The private pilot certificate allows a pilot the privilege of flying an airplane just like a driver’s license allows you the privilege of driving your car. As a private pilot you have very few limitations. You can carry passengers, but you cannot charge them any money. However, you can split the cost of renting an aircraft equally with your passengers. A private pilot cannot work for anyone else, in other words, you cannot be paid to fly.
First you will have a student pilot certificate which is like your learner’s permit. The FAA requires a minimum of 40 flight hour logged as a student pilot before a person can go to the examiner and request their private pilot certificate. Like your driver’s license, in order to get your private pilot certificate, you must take both a written and a practical (flying) exam. However, it is much more challenging to get a pilot’s license than to get a driver’s license. The great thing is, your pilot certificate never expires. However, you must keep it current by passing a regular physical exam and passing a flight review with a flight instructor every two years.
You should plan on flying at least three times per week with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). These flights will start out short, about one hour in duration, but eventually get longer as you move into the cross country phase of flight training. Flights will occasionally be canceled for bad weather, maintenance on the aircraft, or illness of you or your instructor. You never want to fly when you are sick; it is a waste of money.
Now let’s do the math. If you fly three times per week for one hour each flight, it would take you 13.3 weeks to get to 40 hours of flight time. But, consider that 40 hours is the minimum time it takes to earn a pilot certificate. Most people take closer to 50 hours to finish. If you have some challenges learning or interrupt your training it may take even longer. The more often you fly the easier it will be to get finished.
You will also need to study hard on your own. You will meet with your instructor for ground instruction to learn the many, many, many rules for flying an aircraft and also the normal, abnormal and mechanical features of your aircraft. Flying the aircraft is the easiest part of earning your wings, landing is the second easiest, learning all you need to know to be a safe pilot is by far the hardest part. However, the secret to saving money and progressing through your training quickly is very easy: STUDY, STUDY, STUDY. Remember, you must pay for flight time, and ground instruction time, but study time is absolutely free.
Becoming a pilot will be a journey that will change your life forever.
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. –Leonardo di Vinci