NORTH GEORGIA
AVIATION PRIVATE
PILOT CERTIFICATE
Your Private Pilot Certificate —What it Takes
If you’ve got dreams that point skyward, earning your Private Pilot Certificate is just the beginning of unlocking opportunities for which the sky is truly the limit. While earning your certificate requires a number of steps and a lot of study, we can assure you that our students find their efforts more than worthwhile upon completion. When you learn to fly with North Georgia Aviation, you get a comprehensive experience that emphasizes both safety and proficiency.
Anyone who wishes to obtain their Private Pilot Certificate with an airplane rating must have at least 40 hours of flight instruction, including solo time; however, our experience tells us that most people average about 50-60 hours total time for completion. These hours must, however, include a little variety to ensure that you are proficient in operating the airplane as Pilot In Command (PIC). To demonstrate this proficiency, the FAA requires that you have a certain number of hours of flight instruction from a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) that includes basic instrument training, night flying, and solo time, which consists of both cross-country flights and solo takeoffs and landings in the aircraft prior to your checkride. It might all sound a little complicated, but our flight instructors are here to guide you every single step of the way.
What is General Eligibility?
You will be introduced to what is known as General Eligibility to qualify for your Private Pilot Certificate. These requirements include being at least 17 years of age, able to read, write, and speak fluent English and holding at least a third-class medical certificate, which is nothing more than a basic physical and certifies that you have no underlying issue that may be disqualifying. In addition, you will need to pass a written exam and a checkride, which includes your oral exam and a flight test on procedures and maneuvers selected and issued by an FAA inspector or examiner to determine your competency in flight operations to ensure that they comply with the criteria that apply to the Private Pilot Certificate.
Why Your Basics Should Be Thoroughly Covered
You will also find yourself well trained in Aeronautical Knowledge. This includes logged ground instruction from a North Georgia Aviation Flight Instructor demonstrating that you have the necessary Aeronautical Knowledge to obtain a Private Pilot Certificate. This may sound like a lot of effort for something that is not as engaging an experience, but during this time, you will also get to explore your ability to demonstrate and understand navigation with Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and flight maneuvering by the use of ground objects, in addition to familiarity with radio aids, and recognition of critical weather conditions. These skills are still vitally important since the birth of aviation. While we have technology on our side in today’s world, ensuring that you have the basic piloting skills under your belt is imperative.
Safety is Our Top Priority
While you can choose to fly a number of different aircraft, we specialize in single-engine aircraft. However, there is so much more to learn about than simply how your aircraft operates on the ground and in the air. You will also be learning about controlled and uncontrolled airport operations so that you can keep yourself and your passengers, along with your other fellow pilots, safe. While getting your Private Pilot Certificate, you will also learn about required preflight operations, which include weight and balance of your airplane, line inspection, and basic aircraft servicing. In addition, you will get to experience flight at slow airspeeds with realistic distractions and the recognition of and recovery from stalls, along with emergency operations, including simulated aircraft and equipment malfunction. At North Georgia Aviation, we want to ensure that you meet and exceed all of the FAA requirements and you are fully proficient and well-versed in our rigorous safety standards to guarantee success when reaching your aviation goals. We are always here to help and would love for you to contact us directly with any questions and more detail regarding the specification and requirements that are outlined here.