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How do you get a pilot license
Whether you want to be an airline pilot or just want to fly recreational, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that you are certified by a recognized authority. A valid pilots’ license, therefore, should be the aim of any serious aspiring pilot and there are a number of things you need to keep in mind as you go about acquiring the certification required. The type of license you need and the route you may need to take depends entirely on whether you want to become an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) or a recreational pilot. So any pilot-to-be will find it useful to have their final aim clear before they set out on the journey to become a pilot. The purpose of this article is to answer the question on a lot of young aspiring pilots:how do you get a pilot license?
Whatever your career destination is, one of the first things you must know is how to obtain a private pilot license. It is only after you receive a private pilot’s license that you can begin climbing up the ladder of the myriad certifications and instrument ratings you need to fly a commercial aircraft and earn some money. Here are some of the steps involved:
In most flying schools, the first step to getting the coveted license is ground training where you learn the ins and outs of flying without actually getting in a plane. You need to pass an FAA-administered test with at least 70% to move on to the next stage.Then it is on to the actual flying. You need to clock at least forty hours of flying, twenty of which should be done with the instructor teaching before you move onto the next stage. In addition to these forty hours, you need to clock ten hours flying by yourself.To move on to the next stage, you need to complete four cross-country flights (i.e. flights that travel at least 100 nautical miles) and get through five hours of instructed flying at night.Then an FAA-certified examiner tests you on your knowledge asking you relevant questions and putting your abilities to the test.
If you pass that test, you are awarded a private pilot’s license with the limitation that you only fly a single-engine aircraft for no compensation in good visibility only.
How much is Pilot License?
The private pilot licensing phase of your training should cost anywhere between $6,000 and $9,000 inclusive of the ground training. There may be cheaper alternatives but it is important to check whether they are appropriately licensed. It would be extremely unfortunate if your efforts to become a private pilot are delayed or even completely spoilt because you enrolled in a flight school that was not recognized by the FAA. It is also important to keep in mind that the amount you shell out for flight training can be eventually recouped when you land a decent flying job. It is definitely quite an investment but a worthwhile one.