The FAA allows you to begin flight training at an early age. However, you must be 16 years old to fly alone and be at least 17 years old to officially receive your PPL. You must be fluent in English, have a third-class medical certificate, and have basic knowledge of mathematics. The FAA requires everyone to be at least 16 years of age to fly alone on any aircraft other than a glider or balloon.
And the minimum age required to obtain a pilot's license is 17. So you can start your private pilot training before you're 16, but you'll have to fly consistently until you're 17 to get your certificate. The Federal Aviation Regulations require a person to be at least 16 years old to operate a solo aircraft and 17 years old to obtain a private pilot certificate. There is no age limit for starting flight classes with a certified flight instructor. There is no maximum age for acquiring a private pilot certificate.
Once a person obtains this certificate, they can exercise the prerogatives of that certificate as long as they continue to obtain a medical certificate and a biannual review of their flight. You can get certified to fly gliders or balloons if you are at least 14 years old. Otherwise, you must be at least 16 years old to apply for a pilot student license. You must also be able to read, speak and understand English.
You can learn to fly with an instructor on the aircraft without having a student pilot certificate, but you can't record flying hours alone without him. If you want to fly a more powerful plane, but don't need to carry a lot of passengers or travel far from home, you can opt for a recreational pilot's license. The good news for those over 17 is that there is no maximum age for obtaining a private pilot's license. People with a third or second class medical qualification may be limited to obtaining recreational and private pilot licenses, so before investing in airline pilot training, it's good to get full medical authorization.
With a commercial pilot's license, you can tow banners, spray crops, fly sightseeing tours, and carry paying passengers. Flying is the safest mode of transport there is, so giving a young person the chance to get a pilot's license doesn't seem like a stretch. So how old do you have to be to get a pilot's license? In the next article, we'll look at ages, the different types of licenses available, and how to become a pilot. If you want to fly across the country, fly at night and carry more than one passenger, you'll need at least a private pilot certificate.
To get a pilot's license that doesn't require a medical certificate, you can opt for a sports pilot's license. Determining at what age you can become a pilot depends on the type of license you are looking for and the type of aircraft you want to fly. Just take the form to the Flight Regulations District Office (FSDO), to an FAA-designated pilot examiner, to an aviator certification representative associated with a Part 141 flight school, or to a certified flight instructor. Liz Brassaw is the first officer of a regional airline and was previously chief pilot and director of flight operations for Thrust Flight.
This pilot's license allows you to fly light sports aircraft (LSAs) without a medical certificate and only during the day. The Federal Aviation Administration requires certain prerequisites before anyone can obtain their private pilot's license, and age is an important factor.
