through training. A great way to break this stress, is to set a date for a fun fly with your instructor. Consider flying to a fly-in restaurant for a burger somewhere, or a scenic flight. They will appreciate this as much as you.

3.4 Soloing

This is somewhat of a side shoot of your flight training worth mentioning. During your flight training, your instructor will feel when you are ready and allow you to fly the plane solo by your self for a few laps in the pattern (around the airport).

This accomplishment will be huge for your self-esteem. It will also be intimidating. Don’t let fear get the best of you. Every pilot you meet will be able to tell you about the first time they soloed.

After you successfully complete this, you will likely find yourself in a common practice among flight schools. The back of your shirt tail will be cut off and signed by you and your flight instructor. This is to signify you have soloed.

This practice comes from pilots in the past that didn’t have the luxury and technology of flying we have now. The flight instructor generally sat behind the student and tugged on their shirt to get their attention.

Cutting of the shirt tail signifies you no longer need your instructor and you have passed a great barrier in your flight training.

3.5. Pass Your Check-ride

Once your flight instructor deems you ready, they will arrange your final check-ride with an FAA examiner, also called a DPE, Dedicated Pilot Examiner.

This can be very intimidating for students, but just remember they WANT to pass you. You should be well versed in knowledge at this point and should be able to pass fairly easily.

A couple of important tasks to do before hand:

• Get plenty of sleep the night before (a full night’s rest is 8 hours)
• Drink enough water the day before (1/2 body weight in oz is usually recommended)
• Have a good meal for breakfast. Don’t overeat, just eat a healthy meal.
• Think back to when you first started and how much you’ve learned. Pat yourself on the back for learning as much as you did.
• Remember the pilot community is very supportive and wants to help in any way possible.

If for some reason you don’t pass, it’s OK, it happens to pilots and you can re-take the portion you failed. Also, sometimes you will have to reschedule due to weather.

When you pass your check-ride, your DPE will congratulate you and may suggest a picture. Soak this moment in and remember all of the hard work and dedication it took to get to this point.

At this point, you’ve finally earned your stripes and are now an official private pilot. You are now apart of less than 1% of the world who have successfully received a pilot’s license.

Additional Considerations

1. Ground School Overview

The PPL course is typically the first one taken by new student pilots. This is a great place to start.

Generally speaking, it’s recommended to first take an intro flight. Find a local flight school that has good reviews and reach out to them and explain your situation. An intro flight usually comes at a discounted rate (generally around $100) for an hour of flight time. This is an important time to figure out if flying is for you or not.

If you enjoyed it, then ground school is a great place to start after the intro flight. You can learn on your own time and save your funds for actual flight time. Its a good idea to maintain contact with either the school or an instructor at this point to keep discipline and get yourself on the calendar to start your flight journey when you finish the ground school.

Online ground school provides a blended instructional approach that includes classroom type learning combined with learn-at-your-own-pace teaching. You will learn all about basic aerodynamics, FAA regulations, weather, and aircraft weight balance, and performance.

An important note on ground school: while ground school generally does last a specific amount of time, as a pilot you can never stop learning or brushing up knowledge. It’s a good idea to either purchase or download the FAA’s PHAK, Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Airplane Flying Handbook both located on the FAA’s website.

A good place to check out for online ground school is Pilot Institute.

2. How Long is Private Pilot License Ground School?

Everyone learn at a different pace and the course can be completed in your own time frame when you learn online. However, keep in mind, learning too slowly and you will have to go back through and likely re-learn some areas. Maintain a good balance of studying to keep the information fresh. At least during this introductory process.

Students who dedicate themselves to completing their PPL by studying hard earn their wings quickly. Part-time students that are working or enrolled in school may take longer. Obviously, right?

Do what feels right for you. Don’t burn out. But don’t be lazy.

3. How Long is Private Pilot License Flight Training?

The FAA requires students to log a minimum of 40 total flight hours to qualify for the Private Pilot’s License (PPL). However, due to today’s technology, fewer than 5% of pilots complete their training within the minimum flight requirements.

Take your time, and remember safety is more important this rushing to the finish line. There have been fatal accidents that have happened due to incomplete knowledge.

There have been students who have taken over 120 hours to complete their training. However, it is common now to see students at the 70-80 hour mark before achieving their private pilot license.

4. How Much Does a Private Pilot License Cost?

Earning a private pilot license requires a fairly hefty financial dedication. Expect to pay between 10-20,000 in most cases.

This factor includes flight time, instructor pay, books, and examiner fee’s. Also when considering financials, it’s good practice to include the purchase of an iPad and likely the software Foreflight as well. You generally will find most schools either require or strongly recommend this.

Therefore, you should plan your budget and calendar accordingly. The cost to earn a private pilot license varies by flight schools and location of the country obviously.

5. Benefits of a Private Pilot License

Since pilot licenses are fairly expensive, you may be wondering what use a private pilot license would have for you.

Likely you will already know the answer to this since everyone has their own unique motivations but here are several that should be noted:

• The ability to call yourself a pilot and tell others you are pilot!
• Fly to absolutely beautiful views of nature and cities
• Travel to fly-in restaurants and events
• Meet other pilots in the community
• Fly to different airports around the country
• Travel to different fun fly-in only places (think Catalina or Mackinaw Island)

If you choose to be a part of AOPA or the EAA, there are also many other pilot specific benefits to take advantage of!

6. Restrictions on a Private Pilot

While the private pilot certificate has many privileges, there are some significant limitations and restrictions to understand.

The first restrictions involve the word “private.” Private pilots fly for themselves; they are not professional pilots, and they cannot be paid for their flying or to take people flying. This is crucial to understand as the FAA has very harsh penalties for pilots who break these rules.

Here are several items you are not allowed to do as a private pilot:

• Fly into clouds
• Fly when there is less than 1/2 mile of visibility
• Fly for compensation (no skydiver or photography clients)
• Take compensation from passengers other than the purpose of shared expenses

After Earning Your Private Pilot License

Once you have earned your PPL, you will probably wish to pursue the next rating: IFR (Instrument Flight Rules). This is the next step toward the ultimate goal of becoming a professional pilot!

Understanding how to get a pilot license is the first step in your journey to soaring the skies. With the right information, dedication, and training, you are well on your way to becoming a private pilot. So, fasten your seatbelt, and get ready for takeoff!

Read here about how much it costs to become a pilot!