So you wanna be a pilot
OK, what do you need to do?
First, you gotta be healthy. A pilot has to be healthy, there’s no question about that.
Then you have to have the desire. And I don’t mean a wishy-washy thought! I mean seriously, learning to fly is fun but get it done.
You are going to need some money.
Flying doesn’t come cheap. But in my estimation, it’s one of the greatest investments I ever made. You may find yourself in the position of having to scrape for every dollar that it costs to rent an airplane per hour. Hopefully, that isn’t the true situation. Maybe you have some money in savings that you can use. And there is always the opportunity to find financing. There are still grants available for flight training the Pell Grant is one that I recall. But if you have the money then…
Consider this:
Buy an Airplan,e
is without a doubt the cheapest way you can learn to fly. Not only do you have an asset that is resalable but you are using your own airplane and not paying a flight school a huge amount of money per hour.
You are only paying for your fuel and your flight instructor.
When as you’re written off by your instructor to fly solo then you have the use of the airplane at your convenience. And then just up a little further you have an airplane to use when you are finished with your license that you and your family can enjoy.
If you need help to buy or lease an aircraft please get in touch with me here at, steve@stevenmbennett.com or email me at smben69mt@hotmail.com. I have personally bought, sold, and purchased/leased back many aircraft since 1975 and my brother is a former CEO and owner of an airline. He has 50 years of experience buying and selling aircraft and can answer any question you have if you are to buy or leasing an aircraft please consider giving us the opportunity to serve you.
I bought my first 172 in 1975 for the purpose of flight training and it saved me thousands in aircraft cost and I was able to recover the value of the aircraft when I was finished.
If you wish to maximize the value of your aircraft you can consider leasing it back to your local FBO or flight school and they will pay you per hour for the hours it is used.
Aviation is a small town. Our expertise and honesty can easily be tracked online. Get in touch. steve@stevenmbennett.com.
STUDY
It will take a lot of studying and if it’s one of your areas that you’re poor in then you need to develop good study habits. In a previous article, I mentioned my training and that I spent three weeks of intense training and studying all day long every day. But I wanted to get done and it was a method that really worked well for me. And time and money permitting that’s the best way to do it just get it done. If it is necessary for you to spread out your training and study over a period then I suggest devoting yourself to the first lessons and set a goal for when you would like to be done.
I also prefer a trusted source of study materials. That is why I recommend Rod Machado https://rodmachado.com?aff=440. Over the years I’ve purchased many products from all the companies and I will get into an article about the different schools at a later date. I prefer Rod Machado because he is a contemporary of mine and he is an expert instructor. But do check him out listen to one of his speeches. A very intelligent personable man and without a doubt a great pilot/instructor.
So let’s take a look at number one, health. If you have any suspicion whatsoever that you would not pass a physical then I recommend going to an aviation examiner and asking for an evaluation without filling out any of the paperwork. It’s harder to remove something from your FAA files than you want to experience. if you are in doubt check it out.
If you’re healthy has a horse so to speak then go here: https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/ get an account and fill out the MedXpress application and it will be sent to a designated medical examiner (find one here) https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/, then you can call your AME’s office and make an appointment.
Once you’ve got these important papers in hand you can waltz right out to your local airport and start interviewing flight instructors if your only choice is one guy at the local airport then schedule an appointment.
There are many ways that one can go about getting all the necessary work done for a private pilot’s license. I’d prefer the local airport but if there’s no flight instructor then you might need to be looking for a bigger airport with the flight school but nonetheless, that obstacle isn’t a great big hurdle
If you’re a young person and you’ve chosen aviation as your career and you want to go to a college for your aviation degree and your pilot’s licenses then there are many places to choose from. I really like the University of North Dakota but my favorite of course being a Montana native is Rocky Mountain College in Billings Mt. https://www.rocky.edu/aviation.
Don’t forget that I am available to talk to and I will be happy to discuss your plans or answer any questions. Just leave me a comment here or send me an email.
RMC is one of only about 35 colleges and universities accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI), which confirms the quality of their entire program.
UND or the University of North Dakota has the largest fleet of civilian aircraft in North America and its graduates are highly sought after in the aviation industry. UND is world-renowned for its expertise in aerospace
Not only will you get your college degree but also a commercial license and your flight instructor license with instrument and multi-engine ratings
I’ve met a lot of pilots that went to work for the part 135 operators after graduation and acquiring the necessary 1200 hours required to fly as Pilot in Command right after leaving school. Many of them had acquired an airframe/powerplant license as well during college. These were some of the best pilots that came to me as first officers.
Another thing to consider about an aviation degree is that if you do well in school they may offer you the opportunity to become a faculty member as a flight instructor. Thus giving you the opportunity to acquire your necessary 1200 hours and start your first commercial pilot job!.
Your first day flying an airplane
This is what you can expect the first time you go out to the airport to go flying with your instructor. Here’s just a tidbit of advice read the chapter on aerodynamics before you go. It’s not necessary of course but it sure will impress the instructor.
If you know what type of aircraft you will be flying it would be helpful to get a pilot’s operating handbook. If nothing else you can find most of these online. For example, I simply googled the 172 Cessna POH and I found a PDF file for the 172, https://www.carlisleflyingclub.org/docs/172S-POH.pdf. Just go through the normal operations preflight section that will give you an idea of what you’re going to be doing before you go flying the first time.
Today you’re gonna learn to start the airplane, taxi, and take off, and fly the airplane. This is just to teach you the basics so it will be turns, climbs, descents, and straight and level flight. Upon your return to the airport likely your instructor will have you follow him through on the landing. After a brief discussion about your flight, you have just become a student pilot. Be ready for the next flight because you’re gonna be the guy in charge all the way through so remember what you learned today
Now it’s time to go home and study the four forces of flight and aerodynamics. So it’s study study study and brief yourself on the second flight lesson search you know you will be flying the airplane and landing it.
Go to rodmachado.com and download the free pilot training syllabus and ground school training syllabus. Just add them to your cart and checkout and you will be sent two free downloads