The Licensing Process

In addition to achieving a minimum number of practice hours with an instructor, there are some other steps along the way to getting your license that you must fulfill. Here is a rundown of what you must do.

Ground Instruction

This is a required program of classroom study which encompasses aerodynamics, weather theory, navigation, weather reports, radio communications, FAA regulations, etc. Although it will help you through the FAA written test, its real purpose is to provide you with the knowledge you will need to be a proficient and safe pilot.

Solo Flight

When your instructor thinks you’re ready to fly solo, he’ll endorse your log book and student certificate and you’ll be cleared to take off and fly around the local area all by yourself. This is usually a nerve-racking moment, but also a rewarding one at the same time.

The Written Knowledge Test

This two and a half hour test consists of 60 random multiple-choice questions taken from a pool of roughly 700 questions. Acquired knowledge for this test is obtained via the ground instruction school and can be supplemented by home study with DVDs or books. The passing grade is 70 percent and is good for two years. If you haven’t completed the practical test within that time, the knowledge test must be taken again.

The Practical Test

The final step is the flight test, or practical test with the FAA Examiner sitting beside you. The first part is an oral exam which will take from one to two hours. Following this phase, you can taxi your plane to the flight line to begin the flying portion of the exam. You’ll be tested on such things as take offs and landings, airport operations, navigation, slow flight and stalls, instrument maneuvers, emergency procedures, and night operations. At the end of a successful test the examiner will issue you a temporary pilot’s license good for 120 days, enough time until your real license arrived from the FAA’s Oklahoma office.