Private Pilot License (PPL) Program -- Part 61.
importANT NOTE: A medical is required prior to solo flight. We recommend obtaining a FIRST CLASS medical if you want to become a professional pilot. If you are looking to fly recreationally, then a THIRD CLASS medical is required.
Why learn how to fly?
once you’ve taken to the skies at the controls of an airplane, you’ll never look at the world in quite the same way. Imagine leaving the Bay Area on a busy Friday afternoon, speeding over the choked-up freeways below, and landing in Tahoe less than an hour later. Or heading to L.A. for the weekend, without dealing with overbooked airlines, lost luggage, and all the hassles of airline travel. Or you could simply take your friends on an awe-inspiring aerial tour of the beautiful Bay Area. In fact, once you have your private pilot certificate, you can pretty much fly anywher in the world you want. You set your own schedule, enjoy the freedom of the skies, and witness gorgeous views that are far better than those you’ll get on an airliner. And if you share the cost of the flight with your friends, you can often fly somewher for less than you’d pay for a coach-class ticket.
Is it safe?
No human activity is perfectly safe. But despite all the overblown news stories to the contrary, flying is simply the world’s safest form of transportation. General aviation fatalities occur approximately once every 100,000 hours of flight time, which means you’d have to stay in the air for eleven straight years (that’s 24 hours a day, 365 days a year) before you’d be likely to die in an accident. To put that in perspective, even senior airline captains don’t log much more than 20,000 hours in an entire lifetime, while most non-professional pilots will log much less. At California Airways, we pride ourselves on our perfect safety record. Our aircraft are stringently maintained to FAA standards, and our veteran instructors have logged thousands of accident-free hours.
How difficult is it?
Flying isn’t as difficult as most people think. While it’s admittedly more complicated than driving a car, it’s still within the grasp of most people. Of course, experienced flight instructors make a huge difference. Our seasoned instructors have taught hundreds of people how to fly, ranging from 15-year-old high-school students to 75-year-old retirees. If you’d like to see for yourself, take an introductory flight with us. You’ll fly the airplane from the pilot’s seat, with your instructor assisting you. It’ll open up a world you probably never knew existed.
How long will it take?
That depends on how often you fly. The average person logs 65 hours of flight time before earning the private pilot certificate. If you fly twice a week, and log 1.5 hours of flight time per lesson, you should be finished in six months or less. Of course, you can fly more often if you prefer, and earn your certificate quicker.
How much will it cost?
Since every student has different skills, it's difficult to provide an exact cost number. However, assuming that you train in a Cessna 152 and complete your flight training in the average time, you can expect to spend approximately $9,000 to earn your private pilot certificate.
