Overview of Private Pilot Flight Training

Most students embark on the flight training journey eagerly anticipating the excitement from achieving a longtime goal, the ability to share that excitement with their friends and family and the exploration of destinations off the beaten path.  In this overview of the Private Pilot training process I will describe to you, my potential client, my philosophy on executing training with the primary goal being your individual achievement and the costs you can expect to bear through the process.

Time

Earning a Private Pilot certificate should not be a years-long process.  Drawing out the timeframe, whether it it is due to of a lack of available time on your part or your instructor’s or because you lack the money to pay for regular and consistent lessons, is the biggest danger to your success,.  This is a recipe for losing motivation, becoming dissatisfied with the experience and costing you much more in the end if you ever do finish.

I encourage you to commit to a minimum of 3 lessons per week with more being better.  The more often you train, the quicker you will master the skills needed.  Momentum fosters motivation.  I have worked with many clients who have completed their training in the 4-5 week range, with one in as few as 3.  These clients set aside the time on their calendars for a month so that they could schedule lessons for every day before or after work.  Developing the manual skill to operate the aircraft competently is not that monumental a task, but it is nonetheless a new skill that must be developed, along with good habits of flight planning, effective decision-making and much more.  Focusing intently on these things for a period of time without unnecessary distractions is a very effective way to develop lasting skills and habits and is the only way that I administer my instructor services.

Cost

It should come as no surprise that flight training is not cheap, and since it is unwise to set out on a journey for which one is unprepared, have the required funds available in advance.  Below is an example of the total cost you may expect assuming regular and consistent lessons with average skill progression:

Airplane, 40 hours x $140/hr: $5,600

Instructor, 40 hrs x $80/hr: $3,200

Self-study ground school course and books: $450

Pilot equipment: $250

Examination fees: $1,000

Total: $10,500

Many organizations provide scholarships of varying amounts for flight training.  Application windows are typically for a few select months near the first part of each year, so you will need to be planning well in advance if you wish to take advantage of these opportunities.  Visit the home page for a list of scholarship opportunities.

Typical Training Progression

Two different certificates will be needed: a Student Pilot certificate and a medical certificate.  While not required before you first get into the airplane, if you are training with my recommended frequency, they will be required very soon.  Besides, should any unforeseen issue arise from your medical exam, it would be best to know that before you purchase training materials, a headset or start accruing a bill for instructor time or airplane rental.

The student pilot certificate simply requires you to fill out an application with your instructor’s recommendation.  Your application includes a temporary certificate.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) receives and reviews the application and sends you a permanent certificate in the mail.

The medical certificate requires you to visit a doctor designated as an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) who follows FAA criteria to determine if you are in acceptable physical health.  If so, he will issue you the appropriate certificate.  Search for AMEs here.  I recommend Dr. Robert Thomas and ATP Medicine in Anchorage.

If you choose to hire me as your instructor we will accomplish these two tasks in advance of beginning training and I will guide you through each, in addition to guiding you through the purchase of necessary aeronautical charts, self-study materials, reference books and pilot equipment.

One of the other tasks I will guide you through will be the completion of Rod Machado’s 40-hour Private Pilot eLearning Ground School or other similar self-study ground school course.  This self-study course will be your primary (although not necessarily exclusive) means of preparing for the required FAA knowledge (written) test.  Although ground training in preparation for the knowledge test can be accomplished by one-on-one or in-person instruction, the self-study course is nevertheless the more thorough and more cost-effective option.  Rest assured, however, that I will assist you in any areas that you need additional help with in order to prepare you for the test.

Once you complete the ground school course, we can begin the real flying lessons!  Your first several hours will focus on basic control of the airplane through each of the three dimensions culminating in your ability to operate competently taking off, flying through the airport traffic pattern and landing without me onboard.

We will then move into planning and executing cross-country flights to a variety of different airports.  After a few of these together, you will make a few more without me onboard.

After your solo cross-country flights we will review things as needed, both skills in the airplane and knowledge on the ground in preparation for your practical test with a pilot examiner.  He will issue you a Private Pilot certificate after you demonstrate your satisfactory knowledge and skill level.

Conclusion

Flight training can be a wonderfully rewarding experience opening the door to adventure and accomplishment.  Thoughtful planning can remove common and predictable barriers to student success and will likely result in the outcome you desire.  With a good instructor guiding you, it is very unlikely that you will be unable to develop at least the basic competencies necessary.  After all, self-awareness and good decision-making habits are a huge part of what being a good pilot is all about and many are  capable of developing those with a helpful and experienced instructor guiding them.

I look forward to working with you.