Student Pilots

Eligibility

You can become a student pilot for airplanes if you're 16 and know English (writing too). Student Pilot Certificates can be issued by designated pilot or aviation medical examiners. The exam costs less than a hundred dollars.

Locate Designated Pilot Examiners
Locate Aviation Medical Examiners (recommended)

• Ask for a Medical 3rd Class and Student Pilot Certificate.

The Medical 3rd Class is valid for 2 years or 3, if you're under 40.

Privileges

With a Student Pilot Certificate and CFI endorsements you can:

• Act as a pilot in command - solo endorsement every 90 days
• Fly in class B airspace - special endorsement every 90 days
• Fly cross country - need an endorsement every time

Limitations

You cannot be the pilot in command and:

• Carry passengers
• Fly other models or at other airports without an endorsement
• Fly more than 25 NM from the airport without an endorsement
• Fly with less than 3 miles visibility
• Fly over a ceiling without seeing the ground
• Fly contrary to the CFI's limitations
• Fly internationally or act as a co-pilot
• Fly for profit

Solo

Solo means you are the only occupant of the airplane. When soloing you are the pilot in command which means that you are the final authority as to the operation of the aircraft.

In order to get the initial solo endorsement a student pilot has to meet two requirements.

• Pass a written test administered by the CFI covering details about the particular airport and airplane to be used
• Receive training in the model aircraft to be soloed covering:
  1. __ Preflight, operating the engine and aircraft systems
  2. __ Taxiing, surface operations, runup
  3. __ Straight and level flight, left and right turns, +/- 100ft
  4. __ Climbs and climbing turns
  5. __ Descents, with and without turns, with and without flaps
  6. __ Flight at various airspeeds from cruise to slow flight
  7. __ Full stalls from various pitch, bank, and power settings
  8. __ Ground reference maneuvers, +/- 100ft
  9. __ Airport traffic patterns, arrivals and departures
  10. __ Normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings
  11. __ Collision, windshear, and wake turbulence avoidance
  12. __ Emergency procedures and equipment malfunctions
  13. __ Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine out
  14. __ Slips to a landing
  15. __ Go-arounds
  16. __ First Solo !

Look again at the list above. You can use it as a checklist to determine your training progress until you solo.

Cross Country Navigation