A Private Pilot’s Certificate (License) is essentially a drivers license for the sky- it allows the holder to fly any aircraft, within limits, with passengers on personal or business flights. The Federal Aviation Administration, a sector of the United States Department of Transportation, issues the certificate to an individual who has completed the required training and has passed a written exam, an oral exam and a practical, behind-the-wheel exam. There is no real limitation to how many passengers you may fly or how big an aircraft you may fly, assuming the pilot is certified or rated in that aircraft. That being said, for 99.99% of all people who earn their license they do so in a two or four seat, single-engine, propeller driven plane. This means that when you pass your exams and earn your license it will limit you to flying only single-engine aircraft of about the same size. No jets, seaplanes or multi-engine aircraft yet, but with further training these things certainly all lie within your future if you want them to! The good news is that even flying a smaller prop-job airplane is demanding and you will find yourself challenged for the duration of your flying years even if you never move on to bigger, faster aircraft.

FAA Requirements

- Be at least 17 years of age

- Be able to read, speak, and understand the English language

- Obtain at least a current third-class medical certificate

- Receive a minimum of 40 hours of flight time including training and          solo flight

- Pass a knowledge test as well as the practical test