10 Steps to Becoming a Pilot
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10 Steps to Becoming a Pilot
By Jeffrey Synk. Jeffrey is a captain at regional airline and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He flies the CRJ200, CRJ700, and CRJ900. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, a CL-65 (CRJ200) type rating, is a Gold Seal Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI), and an Advanced Ground Instructor. He has over 4000 hours total flight time. He writes the blog, “Almost the Speed of Sound”http://www.flycrj.com which is about his experiences, insights, and thoughts about being an airline captain, pilot, and flight instructor. He is also the author of “The CRJ200 Quicknotes Study Guide” which is an essential learning tool for any pilot new to the CRJ200 or who plans on upgrading to captain in it. It is available from my website or by clicking on this link: http://www.flycrj.com/order.html Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Synk
The hardest part about getting started in a career in flying is taking the first step. What are the rules? Who do I talk to? What’s is it going to cost? I think you will be surprised after you read this article how easy it really is to change your life and career and move towards a career that is challenging, rewarding, and filled with adventure.
Let me share a bit about myself first, just so that you know it is possible to become a pilot at any point in your life. When I was 35 years old, I quit a well paying job as a computer programmer. I had always been drawn to flying airplanes and at some point something clicked and I realized that if I was going to make a change and live my dream now was the time. So, I picked up AOPA’s Flight Training Magazine and learned that it was now easier than ever to become a pilot.
Continue reading and you will learn the 10 steps that I took, and you can to, on your way to becoming a pilot.
The Big First Step
Probably the biggest first step you must take if you want to get moving on a career that involves flying an aircraft is to get a pilot’s license that enables you to serve as a Private Pilot.
A Private Pilot license (certificate) allows you to carry friends and family and create new adventures. It is also the time to start building hours and is the stepping stones to higher ratings such as an Instrument Rating (fly in clouds), a Multi-Engine Rating (an airplane with more than one engine), and a Commercial Rating (fly and get paid).
To put that in context, there are lesser pilot’s licenses such as the Student Pilot license or the Sports or Recreational Pilot licenses but there are a lot of limitations on those licenses, which will limit your chances of become a full-fledged career pilot.
Quick Note: If all you want is to be able to fly in support of your business (but not AS your business) or to be able to fly with some freedom as part of your private life, a private pilots license is a good step and it’s a natural first step even if you plan to go on to train to become a commercial pilot down the road.
So How Do YOU Do It?
Getting your Private Pilot certificate, like any certification, is mostly set in stone. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set out very specific steps and milestones that you have to reach before you can get your rating. Visit the FAA website and look under Licenses and Certifications for more information!
Before you start, you will have to be at least 16 years of age to get your Student Pilot license which is your “ticket to learn,” but in order to get your Private Pilot license you must be at least 17 years old. With that simple requirement out of the way, the step-by-step process toward finally realizing your dream of having a private pilot’s license is…
1. Research the flight schools in your area and make sure that the one you use has a good reputation, a well-developed training program and the airplanes to support it. The teaching staff that both knows how to fly and knows how to teach is important. Make sure the flight schools that make your cut are certified to offer pilot training that will result in a FAA recognized pilot’s license.
2. Make sure your finances are in order because flight school will run between $3000 and $5000. There are scholarships available and you might be able to use federal student loans through FAFSA if the school qualifies. If you are a veteran and signed-up for the GI Bill, it will pay for some of your training.
3. Enroll in the flight school and clear your schedule. Getting your pilot’s license should be your life’s passion for the next few months. If you stop and start and stop and start you will be wasting your time and money. Flying is a skill and the more you fly the better you will be.
4. Get a medical certificate that is specific to aviation. A general check up is not enough so work with the school to find a doctor who can help you pass the medical requirements to be able to fly. You can find this information again at the FAA website.
5. Take a ground school class either at your flight school, a local community college, or on your computer. At some point you will need to take a written exam for your Private Pilot license. If you attend the classes, they will take about four to five weeks to complete.
6. Take AND PASS the written exam required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at any FAA testing center.
7. Work with the school to complete thirty to forty hours of required flight time with a certificated flight instructor (CFI). You can move through the requirements at your own pace which means as fast as you can afford to get through it and schedule the time with the school and the instructor. The school will provide the airplane as that is part of the fees.
8. Keep flying. Fly solo. Fly cross-country. Fly at night. Before you know it, you will be ready for your check ride!
9. For the final “big” exam, you will go on a flight with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner who will ask you questions and watch your flying skills to determine if you a pilot worthy of a Private Pilot license.
10. And this is the most important: Have Fun!
Flying Is Fun and Rewarding
You are going to learn a lot during this process. Don’t be fooled, it is a lot of new knowledge to learn and you are basically learning an entirely new set of physical skills similar to when you learned to swim or ride a bike. So throw yourself into your training and get as comfortable controlling an airplane as you are driving a car.
You can do a lot not only to speed up the process but to cut costs by working hard on your own to conquer the skills you need to become a great private pilot. You can study the written the test on your own and complete the FAA test whenever you are ready. But once you have that license, you will be glad you worked hard to get through the process successfully so that from now on you can honestly say to people, “I am a pilot!”
Looking For More Information?
Make sure to explore other articles in the Training category or contact us to suggest a website or a service to review.
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