Why learn to
fly?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
Escape from the two
dimensional world. Flying takes you to a different world
with new perspectives. Suddenly, distances shrink and your
perspectives change. You start thinking of your world from above.
Your senses are in tune to the world of flight, no longer limited
by your cares, concerns and duties on the ground. Become a pilot
and escape to a different world.
Explore new places. Learning
to fly frees you to explore the world – from 50 miles to 500 miles.
The distance is your decision. Become a pilot and expand your
horizons.
Experience a feeling of
freedom, and accomplishment. Learning to fly will transform your
life. It immerses you in new sensations and allows you to conquer
exciting challenges. It changes how you perceive yourself and what
you know you can accomplish. Become a pilot and transform
yourself.
How much will it cost to learn to
fly?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
Half the cost, all the
fun!
The EAA-led sport pilot revolution in aviation has cut the cost of
flight training to become a pilot - and of acquiring new,
factory-built airplanes - in half! And the elimination of
burdensome medical examinations and certifications will save pilots
thousands of dollars over the course of their flying
lives.
Step 1: Join EAA
Your first step is to join
EAA. At a cost of $40
per year, it'll be the best investment in your new favorite pastime
that you'll ever make. By exploring this website you'll see that
the information, guidance, and money-saving benefits provided by
EAA will more than pay for your membership again and
again.
Step 2: Choose your aircraft and
training
You can learn to fly either an airplane, powered parachute or
weight shift control aircraft. The cost of flight training varies
by which type of aircraft you want to learn to fly. The cost for
airplane flight training is approximately $2,800 - $3,500. You can
learn to fly a powered parachute for between $800 and
$1,000
Step 3: Review cost
overview
Join EAA: $40 (optional, but recommended)
Training: $2800-$3500
Total: $2840-$3500
Flying is the ultimate way to enjoy
the outdoors and explore new destinations from a whole new
perspective. So give yourself the gift of flight today!
What do I need to start my flight
training?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
A desire to learn and a driver’s
license
For the most part, you can show up for your first flight lesson
with nothing but a primed eagerness to enjoy an exhilarating
experience! The airplane and fuel are included in your price of
instruction, so all you need are yourself, your learning skills,
and your desire for FUN!
The bureaucratic requirements are
also easier to fulfill. Just bring your valid state driver's
license and get started!
Don’t forget LSA insurance
You should also discuss insurance coverage with your flight
instructor. To protect yourself, any time you are flying an
aircraft you do not own, rental or borrowed, including flight
training, you should have non-owners (renters) aircraft insurance.
To ensure your protection, as an EAA member you may enroll in the
EAA Non-Owned Aircraft Liability Insurance Plan, a great way to
cover your interests as an aircraft renter. For more information,
go to http://www.eaainsurance.org.
Official student pilot
certificate
As your flight training progresses, you'll eventually need an
official student pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) before you may fly solo. If you'd like, as an
EAA member you can obtain that certificate in advance for
free by attending an EAA event, such as an EAA Sport Pilot Tour stop, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, or one of the several other air shows and
fly-ins at which EAA exhibits. If you don't have an official
student pilot certificate, most flight instructors or schools can
provide them at a cost of approximately $50.
Consider a ground school test
prep course
To get a head start toward passing
your sport pilot knowledge test, you might also consider a
multimedia ground school test-prep course such as King Schools' Computer-based
Interactive Video™ Sport Pilot Knowledge Test. EAA members get a big discount!
Where can I get started learning
to
fly?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
EAA's online databaseof flight schools and instructors offering sport
pilot flight training now has more than 400 entries and the number
keeps growing every week! Find a flight instructor in your
state, pick up the
phone, and get your adventure started! You’ll want to focus on
instructors who have aircraft for rent.
How long will it take to get my
pilot
certificate?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
The minimum number of flight
training hours for achieving a sport pilot certificate to fly an
airplane is 20. Those training hours will include dual instruction
(instructor and student), cross-country flying (departing one
airport and landing at another), and solo flights. The number of
days or weeks required to log those 20 or more hours of instruction
is really up to you and your instructor. Will you set aside several
days for immersive flight instruction or will you spread out the
flight lessons over a period of weeks?
