Private Pilot

A private pilot certificate is the most common certificate held by pilots. The FAA does provide for two lesser certifications (Recreational Pilot and Sport Pilot), however most people quickly realize that those certifications carry significant restrictions on allowable aircraft, night flight, and distance that you may fly from you home airport, making a private pilot certificate the most flexible choice.

What Should I do to start?

Before you invest time and money in pursuit of your private, student or recreational pilot certificate, you must pass a basic medical exam. Since you must have your medical certificate before you can solo, it is smart to do this first, so you can discover early whether or not you have health issues that could impact your ability to fly. Students pursuing a sport pilot, balloon, or glider certificate do not need to take the medical exam.

AOPA’s Medical Certification specialists are available to assist you with questions regarding obtaining medicals or waivers.

What to expect

Flight school and ground school often occur concurrently, which enables you to apply your ground school knowledge in the aircraft. This is the flying part of flight school, where you’ll perform takeoffs, landings and performance maneuvers. You will handle radio communications and put your knowledge of airport operations, ground reference and emergency procedures into practice.

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