So you want to be a pilot
What does it take to become a pilot? What does it cost? Do I need to meet a health requirement? How old do I need to be? Am I too old? How long does it take? You’re here because you have questions. Let’s get to it!
Types of pilot licenses
There are different types of pilot licenses, each with their own privileges and requirements:
Student Pilot - solo only with proper endorsement from a certificated flight instructor (CFI). Passenger carrying is prohibited.
Sport Pilot - limited to one passenger, authorized to fly only Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and daytime flying only. With additional instruction some of the limitations may be removed.
Private Pilot - the most common type of license; may fly for pleasure or personal business. Private pilots cannot be paid, compensated to fly (with some exceptions), or hired by any operator.
Commercial Pilot - can be compensated to fly, or hired by operators and are required to have higher training standards than private or sport pilots.
Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) - flight instructors are commercial pilots who have been trained and can demonstrate various teaching techniques, skills and knowledge related to safely teaching people to fly.
Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) - typically qualify to fly the major airliners of the US transit system. ATPs must qualify with a range of experience and training to be considered for this certificate.
Remote Pilot Certificate (drone) - remote piloting of aircraft that are unmanned and minimal in size.
Pilot privileges are further broken down into category, class, and type ratings, you can continue reading and learning here. (source: Wikipedia.org)
Your first question might be, why not a Sport Pilot license? It all depends on your mission. If following rivers at sunset is your ultimate goal and you have a modest budget a Sport Pilot license is for you! You could live your childhood dreams with the iconic and modestly priced Piper Cub J3 ($25-$40k). The Sport Pilot license is perfect if your goal is mostly wondering the country side and enjoying the views. Something to carefully consider though is that in many areas, and I’m generalizing, aircraft that fit the Light Sport Aircraft bill are not available for rent and the few that might be available are going to be newer, more expensive versions (this is one of the advantages of flying new Light Sport aircraft, most come decked out with the latest in technology including autopilots). However, with a Private Pilot license you can fly many widely available aircraft and easily find one in your budget to purchase or rent.
The Private Pilot license - Airplane Single Engine Land (ASEL), is likely the most common license sought so the remainder of this post will assume that license is what we’re discussing.
Private Pilot requirements
What does it take exactly to become a Private Pilot? Glad you asked:
Be at least 17 years old
Be able to read, speak, write and understand the English language
Complete a ground school
Pass a written knowledge test
Pass a practical test (an oral and hands-on flight test with an FAA examiner)
Log at least 40 hours of flight time that includes:
20 hours minimum of flight training with an instructor
10 hours of solo flight
I’ve purposefully kept this brief, to see a full criteria of what the 40 hours of flight time must include read on.
How much does it cost to become a Private Pilot?
This is everyone’s first question. Remember that 40 hours of required flight time above? Guess what, that’s the minimum. The national average is 79 hours. I’m just going to say it — it can add up quickly. The best thing to do is be honest about it, make a plan, have a goal, work hard, save and think smart. I got here by doing just that, painting houses, mowing lawns, washing airplanes and investing. Let’s break it down:
Fixed costs (these are all approximates):
$279 Online ground school (optionally, you might find or opt for an accelerated in-person ground school typically $800)
$150 Medical certificate
$600 Checkride examiner fee
$100 Written test fee
$175 Non-owned airplane renter’s insurance
$500 Various supplies such as flight calculator, flight bag, misc books, flight ruler, etc.
$1,000 - Aviation headset
$1,000 - iPad and Foreflight subscription (this enables use of digitized maps called sectionals)
Total fixed: $3,804
Variable costs:
$13,125 - airplane rental ($175 / hr plane x 79hrs)
$3,480 - instructor (assume 1.5hr CFI time for every lesson to allow adequate time for pre/post flight necessary briefings; assume your instructor conducted 40 lessons, 1.5 x 40 lessons = 60hrs; 60hrs x $58/hr = $3,480)
Total variable: $16,605
Grand total: $20,409
WAIT! Before you click away, toss your phone and cuss my name, understand this might be the worst case scenario. Do the math — what if it only took you 50 hours? You’re a smart human, so let’s think of some other smart ways to reduce costs:
Think outside-the-box to save costs
Fly and train with me! My rate is $175/hr for plane AND instructor. At the time of writing the typical cost of a trainer aircraft and instructor in the Nashville area is $230/hr. Train with me and off the start that’s a savings of $2,780!
