Getting a pilots license.

The best way to start is to call local flight schools and set a time to meet with their instructor(s). Find someone who you personally click with and schedule some lessons. You'll need to buy a headset, logbook, charts, a FAR/AIM (flying regs and other info), a plotter (flight planning ruler), a flight computer (a circular slide rule or a an electronic version), and a ground school training program (available in video, book, or app form). Any school will either sell everything you need in a package or point you to Sportys (online pilot shop) who sells everything in a packages.

Many schools offer "introductory flights" where they take you up and kind of show you the ropes to make sure it's really something you want to do. You can either do that or just jump right in.

Fly often as you can. It makes it easier to retain information and really learn the airplane quicker. It's very expensive, but IMO more than worth it.


Mark

 

In Australia we have an equivalent "Recreational Aviation" (RA) to the US's "Sport Light Aircraft" (SLA) then above that is Private Pilots Licence (PPL).

I am currently doing RA and total cost est. is about $7K with instructors and flying hours (variable per student).

(so far) it hasn't necessitated purchasing anything other than a thick manual apart from pure flying & instructor time.. perhaps that might change at the end with bits and pieces but so far the cost has been incremental and taken at my own pace & availability so no great single outlay needed.

RA/SLA has been introduced to lower the barrier to entry and from all accounts I've heard seems to have been a success down under with more people training than would have happened with PPL as the only and first option.

Of course RA licence has a number of restrictions in terms of entering controlled airspace, day/night, weather, long distance over water etc.. for some that may be perfectly fine, for others limiting. Australia is a darn big place and mostly empty, you could quite happily go RA and do a lap and not impinge on anything much.. the US likely very different.

From RA I've been given an estimate by my instructor of 5 hours to then add PPL.

Even though I am late to the aviation party I have substantial long term goals in mind which will require a number of additional endorsements and building up of experience and all that assumes a good standard at each stage of course but RA has been a great place for me to start the first steps.

What are you wanting out of flying? What short and long term goals?

 

Then maybe no need to even consider PPL at this stage.. see what local schools offer in terms of (cheaper) SLA.. plenty of challenge, learning and fun there and options open to go further after that.

 

My advice is to go on a demo flight first to see if you like flying. Then if so, interview a few flight instructors and students to find a CFI that is effective and fun to fly with. Get the medical out of the way early before you invest a ton of time and money in the event that something turns up. If that goes well consider buying a cheap trainer to save money like an older Piper 180 or Cessna 172.

 

Make sure you save enough $$$$, to take consistent lessons without accumulating any significant gaps between individual flights.

 

we should do a "sticky" for this question

choose an approved / FAA certified flight school whose curriculum for ground school is also approved... best reason is that an approved school can release a student for a check ride after 40 hrs of flight training... where as a non approved / independent instructor type of school a student cannot be released for a check ride before 60 or 70 hrs of flight instruction.

use a flight school that has several aircraft in their basic trainer fleet, this allows to have a plane on your schedule not needing to work around someones else's schedule for availability

same rule applies to the number of available instructors, independent instructors have another life that is not on your schedule, you want to take lessons on your schedule, on a reasonable pace that can get you a pilot's license at FAA minimum requirements...

fly as often as time allows, flying often reduces review and keeps the skills learned "hot"
extra time is extra cost, occasional scheduled lessons will include more review to get current and will double costs or more... use that "unused" instructor time / expense spent on review to get advanced training to gain proficiency

 

Interview as many schools and instructors as it takes until you are happy..

Do a really hard inspection of the maintenance records and policy's of the school, if the aircraft look like **** they probably are so walk away.

Find the local DPE and ask him/her about schools and students ability's and pass rates etc.

Gliemm/King/Sportys all do a student PPL package that gets you all you need for training.

Fly as often as you can and enjoy the hell out of it.....Its hard work and stressful but well worth the effort

 

i just got mine earlier this year! search through a thread i started in this section that tracked my progress. I went through a local flight school and originally started out on a structured plan but about halfway through changed to a more customized plan. It was a long process taking me an entire year but was worth the sense of accomplishment once i finished.

 

Other than the limited medical for LSA, I did not see the reason to not go PP. I still take lessons from time to time and there is no such thing as too much flight training. I just don't see the need to be less proficient than for a PP check ride.