What training steps are involved
in learning to fly?
The major elements of your flight
training will
include:
Jerrich Aircraft
Inc.™
- Preparation for the written
test
You'll have to pass a written test as part of achieving your sport
pilot certificate. You may take the test at any time during your
flight training, or up to two years in advance of completing your
training. A multimedia ground school test-prep course such
as King Schools' Computer-based Interactive Video™ Sport
Pilot Knowledge Test can
be a great help. EAA members get a big discount! - Dual instruction
This is the phase of flight training that entails having your
instructor with you in the flight training aircraft. The majority
of hours flown before obtaining your license will be with an
instructor. - Acquisition of a Student Sport
Pilot Certificate
Before you may engage in solo flight training, you will need a
Student Sport Pilot Certificate issued by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). EAA members have an opportunity to acquire
this official certificate for free at several EAA events,
including the EAA
Sport Pilot Tour stops, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and other fly-ins and aviation gatherings at which EAA
exhibits or serves as host. - Solo flight training
One of the major milestones in learning to fly is your first solo
flight. Ask any pilot, and they can vividly recall the details of
the first time they flew solo.When your instructor believes you are
ready, he or she will "set you free" to fly on your own as you work
toward the completion of your flight training. You will need to
complete at least five hours of supervised solo flight during your
airplane flight training. - The cross-country
flight.
An important element of your flight training will entail your
conducting a "trip" in the airplane. That is, you'll depart from
one airport and land at one or more different airports before
returning to your home field. This exercise will ensure your
ability to fly and navigate. Your flight instructor will oversee
each cross country flight. - The oral and practical
test
Once you have completed the different flight training requirements
and your flight instructor is satisfied that your flight training
is complete, you will need to pass a “checkride”.The check ride
entails an oral exam followed by a hands-on flight test, both of
which you must pass to obtain your sport pilot certificate. You
must take your check ride with an FAA designated examiner. That
way, an unbiased set of "fresh eyes" examines your knowledge,
practices, and proficiencies at the controls.
Is flying
safe?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
Recreational flight is statistically
among the safest outdoor motor sports. Although every activity -
even walking outside to collect your morning newspaper - carries a
degree of inherent risk, flying for fun falls well within the
safety margins that most people expect for recreational
activity.
And flying as a sport pilot
eliminates several risk factors, making it potentially even safer
than other general-aviation flying. Because the sport pilot's
flight activities by definition entail daylight, favorable weather,
good visibility, and light aircraft capable of low-speed flight,
the sport pilot can focus on FUN instead of worry.
What are the basic
"qualifications"?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
The fundamental qualifications for
becoming a sport pilot are quite simple. Remember, the main idea
behind the sport pilot movement is to open up the exciting world of
recreational aviation to many more enthusiasts. We love aviation
and want to share that joy with you and many others!
Accordingly, the qualifications are
modest:
- At least 17 years of
age
- Valid state driver's
license
- Proficient in the English
language
- Be able to affirm general good
health and not using substances or medications that impede
judgment, cognition, or motor skills
That's it!
Once I’ve learned to fly, where
can I
fly?
Jerrich Aircraft Inc.™
Once you've achieved your sport
pilot certificate, you'll likely find yourself exploiting every
possible opportunity to get out and FLY!
You might plan an ambitious
coast-to-coast trip, hopping your way across the country through
clear-weather routes. Maybe you'll fly away with a friend for a
weekend getaway or spend a few hours practicing at the local
airport. Or maybe you’ll take in scenic vistas from above. Whatever
the plan -- however simple or grandiose -- it will center on
enjoying the world from a different perspective, and feeling the
exhilaration, freedom, and satisfaction of flying an aircraft
yourself.
More Information can be found
at: Http://www.SportPilot.org
____________________________________________________________________
There has been much confusion about medical requirements for
Light-Sport Pilots and Recreational, and when you look at CFR Part
61.303, the regs are anything but clear cut.
