Your Private Pilot License (PPL) is a ticket to a world of adventure for you, your family, and your friends. These are the Federal Aviation Administration requirements for earning a PPL in a single-engine airplane. From Part 61, Subpart E – Private PIlots, they are:
- 61.103 General Eligibility Requirements
- 61.105 Aeronautical Knowledge
- 61.107 Flight Proficiency, subparagraphs (a) and (b)(1) only
- 61.109 Aeronautical Experience, subparagraph (a) only
- 61.110 Night Flying Exceptions (applies to Alaska residents only)
- 61.111 Cross-Country Flights: Pilots Based on Small Islands
- 61.113 Private Pilot Privileges and Limitations: Pilot In Command
- 61.117 Private Pilot Privileges and Limitations: Second in Command of Aircraft Requiring More Than One Pilot
To gain your needed Aeronautical Knowledge, Sharpes Aero recommends the King Schools “Online Private Pilot Written Exam Course.” This course is not only popular but 99.8% of those taking this course pass the FAA exam. Sharpes Aero integrates each flight lesson with the appropriate King Schools lesson to ensure what is learned in each reinforces the other. Also, all clients of Sharpes Aero are eligible for a discount of 20% or more on King Schools courses.
Details on the expectations the FAA has for a candidate to demonstrate the eleven areas of Flight Proficiency are given in the Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards. It describes the tasks, objectives for each Area of Operation along the the knowledge, risk management, and skills you need to demonstrate.
Aeronautical Experience only comes from getting in the sky. Here is a recap of what the FAA wants to see in your logbook for an Airplane Single-Engine PPL
- At least 40 hours total time
- At least 20 hours flight time with an instructor that includes:
- 3 hours, cross-country training
- 3 hours, night training
- 3 hours, instrument training
- 3 hours, practical test preparation training
- At least 10 hours solo flight time that includes:
- 5 hours, solo cross-country time
These are the minimum hours called for by the FAA. My experience has been that Private Pilot candidates typically need at least 60 hours total time before being ready for the practical exam.