Any advice on a pilot's license?

Question

I have just graduated college and am interested in getting my pilot's license. I have done little research so far and have a few general questions.

Roughly, how expensive is it?

How long does it take to obtain a license?

Where should I go to get it?

What privileges does a pilot's license give me?

Answer 1

The other 2 guys covered most of it, but...

Flying is a learned response. The more you practice, the faster you master the lesson, and remember.

When you have most of the money in your pocket, start. Fly 2-3 times a week. It will go easier and you will save lots of money. The average  student has 65 hrs when they get their private, and flys once a week. The miminum required for a private is 40 hrs. 35hrs in an approved school.

Answer 2

Pilot certificates

The U.S. offers a progression of pilot certificates, each with its own set of privileges and limitations. All U.S. pilots must be at least 17 years old (16 for a student, or a glider or balloon pilot), and be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.

Student

A student pilot certificate is issued by an aviation medical examiner (AME) at the time of the student’s first medical examination; for operations not requiring a medical certificate, a student pilot certificate can be issued by an FAA inspector or an FAA-designated pilot examiner. The student pilot certificate is only required when exercising solo flight privileges. The student certificate is valid until the last day of the month, 24 months after it was issued. Once a student has accrued sufficient training and experience, a CFI can endorse the student's certificate to authorize limited solo flight in a specific type (make and model) of aircraft. A student pilot may not carry passengers, fly in furtherance of a business, or operate an aircraft outside of the various endorsements provided by the flight instructor.

There is no minimum aeronautical knowledge or experience requirement for the issuance of a student pilot certificate other than the medical requirements for the class of medical certificate (see below) the student certificate is based upon. There are, however, minimum aeronautical knowledge and experience requirements for student pilots to solo, including:

Hold at least a current third class medical certificate.

Be at least 16 years of age (14 for glider or balloon)

Read, speak, write, and understand the English language.

Demonstrate satisfactory aeronautical knowledge on a knowledge test, including knowledge of the following areas:

Airspace rules and procedures for the airport where the solo flight will be performed

Flight characteristics and operational limitations for the make and model of aircraft to be flown

Receive and log flight training for the maneuvers and procedures appropriate to the make and model of aircraft to be flown, including:

Preflight operations

Taxiing or surface operations, including run-ups

Takeoffs and landings, including normal and cross-wind

Straight and level flight, and turns in both directions

Climbs and climbing turns

Airport traffic patterns, including entry and departure procedures

Collision avoidance, wind shear avoidance, and wake turbulence avoidance

Descents, with and without turns, using high and low drag configurations

Flight at various airspeeds from cruise to slow flight

Stall entries from various flight attitudes and power combinations with recovery initiated at the first indication of a stall, and recovery from a full stall

Emergency procedures and equipment malfunctions

Ground reference maneuvers

Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine malfunctions

Slips to a landing

Go-arounds

[edit] Sport pilot

The Sport Pilot certificate was created in September of 2004 after years of hard work by the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA). The intent of the new rule was to lower the barriers of entry into aviation and make flying more affordable and accessible. It has proven to be a huge success.

The new rule also created the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category of aircraft which are smaller, lower-powered aircraft. The sport pilot certificate offers limited privileges mainly for recreational use. It is the only powered aircraft certificate that does not require a medical certificate; a valid driver's license can be used as proof of medical competence PROVIDED the prospective pilot was not rejected for their last Airman Medical Certificate (see Sport Pilot Catch 22).

To qualify for the Sport pilot certificate, an applicant must:

Be 17 years of age

Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English

Log at least 20 hours of flight time of which at least

15 hours must be dual instruction with a qualified flight instructor

2 hours must be cross-country dual instruction

5 hours must be solo flight

Fly one solo cross-country over a total distance of 75 or more nautical miles to two different destinations to a full-stop landing. At least one leg of this cross-country must be over a total distance of at least 25 nautical miles (46 km).

Have received 3 hours of dual instruction in the preceding 60 days

Pass a written test

Pass a practical test

Have a valid US State drivers license AND not been rejected for your last Airman Medical Certificate

...or have a current 3rd class or higher Airman Medical Certificate

The above requirements are for heavier-than-air powered aircraft (airplanes). The requirements for gliders, balloons, helicopters, and dirigibles vary slightly.

Sport Pilots are only eligible to fly aircraft that are either certified specifically as light-sport aircraft (LSA) or were certified prior to the LSA regulations and are within the maximum weight and performance limitations of light-sport aircraft.

The restrictions placed on a Pilot exercising the privileges of a Sport pilot certificate are:

No more than one passenger

Daytime flight only (civil twilight is used to define day/night)

No flight above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) MSL

No flight in any of the airspace classes that require radio communication (classes A, B, C, or D) without first obtaining additional instruction and instructor endorsement

The Sport pilot certificate is also ineligible for additional ratings (such as an Instrument rating), although time in light-sport aircraft can be used towards the experience requirement of other ratings on higher certificate types.

