Flight Expo Aviation

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There is no minimum age to begin flight training for your private pilot license! Some of our students are even twelve years old. As our younger students prepare to solo, there are only two requirements. They must be 16 years old to solo and they need to have a medical certificate. All student pilots, no matter their age, must have a medical physical exam by an FAA certified doctor. Once they pass their medical, they are given a medical certificate. The medical certificate is needed before the first solo. Student pilots must also be able to speak, read, write and understand English.

The length of time it takes to earn your license depends upon how often you fly. Most students fly on average 2-3 times per week. At this pace you can receive your license in as little as 3 months. We give you the tools to succeed and you make it happen by attending your lessons and progressing! The times below are the FAA minimum requirements.

40 flight hours total

20 dual hours

3 hours cross country

3 night hours

10 solo hours

5 hours solo cross country

With the exception of a few 2-3 hour cross-country flights, your flight lessons are 1-2 hours in length. At your request we can make them longer or shorter, but this seems to be a good time frame. When you arrive you will spend 5-10 minutes doing a preflight inspection of the airplane, then join your flight instructor for a 10-15 minute pre-flight briefing that will address review items from last time and a thorough discussion of how to accomplish this flight’s goals. The flight itself will usually last between 1 hour 10 minutes, and 1 hour 40 minutes. The flight will be followed by a post-flight briefing of today’s flight and what you can look forward to for next time.

• Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that relate to private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations
• Use of aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems
• Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence
• Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems
• How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements
• Preflight procedures
• Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board
• Radio communication procedures
• Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance
• Stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques for the airplane and glider category ratings
• How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered
• Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds
• Ground reference maneuvers
• Basic instrument maneuvers
• Postflight procedures
• Slow flight and stalls
• Use of the applicable portions of the “Aeronautical Information Manual” and FAA advisory circulars
• Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, winds hear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts
• Weight and balance computations
• Aeronautical decision making and judgment
• Preflight preparation
• Performance maneuvers
• Navigation
• Emergency operations
• Airport operations
• Night operations

The FAA written test can be done at anytime before or during your training. It needs to be done by the time you take your checkride. The written test is comprised of 60 questions with a passing grade of 70%. Those 60 questions are pulled from a bank of just over 800 questions, we have the test prep online available  here. Your checkride will be with a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and will consist of two parts. The first half will be an oral examination, where you will answer questions about flying. The second half is the practical examination, where you will fly maneuvers in the airplane with the DPE. After you pass both parts, you will receive your Private Pilot License!

Once you receive your Private Pilot License, you can rent most any single engine airplanes including the plane you learned on! Bring your friends and family along because you will be able to carry passengers along for the ride. You’ll be able to fly both day/night and most anywhere you want, even internationally!