Private Pilot

• Intro Flight. The process begins with an intro flight. It’s about an hour flight to give you an idea if you want to pursue training further.

• FAA Medical. From there you will go get you FAA medical certificate. You will need a 1st class medical if you are pursuing a career, or a 3rd class medical for pursuing flight as a hobby. To get a FAA medical, visit faa.gov and navigate to the pilots and airmen tab. Underneath that there should be a section that says, find a aviation medical examiner (AME). It will bring you to a link that says search for AME’s in your area. From there it will bring you to a database. For Designee type select “AME.” For search criteria select “Location Search.” Input you location information, (You may have to put Olympia as your location to get an AME to popup), and select 1st class under “Designation Types.” (1st class are able to perform medical exams for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class medicals). Lastly, contact the AME via the provided information to schedule a medical exam. This exam is similar to a sports physical. A detailed guide can be found here: https://www.faa.gov/pilots/medical_certification/get. After receiving your medical we know you are physically fit to fly.

• Begin Flight Training. At this point we begin working on both ground, (knowledge), and flight training to get you to fly solo for the first time. You will learn radio communications, basic aircraft control, airspace requirements, emergency procedures, weather, and more. (Month 1-3)

• First Solo Flight. Once passing a pre-solo written test provided by the instructor and after you are able to demonstrate proficiency in takeoffs, landings, traffic patterns, emergency procedures, and other related events, I will give you an endorsement to take your first solo flight around Chehalis. A huge milestone!!! You will now be able to fly solo under the restrictions imposed by the regulations and instructor judgement. (Month 2-4)

• Cross-Country Training and FAA Written Exam. Now you will begin to learn how to plan a cross-country flight. A cross-country flight is not a flight across the country, but a flight to a destination that’s at least 50NM away from the departure airport. We will dive into navigation, fuel planning, airspace requirements, weather, diversions, and much more. Before we begin the cross-country flights, you will have to complete you FAA Written Exam with a 70% or better. This written exam is a multiple choice test that assess your ground knowledge to be a private pilot. This can be done earlier, but we won’t progress into the cross-country flights until this done. Once completed, we will do a mixture of day and night cross-country flights to get you the experience and hour requirements needed. Then you will complete a solo cross-country flight to 3 different airports with a total distance of at least 150NM. (Month 4-7)

• Checkride Prep and Final Requirements. At this stage we begin wrapping up with any final requirements needed before your final examination (Checkride). Most of the training now is to fine tune your flying and knowledge to prepare you for a checkride with a designated pilot examiner (DPE). Before sending you to take a checkride, we will have a mock checkride for you to get an idea of what the process is like and to assess if your ready to take the test. (Month 7-12)

• Checkride. This is the final exam where you will be tested by a DPE to see if you meet the standards to become a private pilot. This test is cut into two portions, a oral portion and flight portion. During the oral exam, the DPE will be asking you questions to test your knowledge on the concepts you’ve learned throughout training as well as you decision making and risk management. Once passing the oral portion you will go on a flight with the examiner. You will demonstrate your ability with navigation, radio communication, performance maneuvers, ground reference maneuvers, takeoffs and landings, and everything else covered in the private pilot airmen certification standards. This is a pass/fail exam, so if you are still progressing through the test you are passing. Only when you are told you don’t meet standards, will you have to return for a re-test. (Month 8-12)

• Congrats You are a Private Pilot. If all goes well the DPE will give you a temporary airmen certificate till you permanent one comes in the mail. Now it’s time to celebrate!

  Full timeline is somewhere between 8-12 months, but may be shorter or longer depending on the student and how often a week they have lessons.

  Pricing

• The minimum flight time required is 40 hours, but the national average is 60-70 hours.

• You can estimate roughly 10 additional hours of ground school checkride preparation.

• There is a $175 fee for the FAA Written Test

• A checkride fee of $700-$1000 depending on examiner.

• Supplies cost of $700-$1000 depending on desired equipment

• Ground School Course: $200-$500

• Instruction Hourly Rate: $60/hr (From when the engine is running, pre-flight and post-flight aren’t billed)

• Aircraft Rental Cost: $150/hr + Tax

• There is a 10% discount to instructor fee if you purchase time in blocks of 10 hours.

  The full program training cost is NOT required before starting. You may pay as you go.

• Based off of the average student (70 hours), who flies twice a week, and includes the 8.2% sales tax on aircraft:

  • No 10% discount: $17,336-$18,236

  • 10% Discount: $16,916-$17,816

  This is just an estimate, full cost can vary depending on student learning rate and time commitment.

  Schedule an Intro Flight Today!

Instrument Rating and Commercial Rating Timelines Coming Soon