Every year thousands of people around the world take the first step into aviations finest arena; they become private pilots.
The private pilot license (PPL) can be compared to your driving license and is a must for anyone who pursues a career as an aviator. Like your driving license it gives you certain privileges and limitations. You can act as pilot in command on the airplanes you are rated and can bring along passengers. Most people obtaining a PPL use it for leisure and are often connected to a flight club. As airplanes can be expensive to own they are usually owned by the club and rented out to the members.
To obtain a PPL in the US all you need is an airplane and a certified instructor. This you can find by contacting your local flight club or a nearby
flight school. If you look to obtain a PPL and fly for leisure (fun) it is seldom necessary to look far. Most cities across America with an airport have a flight club or a flight school.
Before getting the PPL you need a certain amount of training. You need a minimum of 40 hours flight time (most students have an average of 60-80 hours much depending on how often they fly) and you have to pass a written exam. Students who go with a flight club usually buy the textbooks and study on their own to pass the written exam. This is a computer based multiple-choice test of 60 questions. If you train with a flight school they may offer ground school classes that cover the theory.
While studying for the written you start flying with an instructor. He will teach you the basics needed to safely maneuver an aircraft. And after 15-20 hours of flight time you make your first solo flight.
The next 20-50 hours are dominated by dual flights with your instructor, cross country flights to learn how to properly navigate, solo training flights and solo cross country flights. When your instructor feels the necessary skill level is reached he signs you up for a “check ride”.
A “check ride” is conducted by a certified examiner and usually done in the airplane you learned how to fly. You start with an oral exam of about an hour. Here you are asked questions to test the knowledge level and you cover a pre-planned cross country flight. After passing the oral part of the “check ride” you fly.
The flying part of the PPL check ride takes from an hour to an hour and a half. Here you cover the basic maneuvers, navigation skills and take offs and landings. Often the ride is started of as a cross country flight where you fly the first check points on the cross country route before doing maneuvers and finish of with landing rounds at the airport.
After passing the check ride the examiner issue you a PPL and you are now an
FAA pilot.Commercial Pilot License – CPL
The only way you can make flying a living is by obtaining a commercial pilot license (CPL). Best compared to a commercial driving license the CPL gives you the privileges of flying for compensation or hire. This covers everything from flight instruction and crop dusting to piloting large airliners.
Before you start training for the CPL you need to hold at least a private pilot license (PPL) and an instrument rating (IR) is advised.
There are two ways of obtaining the commercial pilot license in the United States; through a certified instructor or through a certified flight school (part 141).
If you choose to fly with a freelance instructor in a flight club you need at least 250 hours of total flight time. These are broken down in cross country hours, pilot in command time etc. Most commercial pilots in the United States have close to or over 250 hours when they get the CPL.
Flying with a part 141 flight school the hour requirements are a little less. However you have to do your training from scratch (private pilot license) in a part 141 program. This way you can obtain the CPL at a minimum of 190 hours total time. It is also a requirement that you have completed the instrument rating (IR), or currently enrolled in an instrument rating (IR) course.