Private Pilot
Ever dreamed of getting your private certificate?
ProFlight San Diego will help you achieve your recreational and professional aviation goals in the most efficient manner possible.
Getting your private pilot certificate is both satisfying and liberating.
Overview
General Info
The FAA minimum time required for you to get your private pilot certificate is 40 hours. The national average is around 60-75 hours. So ballpark around $10k-$12k. The best way to save money is to come to the lesson prepared and have the plane pre-flighted so the lesson can start on time.
Syllabus
The Airman Certification Standards is an FAA published document that lists all the required knowledge and flight maneuvers for the practical test (checkride). All of the training will be focused on the ACS so it's important to become familiar with it early on in training.
The ACS is generic and doesn't show a progression of the stages of training; that's there the syllabus comes in. It helps ensure that both the instructor and student are on on the same page.
King Schools has a good syllabus that details lesson progression. This is an important part of a flight training program that ProFlight uses.
Organization
You will have access to a Google Drive Folder which contains great information: syllabus, study guides, weight and balance, maneuvers, and your flight tracker spreadsheet (where hour recording is kept).
The best part about the flying club is that it's flexible. it is important to follow a syllabus, but since the club isn't a flight school, there's more freedom you have in terms of your training. Proflight can accelerate or slow down in certain areas depending on your strengths/weaknesses.
Ground Instruction
Students find the most success when they pair self-guided study ground school course with instructional reinforcement in the cockpit. King Schools, Gleim, Sports are all good options for the ground school portion. ProFlight San Diego recommends the King School training as their get it all package includes knowledge test prep, ground school content, and checkride prep.
https://www.kingschools.com/ground-school/private-pilot/courses/get-it-all
Payment
The cost of the plane is paid directly through schedule master. You will learn how to use this system for scheduling once you start flying. As for instructional costs, ProFlight keeps track of hours on a spreadsheet you have access to in your Google Drive. Billed weekly.
Requirements
Basic Requirements
Be at least 17 years of age
Be able to read, write, speak and understand the English language
Pass the required knowledge (written) test
Pass the required practical (checkride) test
Aeronautical requirements
40 hours of flight time
20 hours of dual
3 hours of cross-country
3 hours of night flight training which includes:
1 cross-country flight of over 100nm
10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop
3 hours of instrument flight training
3 hours of flight training in preparation of the practical test
10 hours of solo flight time which includes
5 hours of solo cross-country time
1 solo cross-country of 150nm total distance with full-stop landings at 3 points
3 takeoffs and landings at an airport with a control tower
How long does it take to get my private pilot certificate?
This question depends on your flexibility and how fast you'd like to work. The best way to retain information and proficiency is to fly at least two times a week. It is highly possible to start and finish your private rating in around three months if you're flying three times a week.
ProFlight offers accelerated flight training to help you save money. The more time you're in the cockpit, the easier it will be for you the next time you step in the cockpit. Meaning that the more you train, the less time you'll be spending on repeat lessons for skills that degraded or need more practice due to a time lapse.
What airplanes are accessible for my training?
ProFlight San Diego utilizes airplanes from two San Diego flying clubs: Plus One Flyers and Pacific Coast Flyers. A membership to one of these clubs is required to access the fleet and the online scheduling software.
Cessna or Piper? Which one should I Fly?
The two most common training aircraft are the Cessna 172 and the Piper Archer. The only main difference is Cessna is a high wing and the Piper is low wing aircraft. Both will accomplish the same training mission and it doesn't make a difference in terms of training. It is personal preference at the end of the day.
When should I do my written exam?
Getting your written completed as soon as you can is highly recommended. The checkride is a practical test whereas the written exam is a multiple choice exam. It's best to get the written test out of the way so you can solely focus on the practical application of learning to fly.
What materials do I need?
You will get a list of materials once you start flying. Many of these are FAA handbooks that can be found online as a free PDF. You can also purchase the hard copy if you prefer to take notes in the book. Other items include:
Headset
Fuel Sump
Logbook
Foreflight (although not required, having a digital display of information will enhance your flying experience)