New Student Starter Guide – How to Start Flight Training

So you’ve scheduled your demo flight or maybe you’ve already joined the waitlist to get started?

What’s next?

🛫 New Student Starter Guide

How to Get Ready for Flight Training at Aces High Aviation

Before you jump into lessons, here are a few key steps to help you start off strong and make the most of your training.

1. 🗓️ Schedule a Free Intro Meeting with Sam

Before you begin flight training, we invite you to schedule a completely free 30–60 minute meeting with Sam, the owner of Aces High Aviation.

This is your chance to sit down one-on-one, get familiar with how we operate, and have all your questions answered — no pressure, no rush.

What we’ll cover in the meeting:

How Aces High operates and what makes us different and the genuinely reviewed highest rated school in Long Beach / local area.
What a typical lesson looks like from start to finish
Setting realistic expectations around cost, timeframes, and progress
What to expect as you move through each stage of training
What’s required from you to be successful
Info on written exams, FAA medicals, insurance, and more
A complete tour of the aircraft and training facility
Time to ask any and all questions — we’ll make sure you feel fully informed

Most students choose to do this meeting before booking a demo flight, but it’s not required.

Our goal is simple: to help you feel confident, comfortable, and excited about your training path — and to build a flight plan that works for you.

Schedule your meeting here → Click to Schedule → Select “Schedule a meeting” on the contact form

2. 📋 Join the Waitlist

(Please check for current wait times if any)

If you haven’t already, make sure you’ve added yourself to our waitlist:
👉 Join the Waitlist

No deposit required
No contracts or obligations
You can still call us anytime to schedule an orientation, which is required before beginning flight lessons

3. 👨‍⚕️ Get Your FAA Medical Certificate

To fly solo, you’ll need an FAA medical exam.

For most students, a Third Class Medical is all that’s required
If you plan to fly commercially in the future, we recommend getting a First Class Medical
Fill out the questionnaire carefully at https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/
We recommend Dr. Hertzog: 2925 Palo Verde Ave, Long Beach, CA 90815 (562) 799-2020
Alternatively you can find a certified AME near you:
🔗 flightphysical.com/search

✔️ Try to get this done early in your training — ideally before you’re too many lessons in.

4. 📚 Start Your Ground School Course

You don’t need to finish ground school before flying — but starting it early helps a ton.

We recommend:
King Schools Private Pilot Online Ground School & Test Prep
They provide us a wonderful discount: instead of $299 it’s $229 — call (858) 576-6239 and mention Aces High Aviation.

👉 King Schools Ground School

Other solid options:

✏️ You should be consistently scoring 85–90% on practice tests before taking the real FAA written exam.

Practice exams available here:
👉 Free FAA Written Practice

5. 📝 Schedule Your FAA Written Exam

Once you’re ready:

Take the FAA Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) Written Exam – ~$175
You’ll need to create an account and have your FTN (FAA Tracking Number) ready
Find a test center here:
👉 faa.psiexams.com

6. 🧰 Get Your Materials

We carry everything you’ll need in our in-house pilot shop.

Start by picking up two essential books from us:

Airplane Flying Handbook
Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

Read both cover to cover. These aren’t just reference books — they lay the foundation for everything you’ll be learning in the air and on the ground.

7. 📖 Read the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH)

Start getting familiar with the aircraft you’ll be flying:

Cessna 152 II
Cessna 172 NAV II
Cessna 172 G1000

You can find the correct POH under our resources page:
👉 aceshighaviation.com/resources

It’s wordy — but 100% worth reading!

8. 📡 Start Listening to Live Air Traffic Control

Learning the radios early makes everything easier.

Tune in to KLGB Tower at liveatc.net
You’ll start getting used to the phrasing and flow of real communications
Don’t understand a word? Google it!