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VROOOOOOOOM!!!
Here comes the jet plane, getting ready to land in the hangar.
So open up the doors! C'mon
open up!
Ever
since your mother duped you into eating those strained peas by
pretending that spoonful of mush was an airplane, you've been
fascinated with airplanes, flying, and the wild blue yonder. If
you only knew how to fly, you could get away from your humdrum
life (and that deceitful woman you call "mother") and
fly free like the birds. But there's a problem: if you don't learn
how to fly, you'll drop like a stone and crash. There are only
two options: 1) become stinking rich and hire someone to fly you
wherever you want to go, whenever you want, or 2) get a pilot's
license. Option 2 is a tad cheaper.
With
a pilot's license, you will be able to start a career as a pilot,
fly friends and family around on weekends, pilot your own plane
for business trips, compete in aerobatics competitions, assist
with humanitarian or "search and rescue" missions
the list goes on and on. So read on, and get ready to learn how
to fly, dear Icarus
but don't get too close to the Sun (your
wings might melt).
A
quick word about safety. Human beings are not, by nature, supposed
to fly, so it's natural to feel some anxiety at the thought of
learning how to do anything at 10,000 feet. While it's
true that flying involves some inherent risks, it is about the
safest form of transportation we have - much safer than driving.
Cars are involved in 10 times as many accidents per vehicle mile
as general aviation aircraft (that is, all aircraft except airliners
and military). Aviation is heavily regulated by a host of safety
standards set by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), aviation's governing body in the United
States. Your flight training will teach you how to fly safely
and how to react during those rare occasions of emergency that
are beyond your control.
If
that doesn't assuage your fears, take heart: safety experts say
that if you were born on a plane and flew continuously all your
life, you'd live well past 100 before you eventually crashed (that
is, if the food didn't kill you first...).
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No matter
what your ultimate goal in aviation is - be it recreational flying
or a more advanced training program - you must start by getting a
private pilot's license. (Word to the wise: technically, pilots hold
"certificates," not licenses, to fly, although hardly anyone except
the FAA calls them that.) This private license allows a pilot to fly
a single-engine airplane under visual flight rules (VFR), meaning
visibility of at least three miles, as well as at night. A private
pilot may carry passengers but may not be paid for doing so, although
the pilot can share operating expenses with the passengers.
Once
you have earned a private license, you can work toward other certificates:
a commercial certificate allows you to be paid for your flying,
a flight instructor certificate enables you to teach others, and
an airline transport certificate permits you to fly an airliner.
You can also add various ratings that allow you pilot multi-engine
airplanes, navigate using instruments in bad weather, and fly different
aircraft like seaplanes, gliders, helicopters, and balloons. But
before you even think about doing that fun stuff, you gotta get
your basic private license.
The
prerequisites for a pilot's license are simple enough that almost
anyone can earn one:
- Medical examination. You must pass the basic medical
exam that all applicants are required to undergo, certifying that
you meet the medical standards for safely operating an aircraft.
This medical exam is so important, that we've devoted the entire
next step to it. To cheat and skip ahead, click here.
- Language.
All applicants for the private license have to be able to read,
speak, and understand English (the international language of
aviation).
- Age.
The FAA says you must be at least 16 years old to fly solo with
a student pilot certificate, and 17 years old to get a pilot's
license. There is no upper age limit, provided that you are
healthy enough to pass the basic medical exam discussed above.
- Time.
It's gonna take quite a bit. A private license requires a minimum
of 40 hours of flight time, with most student pilots logging
closer to 60-80 hours before their final check ride, as well as
extra time for study on the ground in preparation for an FAA
written test. The length of your training depends in part
on whether you want to study full- or part-time. Intensive full-time
programs can be completed in as few as two weeks or a month, while
a part-time student typically takes between four and six months
of flying several times a week.
- Money.
Again, it's gonna take quite a bit. While flying is certainly
not restricted to the fabulously wealthy-you can learn to fly
on a budget - it nevertheless is not an inexpensive endeavor.
If you train part-time at a local airport, for example, plan
on investing in the range of $3,000 to $5,000, with costs varying
widely by region. It is a good idea to consider whether you
have the funds to start toward and reach your goal within a
reasonable time period. Keep in mind that you do not need to
pay for all of your flight training up front. Most training
programs let you pay as you go, although you might get a price
break by paying for a block of lessons in advance.
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Go
on to Step 2: GET
A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE --> |
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