The private pilot license, or PPL, reigned supreme among all types of pilot licenses for a long time. Why? As a private pilot, you can fly virtually any aircraft, operate in visual flight rules (VFR) conditions, and add additional ratings such as the multiengine or instrument ratings. Also, you don’t need hundreds of flight hours
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Most people use the terms certificate and license interchangeably when discussing the different types of pilot licenses. Are they just two ways to say the same thing, though? After all, becoming a pilot means learning how to get things right. Let’s see what a good old dictionary says: Among other meanings, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘license’
AirplanesThe FAA is the authority in all matters related to the national airspace, including drone flight. Since 2016, all drone pilots who want to fly their drones commercially need to pass a Part 107 knowledge test and secure a Remote Pilot Certificate, or a drone license. This is a topic we have covered extensively throughout
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Pilot Certificate Cost Student Pilot $75 – $200 (for medical certificate) Sport Pilot $4,400 Recreational Pilot $6,500 Private Pilot $10,000 Commercial Pilot $30,000 Flight Instructor $5,000 Airline Transport Pilot $5,000 Drone Pilot $0 – $450 Exciting as it may be, learning how to fly aircraft expends money. A lot of it, sometimes. So, how much
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Pilot Certificate Time to Get It Student Pilot 3 weeks for certificate (1 to 7 weeks to solo) Sport Pilot 6 weeks to 3 months Recreational Pilot 6 weeks to 3 months Private Pilot 2 weeks to 3 months Commercial Pilot 3 to 9 months Flight Instructor 2 weeks to 3 months Airline Transport Pilot
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Pilot Certificate Minimum Age Student Pilot License 16 years (or 14 for gliders and balloons) Sport Pilot License 17 years (or 16 for gliders and balloons) Recreational Pilot License 17 years Private Pilot License 17 years (or 16 for gliders and balloons) Commercial Pilot License 18 years Flight Instructor Certificate 18 years Airline Transport Pilot
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“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” ― Leonardo da Vinci If you’re reading this, you sure wonder how to become a pilot. In the early days of aviation, becoming a pilot often
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As a budding pilot, getting your student pilot certificate is almost always the first formality of your aviation career. So, how to get a student pilot certificate? Well, it used to be quite simple. You only needed to pay a visit to an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). The FAA-designated doctor would conduct a checkup to
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Pilot training has come a long way since the early days of aviation. Today, you have access to simulators, videos, and learning resources that were unavailable a few decades ago. Is ground school required, though? Couldn’t you just study at home and pass the aeronautical knowledge exams on your own? Worthy questions, indeed. You need
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As a future aviator, the type of pilot you become highly depends on your training. In training, you gain aeronautical knowledge, master flight maneuvers, and acquire habits that will stick with you throughout your aviation career. Although you need flight instruction to learn how to fly airplanes, ground training is equally important to become a
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