The Private Pilot training is comprised of two parts – flight training and ground training. In ground school, you will gain the knowledge needed to be a proficient pilot. You have several options for ground training, but the goal is to successfully complete your aviation written test. Flight training takes place in the airplane. You will learn skills and gain experience necessary to safely operate an airplane on your own and pass your check ride.

Requirements:

• You must be at least 16 for a student certificate and 17 for a private pilot certificate. There is no maximum age limit.
  
• You must be able to read, speak, and understand English.
• You must take and pass at least an FAA Third Class medical exam.

How Long Will It Take?

The Federal Aviation Administration has established the minimum training time for the Private Pilot Certificate. They require a minimum of 40 total flight hours, of which at least 20 hours are with a FAA Certificated Flight Instructor and 10 hours of solo flight.

Most new pilots do not complete their training in this minimum time. This is due to a number of reasons but the most significant is how often that a person flies. The less frequently you fly the longer skills take to develop. The more frequently you fly the faster these skills will develop.

If you fly two to three times a week, you will minimize the amount of flight time required to obtain the Private Pilot Certificate. At this pace it will take approximately 7 to 9 months to complete the training and approximately 65to 70 flight hours.