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Private Pilot
What is a Private Pilot Certificate?
Although you can acquire a “Sport Pilot” Certificate or a “Recreational Pilot” Certificate, the Private Pilot Certificate is typically the license you will receive that gives you full freedom to fly as a certificated (licensed) pilot. As a Private Pilot you can fly friends and family off on adventures all over the United States and abroad, or simply fly to the next airport for lunch! Either way, you will be amazed at how being a pilot seems to bring distant locations closer to you. As an example, a flight from Puyallup, WA to Friday Harbor, WA in the San Juan Islands will take about 50-minutes if you rented a Cessna 172. The drive? Just over 4-hours or more- each way (not including traffic jams and ferry wait times)! So, there is a lot of convenience and utility in getting your Private Pilot Certificate!
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Training, Time, and Calculating Costs
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There is no minimum age to start receiving flight instruction. The only age limitations for the Private Pilot certificate are that you be at least 16-years old to “solo” (fly by yourself) and 17-years old to get your Private Pilot Certificate.
Additional requirements are:
• That you be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language.
• Provide proof of U.S. Citizenship in the form of a valid U.S. Passport (not enhanced driver’s license) or U.S. Birth Certificate.
• Non-US students can be approved once we help guide you through the TSA’s Alien Flight Student Program
• Your Flight Instructor will help you get registered on the FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) website so that you can apply for your Student Pilot Certificate.
• Lastly, at minimum (at Safety in Motion) you will need to purchase a Jeppesen Private Pilot Textbook, Syllabus, and Training Record, which you will use for studying and documenting your flight training. We recommend that you purchase the Jeppesen Part 141 Private Pilot Kit, which includes those items plus additional reference materials, a navigation plotter, and a flight computer, all in a flight bag. These are available for purchase at our Olympia flight school location or at our sister company “Spencer Aircraft” at our Puyallup location (we share the same building). Click to Learn More!
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You will receive at least 35 hours of “ground training” on topics ranging from the parts of an airplane and how they fly, to weather and navigation, plus human factors. Information is provided in a step-by-step easy-to-follow fashion and our instructors are available to answer questions and clarify information as needed. We are ALL here to help! You don’t have to possess advanced math skills or even have an aviation background. We assume you know nothing about flying, and start teaching you from there – so relax! We strongly recommend attending one of our 50-hour ground school classes that are held both in-person at both our training locations and simultaneously online via Zoom. The classroom option is the most cost-effective method and helps introduce you to other student pilots that are at the same point in training as you are! We can also arrange for an online course option if that is more conducive to your learning style and schedule.
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The flight training you will receive is divided into two parts: Dual Flight Time (Flight with the instructor onboard) and Solo Flight Time (You are flying by yourself). Flight training “minimum hours” of experience in a Part 141 course are as follows:
35 Hours Total Time to include:
• 20 hours Dual flight learning how to fly, takeoff/land, and navigate both day and night.
• 5 hours Solo flight where you will practice and develop your proficiency.
Note: You will notice that this only adds up to 25 hours, the remaining 10 hours can be a combination of either dual or solo flight. Keep in mind, 35 hours is the absolute minimum time. The average for most students is approximately 45-50 hours if flying 4-5 days/week.
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On average, a typical flight lesson takes 2 hours from when you walk into the school to when you leave. If you do this 4 to 5 days week, you will complete training in approximately 3 months per pilot certificate or rating. Click To Learn More!
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The financial investment into your flight training is directly affected by your study commitment and the number of lessons you take per week. Here are some variables to consider. Click to Learn More!
Everything Else You Need to Know!
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Easy! Simply contact us to set up a consultation to determine your goals, answer questions, and discuss the next steps – we are with you every step of the way! OR,
Schedule an “Introductory Flight." We’ll take you up in the airplane and let you do the flying to see if you enjoy it (you will) and give you an opportunity to interview us and our school.
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Simple! Just stop by or call us at (253) 840-5758 (Option 1 for Puyallup or Option 2 for Olympia) and tell our Customer Service Representative that you are interested in learning more about flight training and would like to schedule an introductory flight.
