The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight time that includes at least 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor, and 10 hours of solo flight training.
The University Flying Club does not operate any light-sport aircraft, and the Recreational Certificate is quite limiting. Consequently, Club members hold or pursue the Private Certificate. To earn a Private Pilot Certificate you must acquire both the knowledge and the skill to operate an aircraft safely. The FAA requires that you pass both a knowledge (written) test and a practical test consisting of oral and flight sections. The knowledge test must be passed sometime in the two years preceding the practical test. Ground school helps prepare you for the knowledge test, though it is not necessarily required to obtain a pilot’s certificate. You must also obtain a medical certificate, which is valid for 5 years while under the age of 40, and 2 years while over the age of 40. The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight time that includes at least 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor, and 10 hours of solo flight training. Although 40 hours is the requirement, the average person usually takes 50 to 60 hours to master all the necessary skills. Compressing your training into the shortest possible timeframe usually helps to reduce the number of hours you will need, since you will forget less between lessons. There are no rules that require you to complete your training within a specific amount of time, but most people take between 3 months and 1 year to fit in the required hours. Along the way you will learn how to handle the airplane, complete take-offs and landings under various conditions, fly using your instruments (in the event of an emergency), and fly at night. You will learn about airports, traffic patterns, communications, weather, cross-country planning, federal aviation regulations, and a host of other things. For more information you can review the following websites: