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This article was written by Flight Training 101 and is sponsored by:
Pilotslounge.net – the internet’s leading resource for ab initio pilot training.
When you first got the vision to become a pilot, how did you see yourself? For some of us it is at the controls of a jumbo jet operated by one of the big airline companies flying from one exotic location to another and having the power and responsibility for that billion dollar airplane and hundreds of lives.
For others it’s being a private pilot for a small airline flying rich people around or just flying for your own pleasure. You are free, literally “as a bird” to glide over the world gazing down and deciding where you might land before taking to the air again. These are fun images and even as you work your way through flight school and then start “paying your dues” in the airline industry to work toward your goal, its good to keep the dream so you always have the next rung of the latter ahead and you never give up.
It’s good to have a firm idea of who you want to be as a pilot because it actually affects the kind of pilot’s certification you will go for after flight school. So understanding the different kinds of certification and what is required to meet the requirements for that level of responsibility can be important. Of course, your goals may change the longer you stay in your career as a pilot. But if you know going in what is required, you can tailor and customize your training and preparations around your goals.
There are actually six levels of pilot certification, one of which you may already have. If you are already in flight school and you have gotten to the point that you are taking training flights and handling the craft yourself, you had to already get a student pilot certification. All pilots’ certifications have requirements and restrictions so obviously as a student pilot, you can only operate an airline in the instructional setting and not on your own except for your final solo flights as authorized by the school.
Just above the student level but a pilot’s certification that you can use for your own purposes are the sports and the recreational pilot’s license. These certifications are less restrictive than the student’s license but you will be limited to fly only in good weather conditions and strong daylight, that your distances will be limited as will the type of aircraft. You can also only have one passenger with a student license. What the FAA has created in the sports and recreational licenses are certifications that allow for some enjoyment level flying but are not certified at a high enough level to make being a pilot your career.
The top three levels of pilot’s licenses are the private pilot license, the commercial pilot and the airline transport license. The names are fairly self explanatory. Often new pilots try to reach the private pilot level before going on for the more demanding higher level licenses. With a private pilot license, you can operate a much greater variety of aircraft including helicopters and balloons and you can use your pilot’s license as part of your job although you cannot be paid for flying. So your job may be crop dusting and you are paid for that and your ability to fly a small aircraft is in connection with your job.
Obviously the commercial pilot’s certification and the airline transport pilot’s license are the ones you would go for to be able to fly the big jets. But you may never need to get that far. So evaluate your goals and target your certification accordingly. In that way you are using your training time well and when you have reached the level you aspire to, you will get that sense of satisfaction that you are a pilot who is realizing the dream.
Another important factor is your level of English proficiency. All pilots who need to cross international borders need to achieve English proficiency at ICAO Level 4. Each ICAO member state has its own system of testing your English level, but a good way to prepare and pass the ICAO English test is with ICAO Aviation English Online.
If you are not sure what your English level is you can visit http://aviationenglish.com to take an ICAO English Assessment Test. It’s good to do this as early as possible because good English is essential for aviation careers.
This article was written by Flight Training 101 and is sponsored by:
Pilotslounge.net – the internet’s leading resource for ab initio pilot training.
There is a difference between being economical and being cheap. And when it comes to getting your training for your pilot’s license, you want the best training you can get. When you finally get to the point that you can fly an aircraft, not only will your life be in your hands, the lives of others, possibly your family and friends may depend on being able to handle that aircraft with skill and with a good background in training.
But flight school and pilot’s training is not an inexpensive operation. You are learning to operate some very sophisticated machinery and to learn a new skill that is different than anything else you have ever done. But even though you do not want to cut corners on the important elements of your training which is time with your flight instructor and in the air learning to handle that aircraft, with some extra effort on your part, you can cut some costs and not compromise the quality of your pilot’s license.
There are two big sections to pilot’s training which are the theory and the practice or the book learning and the application or hands on learning you do working directly with the aircraft. When you go up for your pilot’s license, you will face a pretty rigorous written exam. So much of your time in flight school will be in class walking through this material.
But there is no requirement that you learn this material from an instructor. You can work with a Part 61 flight school which has the flexibility or tailor your program (as opposed to a Part 141 school which conduct classes in strict accordance with guidelines) so you can do a lot of that study and concept learning independently and not have to pay to sit in class to learn what you could have conquered at home for free.
You can buy books that will walk you through every aspect of the pilot’s license test and sit down at your kitchen table and learn it all as fast as you are able to absorb knowledge. Many of these tutorials will have quizzes and example tests so you can have someone work you over pretty good so by the time you walk in to take the written exam you are ready.
Of course there are plenty of online sources that can give you the same in depth training absolutely free. Sometimes studying online is easier because it’s a bit more interactive and fun. One such site is http://www.flightcentral.net/sport/training.htm but you can Google “pilot’s license training” and locate others from reputable agencies that will do the job just as well.