The airplanes have 4 seats, so if you want to bring a friend or two with you, that is not a problem. (There is just a nominal fee for each additional person and weight restrictions apply.)
Before your flight, your Flight Instructor will talk with you to learn more about your goals and any prior experience. Afterwards, you will have a post-flight briefing to answer any questions and be provided with the next steps toward training if you are interested in moving forward!
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Once you have decided to pursue becoming a pilot your flight instructor and our friendly support staff will guide you through each step. During the initial enrollment meeting, you will need to bring the following documents:
• Government-issued Photo Identification (Driver’s License or Passport)
• Proof of U.S. Citizenship (U.S. Passport of Birth Certificate)
• Any Pilot Certificates and Aviation Medical Certificates (if you have any)
For students that do not have U.S. Citizenship, it is not a problem. Safety in Motion Flight Center is approved for training non-US students. Just inform our Customer Service Representatives and we will provide you with the steps needed to get approval from the TSA for flight training. It is a simple process that takes about 1-2 weeks. You can start ground school classes but just cannot start in-flight training until we receive final TSA approval.
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We will start with an enrollment meeting to set up your flight records. After that, we will help you:
• Apply for your Student Pilot Certificate
• Get an aviation flight physical to get your aviation medical certificate
• Determine your learning style and get you signed up for a ground school class or other knowledge training options
• Obtain the required learning materials such as a textbook, syllabus, training record, and supplies
• Determine what days and times work best for your flight lessons, then set up your training schedule!
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides regulations that dictate what aeronautical knowledge, flight training, and flight experience a pilot applicant must have to acquire a given pilot certificate. These requirements are spelled out in either Part 61 or Part 141 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Think of “Parts” as being “Chapters” of the regulatory book. Click to Learn More!
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Right Away! We tailor your training to your individual needs and schedule. Typically, your flight instructor will assure you get some basic aeronautical knowledge either through attending the first 1-2 weeks of the ground school or working with you one-on-one. After that, your flight lessons and ground school (classroom topics) can be worked on simultaneously. Your training syllabus will provide you with the pathway we will be following, so you will always know where you are and what is coming next.
Your flight instructor will work with you to determine a training schedule, then get you scheduled for all your next lessons. We try to schedule up to a month in advance so that you have a predictable schedule, and that your instructor can ensure the resources you need (airplane, simulator, etc.) are reserved for you.
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The investment into your flight training is directly affected by your study commitment and the number of lessons you take per week. If you are currently “shopping flight schools” be sure that you are comparing what is being offered between schools to ensure it is the same. Most schools only quote the cost of the minimum flight time required by the FAA, which is unrealistic. Some will include the cost of everything, such as supplies, exams, etc., and many will leave that information out. Costs are dependent on your current level of experience, the number of lessons you plan to take per week, and other factors.
Because aircraft rental and flight instructor rates change occasionally based on the price of fuel, aviation insurance, etc., our up-to-date aircraft rental and instructor rates are available at our front counters or you can inquire by simply calling one of our Customer Services Representatives at: (253) 840-5758
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The time it takes is directly determined by student attendance; the more often you fly, the faster you will complete. On average, a typical flight lesson takes 2 hours from when you walk into the school, to when you leave. If you fly 4 to 5 days per week, you will complete it in approximately 3 months per pilot certificate or rating.
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Typically, the answer is “yes”. Most pilot and flight instructor certificates and ratings will require you to take both an FAA written Knowledge Exam and an FAA Practical Exam (a.k.a., “checkride”). Your flight instructor will ensure you are prepared for both.
Safety in Motion Flight Center is also an approved FAA Written Testing Facility, so we can conduct your written exams in our facility with our staff that are certified as testing proctors.
Practical exams (checkrides) are not required for specialty training such as adding authorizations to fly tailwheel airplanes, complex airplanes, high performance or high-altitude airplanes. Those simply require a flight instructor endorsement indicating you have received and logged instruction in those types of aircraft and are found proficient.