Scholarships! Here’s a collection from the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association (AOPA) but go Google hunting, there are a lot available if you go down the rabbit hole.
Consider a free online ground school. Here are two of my favorites: fly8ma.com and Sling Academy.
Skip the unnecessaries such as a fancy flight bag (JanSport anyone?!), iPad and Foreflight. In fact your CFI should require you to learn the “old fashioned way” without digital charts.
Buy a used headset, an older model or borrow an extra from your CFI. If you fly with me I provide all my students with a loaner Bose X noise cancelling headset.
Require your CFI to conduct pre and post flight sessions vs. jumping in the airplane with no plan (this inevitably adds airplane hour costs).
Start a Gofundme page! Work hard and ask friends, family and others to help support you in your dreams.
Have you considered the military? The military provides powerful incentives that can get you a long way to your dreams.
Use a simulator! Simulators come in different forms, but often a full motion, FAA accredited simulator is much cheaper per hour than a plane. The FAA allows up to 2.5hrs of simulator time to be used towards your Private Pilot required hours.
Do you really need to learn in the latest and greatest airplane? Probably not. Consider learning in something cheaper such as a Cessna 150 or 152 (2 seater). At the time of writing there were a few for rent around the Nashville area for approximately $115/hr vs the $175/hr you’d pay for the average Cessna 172 (four seats) rental.
Consider learning in a tailwheel! Tailwheels erroneously earn a bad rap. Learning in a tailwheel will demonstrably better develop your airmanship and likely cost less due to aircraft age and demand. Budd Davisson, writing for Flight Training Magazine, highlights these advantages in his article Old vs. New. Currently in the Nashville area a tailwheel can be rented for $135/hr.
Last, be sure you choose and work with a CFI that understands your particular financial needs. Most CFI’s will be building hours to become an airline pilot, this isn’t bad in itself but it does create motivation conflict. I understand a tight budget and can tailor your training to fit your budget.
If becoming a Private Pilot doesn’t fit your goals or budget there are still many ways to get your head in the clouds for less! For example, consider ultralights, paragliding or paramotors, skydiving, gliders, balloons, or maybe being a drone pilot would scratch your itch.
Is it a good time to become a career pilot?
For years there has been a national shortage of pilots until the pandemic halted life. People will fly again, period. The collective wisdom is that air travel / demand will return, it’s only a matter of when. Demand at Nashville flight schools has not slowed, I’ve seen it firsthand. I’m not a futurist so I can’t tell you if now is the right time to dive into an aviation career, but I would say it feels right if your horizon is 3-4 years. Here is some further critical reading so you can make your own judgement:
Is the pilot shortage over? (Aviation International News (9/20)
Pilots were once in short supply. Now they’re losing their jobs. (NY Times 6/20)
‘This is all I’ve ever known’: Amid cuts, airline workers wonder where they’ll land (NPR 10/20)
Time building now could pay off later (AOPA 6/20)Costs
A final word
A pilot is dedicated to live long learning, skill development, a particular kind of professionalism, and yes, it costs some dolla-dolla bills. It’s not for everyone. But for those who “have tasted flight you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward”. I can promise you that is true and that the joys of flying yourself through the skies will never dull, “for there you have been, and there you will always long to return”.
And just think of your satisfaction when at your favorite restaurant you’re asked for ID and you accidentally pull out your pilot’s license explaining loudly, “oops, that’s my pilot’s license, yes I fly real airplanes…but I also drive those really dangerous things, cars, here’s my driver’s license”. I make a jokes. But joking aside, the pride and confidence that comes with accomplishing your dream of flying is unlike anything else.
Here’s some resources to continue learning:
What’d I get right? Wrong? Leave a comment below!