Learn to Fly

Learning to fly is not difficult, but it does require study, practice, and commitment. The Federal Aviation Administration has a series of regulations that spell out the requirements for different ratings and aircraft.  In short, you will follow a very specific series of steps when you learn to fly.  For example, you must master some basic aeronautical knowledge as well as achieve a certain level of flight proficiency before you can fly alone in an aircraft or in less than ideal weather conditions.  Finally, if your goal is to become a professional pilot, you’ll be required to amass training hours in aircraft.

But before that, you must meet the following basic FAA criteria:

• Be at least 16 years old (14 years old for operating a glider or balloon).
• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language.
• Hold at least a third-class medical certificate from an aviation medical examiner (AME), who is an FAA-approved doctor. If you have physical limitations that make it difficult for you to meet the medical requirements, the FAA may place operating limitations on your pilot certificate to ensure the safe operation of the aircraft. Our team members at JA Flight Services are available to assist members in getting their medicals or obtaining waivers.

To earn a private pilot certificate, FAR Part 61 and/or FAR Part 141 detail the information you must learn and requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight training: 20 with an instructor and 20 solo. Few people complete their training in the minimum amount of time; most take 60 to 80 hours. If you learn to fly at a flight school that is governed by Part 141 of the FARs, the minimum is 35 instead of the 40 just mentioned, but most students take 50 to 60 hours in a Part 141 program.  At JA Flight Training, students can train under either FAA program.

Whether you train at a flight school under Part 141 or Part 61, you’ll learn the same things and take the same FAA tests. The real difference is the fact that Part 141 schools must use a structured curriculum that teaches skills in a specific order. This ensures effective, efficient use of your training time. Part 61 schools are not bound to a structured curriculum; they can rearrange the order in which you learn things to suit your schedule, which benefits those who can fly only on weekends and evenings. As mentioned above, at JA Flight Training, students can train under either FAA program and train as part 61 or part 141 students depending on your particular circumstances.

Although most lessons are based on a one to two-hour flight, they usually take between three or four hours from start to finish because there are pre- and post-flight discussions in which you and your certificated flight instructor (CFI) talk about what you’re going to do during your flight, how you performed, what you did well, what needs work, and what you’ll do in your next lesson.