Requirements for Flight School
Entry requirements for flight school can be obtained by almost anyone. However, once you are a flight school student the requirements get more demanding. Students must have 55 to 75 hours of classroom instruction time. They must also have at least 50 hours of solo flight time before receiving their pilot's certificate.
Before any student can pilot a plane by themselves they must first go through and complete extensive training. After they complete the training, the FAA requires them to posess a student pilot certificate. This certificate inclues a medical examination by an Aviation Medical Examiner. The exam is a basic exam and determines whether or not the student has met the minimum vision and hearing standards.
There are a total of three age limitations. The first age limitation is 14. At 14, you may operate a baloon or a glider. The minimum age for soloing an airplane is 16. A student must be 17 or older to recieve a student pilot certificate. There is no maximum age to recieve any type of flight schooling. Students also have to be able to read, write and understand the English language.
Flight schools require that students provide documentation of United States citizenship before starting their training. The acceptable forms of documentation are, but are not limited to, a valid birth certificate, a U.S. driver's license or a U.S. passport. Some flight schools do offer schooling to non-U.S. citizens. This involves additional paperwork, opening a TSA account and providing fingerprints and background information.
Some schools require that a student puts a deposit down into a flight account. This ensures that funds will be available after each flight is completed and as training progresses this will act as a debit card since the funds will be withdrawn. Check with the flight school about their requirements for minimum balances and withdrawls. Also, a he or she may have to pay for aircraft rental and fuel on top of instruction.
A student must have the right mind-set from the first training flight. In order to complete the training program, he or she must ensure the time and financial resources are available to complete the course. The course will require several progress checks. These progress checks will play a big role in two FAA tests that the student is required to take throughout the training course.