Private Pilot

The Private Pilot Certificate is the most common rating sought after. For those that are seeking to make a career out of aviation, it is the first step in training to become a professional pilot. For those looking to become pilots for fun, a Private Pilot Certificate is all you need! The Private Pilot Certificate is all one needs to fly an airplane safely without a flight instructor on board, and allows pilots to carry passengers on their flights.

Private Pilot Requirements

Course Prerequisites

  • Ability to read, write and speak English

  • Be at least 15 years old to start training

Training Requirements

The Private Pilot’s License has minimum hour requirements however these are only minimums set by the FAA and most people overfly these minimums. For example, there is a 40 hour minimum however the national average is 65 hours to get the private pilot’s license. We recommend flying 2-3 times per week in order to keep your training as efficiently as possible.

  • 40 Hours of Total Flight Time

  • 20 Hours of Flight Training with an Instructor

  • 10 Hours of Solo Flight

  • 5 Hours of Solo Cross Country Flight

  • 60 Multiple Choice Question FAA Written Test

Ground Training

Although a lot of flight training is learning to fly the airplane with an instructor, studying is required in order to achieve your license. The required knowledge can be acquired however you learn best. There are a couple of options:

  • Online Ground School

  • In-person Ground School

  • Self-Study with One-on-One Ground Instruction from a Flight or Ground Instructor

All of your knowledge will be culminated to pass a 60 multiple-choice question written exam which is required by the FAA to obtain a license. Frederick is an FAA-Approved PSI Testing Center which means your FAA written tests can be taken at the Frederick Flight Center. At the testing center, you will be required to present an endorsement to take the test from a certified flight instructor or ground school completion certificate.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Costs vary for everybody. We bill per hour and total costs depend on aircraft type. Check out our rates page for more information on per hour pricing. Total costs usually range anywhere from $9,000 to $14,000 but the average is $12,000.

  • Although it is up to you who you decide to fly with, we recommend selecting an instructor and staying with them to maximize progress. Check out our instructors page to read more about our instructors.

  • You can but through the Community College of Baltimore County’s aviation department. We are a contracted flight school of CCBC.

  • After you earn your certificate, it is recommended that you move on to instrument training if you plan to make a career out of flying.

  • Although the choice is up to you, most people choose to fly the Cessna 172. Other planes that are good for training include the Piper Archer and Cessna 152. Take a look at our fleet page for more information on each aircraft type!