[edit] Recreational

The recreational pilot certificate requires less training and offers fewer privileges than the private certificate. It was originally created for flying small single-engine planes. Its main advantage has been that it permits cheaper training between the student and private pilot certificates. The advent of the Sport Pilot designation was designed to replace the Recreational Pilot program.[citation needed]

[edit] Private pilot

This section does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008)

Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The private pilot certificate is the certificate held by the majority of active pilots. It allows command of any aircraft (subject to appropriate ratings) for any non-commercial purpose, and gives almost unlimited authority to fly under visual flight rules (VFR). Passengers may be carried and flight in furtherance of a business is permitted; however, a private pilot may not be compensated in any way for services as a pilot, although passengers can pay a pro rata share of flight expenses, such as fuel or rental costs. Private pilots may also operate charity flights, subject to certain restrictions, and may participate in similar activities, such as Angel Flight.

The requirements to obtain a private pilot certificate for "airplane, single-engine, land", or ASEL, (which is the most common certificate) are:

Be at least 17 years old

Be able to read, speak, and write the English language

Obtain at least a third class medical certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner

Pass a computerized aeronautical knowledge test

Accumulate and log a specified amount of training and experience, including the following:

If training under Part 61, experience requirements are specified in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations section 61.109 including at least 40 hours of piloting time including 20 hours of flight with an instructor and 10 hours of solo flight, and other requirements including "cross-country", 10 hours of solo (i.e., by yourself) flight time in an airplane, including at least

Solo requirements:

5 hours of solo cross-country time

One solo cross-country flight of at least 150 NM total distance, with full-stop landings at a minimum of three points and with one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 NM between the takeoff and landing locations

Three solo takeoffs and landings to a full stop at an airport with an operating control tower.

Night requirements:

3 hours of night flight training

One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles (190 km) total distance

10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport

3 hours of flight training on the control and maneuvering solely by reference to instruments

If training under Part 141, at least 35 hours of piloting time including 20 hours with an instructor and 5 hours of solo flight, and other requirements including cross-country and night flights

Pass an oral test and flight test administered by an FAA inspector, FAA-designated examiner, or authorized check instructor (Part 141 only)

[edit] Commercial

A commercial pilot may be compensated for flying. Training for the certificate focuses on a better understanding of aircraft systems and a higher standard of airmanship. The commercial certificate itself does not allow a pilot to fly in instrument meteorological conditions, and commercial pilots without an instrument rating are restricted to daytime flight within 50 nautical miles (93 km) when flying for hire.

A commercial airplane pilot must be able to operate a complex airplane, as a specific number of hours of complex (or turbine-powered) aircraft time are among the prerequisites, and at least a portion of the practical examination is performed in a complex aircraft.

The requirements are:

Be at least 18 years of age

Hold a private pilot certificate

Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language

Accumulate and log a specified amount of training and experience; the following are part of the airplane single-engine land class rating requirements:

If t

Answer 3

Thats good your interested in a high demand career choice.

The cost can be mind blowing. For a PPL License you can expect anywhere between USD3000 to USD5000. With this you are limited to the carrying of passneger (friends, family,)  but not for hire or merchandise, at most, the cost can be shared.

A Commercial License gives alot more advantage. You can take alot more people around under part 91 which you can not be hired by the owner of the aircraft, only by the passengers. Which all persons are responsible for the cost of rental and fuel. Under part 135 which is Charter or Cooperate, is more interesting as you can get paid alot and travel to lots of destination less boring routes everyday. Part 121 give you the Choice to operate the Airliners. Sometimes fun and rewarding in destinations, benifits and salary. Especially highly respected when walking aroung in the full uniform. The commercial license can cost anywhere between USD12000 to USD15000. Ofcourse there is a little trick to the commercial license, you are restricted to do certain things until you have an Instrument rating, which also cost up to 3-4000USD.

Having a PPL, CPL, Instrument rating is just the begining as your hours after graduation would not be enough for a job anywhere. As they want you to have at least 500-1000 hours and some Multi Engine time. Now thats where you have to also add a multi engine rating to your CPL. That will cost up to USD2500.

Now you get some hours in your log book plan on becoming an Instructor which is rewarding , you fly lots of hours and gain knowledge and flight time that does not cost you anything but work and sleep. That will cost around USD1000 and upwards

Where to go is completly up to you, depends on where you live.

Most people who want to gain lots of hour and not care about the cost will go to a part 61 school. If you care about the cost but as to get the bear minimums for the licenses then you can join a part 141 school, which is certified and has a course to follow.

There are lots of jobs out there for pilots

Firefihter pilots

Police pilots

Airforce pilots

Airline

Crop Dusting pilots

Instructor Pilots

Meical pilots

Private pilots

Areial mapping pilots

Skydiving pilots

Search and rescue pilots

Test pilots

Etc....and the list goes on.

For me I hate desk jobs ..unless it flies then there is an eception.

All these operations are fun. And the demands are great and so is the salary.