When do I get my student pilot certificate?

Question

I know I make my first solo at age 16 and get my private pilot at 17, but when do I get my student pilot's certificate? Do I get that when I turn 16? Someone told me I get it when I first start school, so now I'm confused.

Answer 1

Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) are authorized to issue combination Airman Medical and Student Pilot certificates to appropriate applicants. To obtain this combination certificate, the applicant must meet the medical standards, be at least 16 years old, and be able to read, speak, and understand the English language.

Important Note: The combined medical / student pilot certificate will not be valid for flight duties until properly endorsed by the student's instructor.

Contributors note: you can still log flight time with an instructor before you receive your combination student pilot / medical certificate, but you cannot solo. I have had students solo ON their 16th birthday and get their license on their 17th. Great birthday presents to yourself!

Answer 2

Yes you can get your student pilot anytime before solo. If you go to a medical examiner he will give you your student pilot certificate. You dont even need to start flying.

Answer 3

Basically, you need a flight instructor. Go to your local airport and say, "hey I want to learn to fly." They will hook you up with either a school or an instructor.

I recommend joining Civil Air Patrol (www.cap.gov) that is where I got mine and it was FAR cheaper!

Essentially, you need ground school (textbook learning and tests) and at least 38hours of flight training time (recorded in your logbook). Good luck!

Answer 4

If you are not an otherwise certificated pilot already, you will be issued a combination medical certificate/student pilot certificate.  The back of the certificate has a place for an instructor to endorse.  It is not valid as a student pilot certificate until it is endorsed.

You must be 16 years old for the AME to issue the combination medical/student pilot certificate.  There is really no need to get a medical before age 16 unless you just want to make sure you can get one.  As long as you are in good health and don't have any kind of history of medical problems, a medical certificate is not hard to get.  If you get regular checkups from a family doctor and nothing has come up, you're probably fine for at least a third class medical certificate.

If you do get your medical certificate before you are 16, it will not be a combination student pilot certificate.  You will then either have to get another medical once you turn 16 (probably a waste of money) or apply for a student pilot certificate through the FAA (not a big deal).

Look here for more information: http://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/student...

<edited for added question>

Yes, that's exactly what it means.  You can't be issued a student pilot certificate until you are 16.  You can't solo until you have a student pilot certificate.  You can't use your student pilot certificate until an instructor signs it when you are ready to solo.

Answer 5

The student pilot certificate is part of the paperwork you get when you complete your physical exam for a 3rd class medical.  You can get one any time after your 16th birthday. You don't actually NEED the medical certificate or the student pilot's certificate until you are ready to fly solo.  You can fly and log dual instruction at any age.

Answer 6

An unendorsed student pilot certificate is yours upon passing the medical. I took my first flying lesson at age 14, soloed 16th b-day, private age 17, comm-inst age 18, CFI age 19, etc.

I can tell you that you should study this material more on your own, as I did. The information is out there. Yahoo Answers is  less than authoritative.