In 1903, there was one registered pilot in the United States. One hundred and eleven years later, there were close to 600,000 students.
If you’re interested in learning to fly and making a career out of it, there is some training and some certifications that you’ll need to get first.
It can be tricky to know where to go and what certifications to sign up for, but we’ll break it all down for you here!
The Duration of Training
Before you decide if you want to learn to fly fand make a career out of it, you’ll have to decide how much time you’re willing to dedicate to schooling.
How long it takes can be different for each person, especially depending on what type of job you’re looking for.
For example, to be a private pilot, it may only take a few months. For an airline pilot, you could be training for about two years as long as you’re going to school full time.
Choose an Education Path
Before you start signing up for the first flight training you can find, you have to understand that there are different types of schooling. It can also be expensive to pay for it, but there are retargets that can help you. Check out this link: https://www.l3commercialaviation.com/us/airline-academy/faa-pilot-training/faa-aviation-scholarships/.
Flight School
There are two different types of flight school: Part 61 or Part 141.
The numbers refer back to regulations defined by the FAA. Part 61 is the section that deals with the requirements to be certified as a pilot. Part 141 is in relation to the regulations that surround the flight school.
Part 61 schools aren’t as regulated as Part 141, which means that they aren’t as expensive and isn’t as formal. The teachers can teach the class however they want without having to worry about regulations and formalities.
However, in a Part 141 school, the training is much more strict and follows a set regimen. This will also be the more expensive option, and the teaching may go at a faster pace. If you’re a fast learner, this may be the best option for you.
Go to College
Going to flight school isn’t one of the only schooling paths. Some pilots even go to college to get a four-year degree in some kind of aviation program.
If you take this route, you’ll have aviation-related classes on your syllabus. You’ll most likely receive training as well.
Universities have the funds to pay for the best type of training materials and the best technology out there. However, because of this, the college can be quite expensive as well.
Go to an Aviation Academy
Instead of attending college, aviation academies will let you get your pilot certificates and teach you a lot in a short period of time.
These academies will train pilots in about a year or two, depending on if you go full-time or part-time.
These are operated in a similar way to Part 141 schools, so you’ll probably have a strict course load as well. However, once you graduate, the school will partner with airline companies to set up an interview for you.
Get Certified
Once you’ve passed some sort of educational course, you’ll need to make sure that you have all the certifications required to fly.
One of the first certifications you’ll need is a first-class medical certificate that the Aeromedical Examiner provides. If you get this certificate, that means that you’ll meet all the medical standards that pilots need to meet.
If you’re going to be an airline or military pilot, these standards will be higher than those for recreational pilots.
You’ll also have to get a student pilot certificate FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application. This certificate will say that you’re allowed to fly by yourself. You don’t need it if you’re flying with an instructor.
However, your instructor should be able to help you apply for this.
Pass Your Exams
In addition to getting all these certificates, you’ll also have to pass any exams that are required.
If you’re training to be a private pilot, you’ll have to pass an FAA private pilot knowledge test. However, in order to even be eligible for this test, you’ll need to get your flight instructor to put in a recommendation for you.
You’ll also have to take a Designated Pilot Exam. This test will have both an oral and a flight portion required.
Understanding FAA Requirements
To be an airline pilot for a commercial airline (or even to be a copilot) there are some rules and regulations set by the FAA. They want to ensure that everyone on the plane is safe and that pilots are correctly trained in what to do.
In order to even get hired, you have to have an Airline Transport Pilot certificate. In order to get that, you’ll have to be at least 23 years old, have had a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, and have recorded 1,500 hours as a pilot.
These are only a few of the requirements, and they can be difficult to get just by going to school alone. You’ll need actual flying experience or instructing experience before they’ll even consider hiring you.
Discover More About Learning to Fly and Becoming a Pilot
Learning to fly and becoming a pilot is not an easy path, but if you’re passionate about it, it can all be worth it in the end.
It can be difficult to know what career to choose with so many of them out there, but we want to help you figure out that path!
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