Determining Your Goals

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Before you begin any flight training, you should establish your flying goals. To help identify your goals, you should ask yourself the following questions:

- Do I want to fly for pleasure, business, or as a career?
- Where do I want to train?
- What type of flight school do I plan to attend?
- Will I train as a full- or part-time student?
- How do I plan to pay for my flight training expenses?
- Will I need financial aid?*

*Note: Don't base your choice(s) on the cost, since some flight schools offer financial aid (i.e. loans, scholarships, etc.) to eligible students.

After you have answered these questions and others you have thought about, you should contact us and schedule some time to sit down with a Flight Instructor and discuss your goals and build a plan of attack.

Age Limits
You can start taking flight lessons at any age. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that you must be at least 16 years old to solo an airplane and you must be 17 years old to earn a Recreational or Private Pilot Certificate. Glider and balloon pilots can fly solo at the age of 14 and earn a pilot certificate at 16 years of age.

There is no maximum age limit. If you plan to fly for pleasure (neither commercial or military), you can fly as long as you have a current medical certificate (pilot certificates don't expire). However, the FAA requires airline pilots to retire at the age of 60.

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