Below are presented the answers to some frequently asked questions about learning to fly. Together they pretty well explain what it takes to get a pilot’s license, which is actually called a “certificate”.

How long does it take to learn to fly? For most people who have a regular job and can take lessons on the weekend or an occasional evening after work the answer is 4 to 6 months. We suggest you try to take 2 lessons a week. That way you won’t forget very much between lessons. The more often you can fly the less total hours it will take to learn, and that will save you money. It is possible to learn in as little as 3 weeks; or, although not practical, you can drag it out over a year or more.

Are there stringent medical requirements? No. The FAA 3rd class medical exam is a piece of cake. If you can get into the doctor’s office unassisted you pass. Well, almost. Really high blood pressure is a problem. But vision generally isn’t. You can wear glasses as thick as old Coke bottles and still pass if your vision is reasonably correctable. Believe it or not, even one eye is OK. So is heart bypass surgery, after testing to prove that you have completely recovered. However, mind-altering drugs like Valium or Prozac are disqualifying.

How much does it really cost to learn to fly? We charge $69/hr for the airplane and $38/hr for the instructor. A typical lesson is about an hour long. When it’s all said and done the real answer is approximately $5000. Beware of the “marketing” answer you get at some flight schools/airports that come up with a lot lower cost. You can buy the required bare minimum of flight instruction (20 hours) and aircraft rental (40 hours) for around $3500, but there are other substantial costs. You’ll need ground instruction, which most people get from an interactive CD or DVD computer-based home study course (also available on video tape if you’re not a computer person) that costs $300. There are another 10 hours or so of ground school to learn the things you can’t get from the home study course, and that costs about $400. Other things you will need include some books, a headset, and other pilot’s tools costing about $200. There is a final examiner’s fee of $250. And don’t forget the 6% sales tax on everything except the instructor fees, another roughly $250. And you may need a bit more instruction than the FAA mandated minimum of 40 hours. All these extras add up to about $1500 over the basic 40-hour instruction/aircraft rental cost.

Do I have to pay the $5000 up front? Heck no! This is a pay-as-you-go activity. You pay only for the lessons you take as you take them.

Can I get a discount? Yes. Buy “block time” and get a 5% discount. Pay us $1000 (about 10 hours worth) up front and we’ll add an additional $50, crediting your account for $1050. You can charge all your instruction, aircraft rental and supplies (but not the final examiner’s fee) against your block of time. Do that as needed throughout your training and you’ll save $250 along the way. That brings the total cost down to $4750. If you need to stop taking lessons for any reason (even if you just change your mind) we will refund the balance in your block time account, less the discount. We offer “block time” to save you some money and to help our cash flow, not to make you a captive student. Beyond the block time discount you can save another 5% by paying for your lessons with an AOPA-sponsored Master Card. Membership in the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is free to student pilots, and the credit card has no annual fee. You will then receive a 5% rebate on all aviation-related purchases at participating airports. We participate, and that will save you another $250 on your training. Now you’re down to about $4500.

Is financing available? Yes. We are affiliated with Pilot Finance, 1-800-667-0201, www.pilotfinance.com. They will be happy to loan you money for flight lessons.

What testing is required in order to get my pilot’s certificate? There are several levels of testing along the way to getting your certificate. The first is a pre-solo quiz that your flight instructor will administer prior to letting you fly the airplane alone. The pre-solo quiz is take-home and open-book so you can’t really flunk it. The second test is the FAA’s Knowledge Test. It consists of 60 multiple-choice questions answered on a computer at an FAA-approved testing center. 70% correct is passing. There are eleven subject areas covering such things as weather, regulations, medical factors affecting flight, aircraft systems, navigation, etc. Most pilots prepare for the Knowledge Test by taking a videotape or computer-based home study course. The questions are in the public domain so you can look at each possible question, and it’s answer, before taking the test. The final test to get your pilot’s certificate, called the Practical Test, is taken with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. It consists of oral quizzing to make sure you really know about flying, and a flight portion where you go up in the plane with the examiner and show that you know flight procedures and can fly safely. Each part takes about an hour and a half. When you are finished the examiner gives you your pilot certificate right there on the spot.

After I get my pilot’s certificate, what airplane do I fly? Well, you can certainly rent our planes any time you want one. You can even take them on extended trips for several days at a time. Beyond that, you can rent a plane at any of the thousands of airports across the country. All that is required is a brief check-out (for insurance reasons) and you can rent an airplane anywhere. You can buy a small plane for as little as $15,000, but $25k to $40k is more typical. Joint ownership consisting of two or three partners is quite common.

OK, now I have my pilot’s certificate. Where can I go? Answer: Like a big dog, anywhere you want. In the USA we have a very good air traffic system. It is completely based on “first come; first served”. That means if you want to go to a big city airport you can do it. As soon as you call on the radio you are placed in sequence with all other planes landing at that airport. At the other end of the spectrum, there is a small airport at nearly every town in this country. Most have free courtesy cars to loan you. In a small plane you can get to the place you really need to be without driving a long distance from a big commercial air terminal.

How long is my pilot’s certificate good for? A pilot’s certificate is good for the lifetime of the holder. In order to keep it in valid you must take a flight physical every three years (two years if you’re over 40). You also have to have a Flight Review every two years. The flight review is a ride with any flight instructor to show him/her that you haven’t forgotten how to fly, and a review of regulations and procedures. It is NOT a flight test.

Yes, I’m interested, but I’m not sure. What should I do? Then take an introductory lesson. There is no obligation. For $49 we’ll show you what this is all about. We give you a brief explanation of what to expect, do a pre-flight inspection of the airplane, and then we go flying. You’ll fly the plane most of the time (we’ll help), and you’ll get a real feel for flying lessons. After landing we’ll answer all your questions, and then you decide if you want to continue learning. If you just want to go home and think about it, that’s fine. No high pressure here. After all, this is Seymour, Indiana.

I need more information before I take the plunge. Then call me, Larry Bothe, either at the airport, 812-523-6001, or at my home office up until 9:00pm, 812-524-9440 and I’ll help you with whatever you want to know. I have been flying since 1973 and instructing since 1978. Over the years I have owned 3 airplanes and accumulated more than 5000 flight hours of flight time. Let me help you with your decision making process. To learn more about Pardieck Aviation and the qualifications of our staff please look at our website, www.pardieckaviation.com.

How do I get started? Please call Pardieck Aviation, 812-523-6001, to schedule an introductory lesson. Or, stop by the airport, look at the planes and have a cup of coffee with us. We love to talk about flying.

Thank you,
Larry Bothe
Master Certified Flight Instructor
FAA Designated Pilot Examiner Rev. 10/02/2005

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