The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has minimum requirements to become a private pilot:

You must read, speak and understand the English language.

There is no minimum age to take flying lessons, however, you must be at least 16 years of age to fly solo and 17 years of age to receive a private pilot certificate.

You must have a third class medical certificate issued by an FAA medical examiner. Even if you don’t have perfect vision or are color blind you can pass this medical exam. You may take flying lessons without a medical exam, but may not fly solo.

You must have at least 40 hours of total flight time and at least 20 hours with a Certified Flight Instructor.

Training

The training sessions are scheduled in two-hour blocks at your convenience seven days a week starting at 7:00 a.m. to 9: 00 p.m.

During this time, you and your flight instructor will complete ground and flight instruction.

Salem Air Center Flight Training uses the Gleim training package that includes training C/D’s, multi-color text books, and workbooks. This program has been used internationally and has proven to be an excellent tool to complete your flight training. We also offer week-end ground schools.

The training is broken up into three stages:

The first stage is preparing you to solo (which means flying without your flight instructor in the aircraft). In this phase of your training you learn about slow flight, stalls, ground reference maneuvers, climbs, descents, straight and level, radio procedures, aerodynamics, take offs and landings. Mastery of these maneuvers allows you to solo under the FAA minimum requirements.

The second stage is geared toward navigation and cross country work. In this stage you focus on cross country planning, maximum performance takeoffs and landings, understanding weather, lost and diversion procedures, night flying and navigation, weight and balance, and advanced chart reading. once you have completed these tasks you are able to fly solo cross countries to airports within the Northwest.

The third and final stage is the preparation for your check ride. In this stage you review all of the above procedures to the standards outlined in the FAA Practical Test Standards. The PTS is the outline of the flight and knowledge requirements in order to pass your private pilot check ride. The check ride is taken with an FAA approved examiner. It is typically 4-6 hours long and consists of oral testing and a check flight. once you have passed this check ride, you are a certified private pilot. This means you can fly anywher in the United Stated under Visual Flight Rules (VFR conditions).