Learning to Fly | Five Steps to Flight | Flight Schools With Great Views

Step 1: Go to the Doctor
All prospective private pilots must be at least 17 and undergo a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical exam, which tests sight—20/40 (corrected) or higher is required—and hearing, and looks at medical history. Check www.faa.gov for a list of FAA-certified doctors.

Step 2: Find an Instructor
For the adventure-plus-flight-training combo, see "Schools With Great Views."
For traditional schools, visit the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association' s Web site (flighttraining.aopa.org). But before you settle on an instructor, test-drive a few during two-hour intro flights ($50). One tip: Beware anyone who calls you "Iceman."

Step 3: Train, Train, Train
After landing an instructor, you must log at least 40 hours of total flight time—including 20 hours with your teacher and ten solo hours—augmented by intensive classroom sessions on FAA regulations, aerodynamics, weather assessment, and navigation. Full-time students can finish in three weeks; part-timers can take six months or more.

Step 4: Pass the Tests
Pilots must pass a 60-question knowledge test (www.faa.gov/pilots/become) and a practical test with an FAA examiner other than your instructor. The latter is like a driver's license exam, minus parallel parking.

Step 5: Get Airborne
You've aced the tests, gotten your license, and arranged a plane rental with your local airport (which typically runs $100 to $200 an hour). Up, up, and away, Maverick!

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Learning to Fly | Five Steps to Flight | Flight Schools With Great Views