Pilot license questions?

Question

flying is something ive always wanted to do. i just turned 16 (yesterday actually) and just had some questions. i live in huntsville alabama, if that makes any difference

ive been reading different websites and found different information, but the most common seems to be that you can start schooling at 16, but cant get a license til 17. is this the case?

wat is the difference between a student license, a sport license, a recreational license, and a private license? which one would i need just to fly for fun occasionally, and maybe a trip every once in while. i just want to fly a small two seater plane mostly (like a Cessna 150?), and occasionally a slightly larger plane to seat maybe 6 people.

how much does it typically cost? ive heard an average of around $4600-$8600. a price breakdown would be nice (plane rental, instructer fee, exam fee, gas costs, etc). not only for getting a license, but how much does it cost to go on say a 2 hour joyride in a two-seater?

Answer 1

In the US--no.  You may begin flight training at any age.  The youngest you can be certified as a Private Pilot is age 16.  The youngest age for airplane privileges is 17.

There is no minimum age for taking and passing the practical (flight) test.  A student wanting to be certified as Private Pilot--Airplane may take the practical test before he is 17.

A student permit is a medical certificate endorsed by an instructor for student solo flights.  A current Private Pilot airman certificate allows you to take passengers.  You need to be a Private Pilot.  

Training is around $6000.  The price breakdown is different at different operations, and doesn't matter.  

2 hours: $200.

Answer 2

Try:

www.beapilot.com

www.aopa.org/learntofly/

Lot of questions here but prices vary but you are looking at around $6-7000 to get your private pilot's license. A sport pilot's certificate is a little bit cheaper but you are limited in what you can do. If you someday hope to pilot a 6 seater, you will need a Private certificate. At your age now, you are eligible to take lessons and solo. You can obtain your certificate when 17.

Cessna 152's at one of our local airports rent for $85/hr wet (with fuel). That price is pretty typical from what I understand. You must have a minimum of 40 hours of instruction, some of which may be solo time. Most people take an average of 60-70 hours.

Helicopters are considerably more expensive. Rental costs around here are around $250/hr. If helicopters really interest you, get your fixed wing certificate first to learn the basics of flying and then add a rotary rating. It will still be expensive but might save you a few bucks.

Answer 3

yes you can start as student pilot at the age of 16, student pilot is basically its what it says it is, you are a student learning to be a pilot and can do solo's. a sport license and a recreational licenses both have a lot a limitations to it(you can get a FAR/AIM for complete stuff on it). you want to aim for a privet pilot.the cost will change, try AmericanFlyers.com to see if they  

have a flight school near your area. after you get your license its

best if you join a flying club at a local airport to rent planes for cheaper. i rent my plane for $82/hr and it includes oil and fuel

tac time(from the moment you take off till you land)

Answer 4

u know, you could've started training at any age, you just can't fly solo until your 16.  And you can't take the tests to get your license until your 17, ur right. a student license is a temporary license like those someone learning to drive would get. You can get it when ur 16. All the license does is allow you to fly solo and you don't need it to start training. As far as i know, a sport's license is what a recreational license is. Recreational license only permits one passenger in the plane with you while private license is as many as the plane allows. If i were you in your situation, i would go for the sport pilot license. It's the cheapest route at about $3,000 depending on gas and rental and your intructor's fee. hope this helps any

Answer 5

All these questions have been asked and answered on this forum dozens of times.  If you want to spend the time searching for previous answers, then use the search engine at the top of this page, but your best bet to get accurate answers to all your questions, is to go out to your local general aviation airport on a Saturday morning and talk to some people who are involved in the business.

Answer 6

You might as well get used to looking up stuff in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR's)  Try this website:  http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/tex...

As far as cost, your guess is about right.  a plane runs somewhere around $50-$75/engine running hour. and an instructor somewhere about $25-$35/hour.  

Your first 10-20 hours are dual, and then you have about 20 hours of solo time.  

Helicopters are pretty expensive - about $150/hour for the cheapest one I'm familiar with (hughes 269).  If you're so inclined, join the Army and let them teach you to fly a helo.