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• Basically, you cannot fly for compensation or hire. You can share in the expenses of a flight with fellow passengers and must pay at least your pro-rata share. Although, you can operate the airplane as part of the furtherance of a business.
• You can only fly airplanes for which you are rated. At this point, it will be limited to airplanes that are single-engine, land airplanes (vs. seaplanes or multi-engine airplanes), and will need additional training and endorsements for tailwheel, complex, high performance (over 200hp), and high-altitude airplanes. (Click here to learn more about Ratings & Endorsements)
• You will need a flight review every 24 calendar months.
• Ensure you have the required 90-day currency for takeoffs and landings before taking passengers.
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The Practical Exam (checkride) is the final evaluation you will have that will result in you being awarded your pilot certificate or rating. This is performed by an FAA-appointed Designated Pilot Examiner. Your flight instructor will help you prepare your application to take the exam and help coordinate the day and time of your exam.
Examiners are also Certified Flight Instructors and will need to ensure that you meet the FAA’s performance standards regarding both knowledge and flight proficiency. This evaluation will essentially be conducted in three parts: Verify that you meet the eligibility requirements, evaluate your knowledge during an oral questioning session, and finally evaluate your flight skill in-flight.
The examiner’s main job is to ensure that you are a safe and proficient pilot, and they want you to succeed as much as you do.
Once successfully completed, the examiner will issue you your temporary pilot certificate and you will be all set to take your friends or family members on that first flight with you as the Pilot in Command! Your permanent pilot certificate will arrive in the mail approximately 2 months later once the FAA processes it.
Training Time
On average a typical flight lesson takes 2-hours from when you walk into the school, to when you leave. If you do this 4-5 days week, you will complete in approximately 3-months per pilot certificate or rating. If you are looking for a career track, and assuming you are only flying once per day (you can fly more with advance scheduling), your timeline could look something like this:
*These times can typically be less when integrated with other flight programs.
Calculating Costs
The investment into your flight training is directly affected by your study commitment and the number of lessons you take per week. Here are some variables to consider:
Let us assume you are comparing Part 141 schools where the FAA minimum experience time is 20-hours of in-flight instruction (referred to as “dual”) and 10-hours of practicing by yourself (referred to as “solo”). The cost of that program could be listed as $5,000. Statistically, the number of lessons you take per week will directly affect that amount based on a study we performed on over 1,000 private pilots applications submitted for pilot certificate (the application provides all their flight time). To make this easier for you, Safety In Motion Flight Center has developed a calculator that can provide you with exact information. Keep reading, or go directly to our Cost Calculator.
Using this table, if a flight school advertises their program based off minimum FAA hours is $5,000 and you plan to fly 4-times per week, you should apply the “cost factor” to the advertised amount. In this case, $5,000 X 1.3 = $6,500 is what you should plan to pay. This calculation only affects in-flight lesson-related expenses. It should not be applied to ancillary costs of pilot supplies, ground school cost, etc.
It is for this reason it does not make sense for us to post actual costs, but rather find your current level of experience, determine the number of lessons you plan to take per week, and then work up a more accurate cost just for you. Because aircraft rental and flight instructor rates change occasionally based on price of fuel, aviation insurance, etc., our up-to-date aircraft rental and instructor rates are available at our front counters or you can inquire by simply calling one of our Customer Services Representatives at: (253) 840-5758
Additional Training Considerations and Expenses
Additional expenses beyond the basic ground and flight training time requirements.
Pre- and Post-flight briefings. These total approximately 20-30 minutes per flight lesson.
Pilot training books and supplies
Aeronautical Charts & References (expire every 56-days)
Purchasing a headset (We have rental headsets on an as available basis)
Written exam fee (Approximately $160.00 charged by PSI Testing Services)
Practical exam fee (Approximately $700 charged by the Pilot Examiner)
Note: Plan to add approximately $2,000 to the minimum cost of flight training to cover these additional items unless the school posts them as part of their training estimate. Again, stop by or contact our front desk and we will provide you with program course cost estimates that include all associated costs.