The hardest thing about home study is to keep yourself accountable and moving forward though. So set a schedule of what you are going to achieve and make steady progress, just like you would if you were in a classroom setting. You can then download the Practical Standards Test (PTS) and study the actual layout and questions that you will be required to pass “open book”. So by the time you are ready for the test, you are really ready for that test.
You can also work with your instructor to help you be totally prepared when its time for actual flight training in the air. He can give you the checklists so you are ready when you show up. If you make mistakes, learn what you did and practice that skill in your armchair at home.
The more you get out of the way on your own, the less time in the airplane which costs by the hour. And by taking charge of your training and only using the experts for hands on training you need, you get just as good an education in flying but you save a ton of money.
Before you begin flight training make sure that your English is good enough to pass the ICAO English test. The minimum standard needed to fly across international borders in ICAO Level 4. A good command of English will help your understanding of technical aviation training. If you don’t have access to an aviation English instructor you can pass the ICAO English test with ICAO Aviation English Online. This online course will help you improve your English, ATC communication skills and reinforce aviation theory.
If you are not sure what your English level is you can visit http://aviationenglish.com to take an English Assessment Test. It’s good to do this as early as possible because good English is essential for aviation careers.
This article was written by Flight Training 101 and is sponsored by:
Pilotslounge.net – the internet’s leading resource for ab initio pilot training.
The term “hidden costs” strikes fear into most of us because it means we are going to pay more for something than we thought. Sadly, many times a business will hide some costs of goods or services so you can “discover” them once you have committed to use the service. Having to pay for a pillow on a flight after you already forked over hundreds of dollars to the airline is a classic example of hidden costs.
When you are preparing to go into flight school to realize your dream of getting your pilot’s license, its is imperative that you know how much you need from a budget perspective before you sign a contract to go through the program. So to be sure you are not going to get hit with a lot of “hidden costs”, it pays to know the terminology and to know what questions to ask before you agree to use that school to get your license to fly.
When you first contact a flight school, they will lay out the red carpet for you. You will get a tour of the facilities including the classrooms and the airplanes to be used for your in flight training. You will meet wonderful instructors and the end of the tour will probably include a test flight where you get to sit in the pilot’s seat as though you were actually flying that plane. That experience alone can hook you to want to be part of their program. Then they will present you will some colorful brochures, a contract and a class schedule and finally, a schedule of costs along with payment options.
There is a good reason they are showing you the costs last. They want to get you excited and “hooked” before you review the fees. It’s important to remember that the majority of flight schools are “for profit” businesses and the competition for customers is intense. The number one reason a school fails to “close the deal” is often the cost. So if they can soften that blow by not showing you some of the costs of getting your pilot’s license with them, they might be able to get you into class and you will just deal with the additional costs after the fact.
This is a little bit deceptive but they do it to get business. It’s up to you then to know what questions to ask and to understand the terminology of the schedule of fees. Make sure that when you get the estimate of what you will have to pay that it is broken out in some detail. If all they are quoting you is the cost of classroom instruction, that underestimate the costs tremendously. Additional costs will include…
. Books and classroom supplies. You may need to buy these yourself so to get a complete budget, do that shopping before signing a contract.
. Duel instruction fees. A big part of your training is in the air. What they might not tell you is that you will have to pay for the instructor’s time by the hour for every hour you are up there with him. And you must plan for the cost of the plane. Plan for a minimum of $50 an hour labor and $100 an hour for the equipment. But this is something that is worth getting an exact quote on when you are estimating what it will cost to get your pilot’s license with that school.
. Fuel costs – it takes gas to operate that airplane while you are flying it. They might not be including the cost of gas in with the airplane rental fee. Make sure you know what to expect as that can be a big hidden cost, especially with gas costs high as they are right now.
In order to get a cost number you can depend on, you must estimate how many hours of flight training you are going to need. The FAA requires that you have a minimum of 40 hours flight time and you may need more to cover the many situations you must understand before you become a solo pilot. Also keep in mind you must do one final flight where you go up with an FAA examiner so find out the costs of his or her time and add at least an hour of flight time to your totals.
Before you begin flight training make sure that your English is good enough to pass the ICAO English test. The minimum standard needed to fly across international borders in ICAO Level 4. A good command of English will help your understanding of technical aviation training. If you don’t have access to an aviation English instructor you can pass the ICAO English test with ICAO Aviation English Online. This online course will help you improve your English, ATC communication skills and reinforce aviation theory.
If you are not sure what your English level is you can visit http://aviationenglish.com to take an English Assessment Test. It’s good to do this as early as possible because good English is essential for aviation careers.
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