It is natural to be afraid of flying at heights of 10,000 feet above the ground. After All, human beings are not born with wings naturally. Like any other form of Transportation, flying has its own inherent risks. However, it is the safest form of Travel, safer than driving. Apart from airplanes used in military combat and Airliners, travel by all general aviation aircraft is ten times safer than automobile Travel.
Flying a plane is not only exciting, but also a wonderful challenge. Traveling 400 Miles becomes a three to four hour trip by plane. Planning a weekend away to The beach or to mountains or to any other location can become a reality when You fly your own plane.
There are two major factors involved in determining how long it will take you to Get your pilot’s license.
They are (1) the kind of license you are getting
(2) Amount of flight time.
There are three kinds of licenses in general that most pilots receive:
(a) Private pilot license,
(b) Commercial license,
And (c) flight instructor license.
Apart from these main licenses, there are numerous other certificates That a pilot can receive to further enhance their knowledge, experience, and skill Level.
A private pilot’s license allows a pilot to fly a single-engine airplane using visual Flight rules (VFR) that require a visibility of at least three miles, even at night. Private pilots can share operating expenses with passengers but cannot be paid For flying them.
To be paid for transporting people across, a pilot has to get the Commercial license.
A flight instructor license allows the pilot to teach others how to fly and an airline transport certificate allows the pilot to fly an airliner.
The amount of flight time varies for each pilot license and certificate. Some Require twenty hours, other requires forty hours, and yet others, require a Minimum of two hundred and fifty hours. The average amount of time it takes a Pilot to get their private pilot license is about six months, during which time they Acquire all the knowledge and experience, take tests, and fly a lot with their Instructor and alone. Of course, there may be variations to this depending on You’re own personal circumstances and the weather as well. Flying in the winter or in inclement weather, may take undue amount of time or may even be cancelled.
Taking classes in good weather and continuously will enable you to get your Private license in a relatively short amount of time.
The aeroplane is the nearest thing to animate life that man has created. In the air a machine ceases indeed to be a mere piece of mechanism; it becomes animate and is capable not only of primary guidance and control, but actually of expressing a pilot's temperament.— Sir Ross Smith, K.B.E., 'National Geographic Magazine,' March 1921.
Be careful and calm and thorough and you will walk out with a prized possession: your own private pilot license!
SATISH K.S Author of "The Insiders Guide to Becoming A Private Pilot"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KS_Satish
"Cost depends on where you are and how you approach it. There are two ways of attaining your Private Pilot Certificate - through a formal school environment, or one on one with an instructor (Part 61). Check with your local airport and ask a couple of instructors - see what they say.
As to cost, that also depends on how you progress through training. Some folks take longer than others. I don't know too many pilots who could pass their flight test at 40 hours. Most are around 50. Mine was at 55, because I did some extra training to build my confidence and flight skills.
If you are interested in a couple of other things - (1) get your medical out of the way first. No sense training and spending money if you can't pass the medical. (2) Schedule 3 times a week, and try to fly at least twice. This helps you retain what you learn better. (3) have your money set aside, and have some for after you get your certificate. I had $7k, and still have a little left, after having my certificate for awhile. No sense in getting it, if you can't then enjoy it.
Check out the two links I have here. One is the AOPA website, and the other is a more generic one, which is the one your intor flight probably came from.
Good Luck, and enjoy. It's awesome!!
Source(s):
http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/
http://www.beapilot.com/