See CFR 61.303
FlightPhysical.com's Summary Table of Medical
Requirements
| If You Hold | And you have | Then you may operate | And |
|---|
(1) A Medical Certificate | (i) A sport pilot certificate | (A) Any light
sport aircraft for which you hold the endorsements required for its
category, class, make and model | (1) You must
hold any other endorsements required by this subpart, and comply
with the limitations in § 61.315 |
| | (ii) At least a recreational pilot
certificate with a category and class rating | (A) Any light
sport aircraft in that category and class | (1) You do not
have to hold any of the endorsements required by this subpart, nor
do you have to comply with the limitations in § 61.315 |
| | (iii) At least a recreational pilot
certificate but not a rating for the category and class of light
sport aircraft you operate | (A) That light
sport aircraft, only if you hold the endorsements required in §
61.321 for its category and class | (1) You must
comply with the limitations in § 61.315, except § 61.315(c)(14)
and, if a private pilot or higher, § 61.315(c)(7) |
Only a U.S. Driver's License (any state) | (i) A sport pilot certificate | (A) Any light
sport aircraft for which you hold the endorsements required for its
category, class, make and model | (1) You must
hold any other endorsements required by this subpart, and comply
with the limitations in § 61.315 |
| | ii) At least a recreational pilot certificate
with a category and class rating | (A) Any light
sport aircraft in that category and class | (1) You do not
have to hold any of the endorsements required by this subpart, nor
do you have to comply with the limitations in § 61.315 |
| | (iii) At least a recreational pilot
certificate but not a rating for the category and class of light
sport aircraft you operate | (A) That light
sport aircraft, only if you hold the endorsements required in §
61.321 for its category and class | (1) You must
comply with the limitations in § 61.315, except § 61.315(c)(14)
and, if a private pilot or higher, § 61.315(c)(7) |
(3) Neither an FAA Medical Certificate nor a U.S. Driver's
License | (i) A sport pilot certificate | (A) Only a
light sport glider or balloon for which you hold the endorsements
required for its category and class | (1) You must
hold any other endorsements required by this subpart, and comply
with the limitations in § 61.315 |
| | ii) At least a private pilot certificate with
a category and class rating | (A) Only a
light sport glider or balloon fin that category and class
| (1) You do not
have to hold any of the endorsements required by this subpart, but
you must comply with the limitations in § 61.315 |
| | (iii) At least a private pilot certificate
but not a rating for glider or balloon | (A) Only a
light sport glider or balloon, if you hold the endorsements
required in § 61.321 for its category and class | (1) You must
comply with the limitations in § 61.315, except § 61.315(c)(14)
and, if a private pilot or higher, § 61.315(c)(7) |
Typical Questions about Sport Pilot Medical
Requirements (FAQs):
- Why can't an airman with a current
and valid driver's license medically self-certify to exercise sport
pilot privileges if their most recent Special Issuance was
withdrawn or last FAA medical certificate was denied, suspended, or
revoked?
- If I think I might have a significant
medical condition, but have never had an FAA medical certificate
denied, suspended, or revoked, can I fly as a sport pilot using my
current and valid driver's license, if otherwise qualified?
- If I will only be exercising sport
pilot privileges, do I need to renew my current FAA medical
certificate when it expires?
- Is a Special Issuance (waiver)
considered denial of an application for an airman medical
certificate?
- Must I renew my medical certificate
if I am subsequently issued a certificate after my last certificate
was denied, suspended, or revoked, or may I simply use my current
and valid U.S. driver's license as evidence of medical
qualification?
- Provided I otherwise qualify and have
never sought FAA medical certification, am I authorized to exercise
sport pilot privileges on the basis of a current and valid driver's
license if I have a chronic medical condition such as
diabetes?
- How common are denials for
third-class airman medical certificates?
- Show me the Class 3 Medical
Standards
For more FAA information on the Sport Pilot Certification,
please contact the FAA directly:Federal Aviation Administration
CAMI, AAM-300
P.O. Box 26080
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DFWSportPilot@Yahoo.com
866-341-3821
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