Requirements

🧒 How Old Do You Have to Be to Start Flying?

You can start taking flying lessons at any age — there’s no minimum to begin learning with an instructor.

 

That said, the FAA requires you to be at least 16 years old to fly solo, and 17 years old to earn your Private Pilot Certificate.

 

While the FAA outlines minimum training hours, real-world averages are often higher. The actual time it takes depends on your consistency, study habits, and comfort level in the air.

 

💬 Curious about starting?

Give us a call — we’ll walk you through everything you need to know and help you take that first step.

 

 

 

Private Pilot Requirements

 

1. Be at least 17 years of age.
2. Be able to read, write, and converse fluently in English.
3. Obtain at least a third-class FAA medical certificate.
4. Receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course.
5. Pass a knowledge test with a score of 70% or better.
6. Log at least 40 hours of flight time that includes:
   • 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor
   • 10 hours of solo flight training
7. Receive a total of 40 hours of flight instruction and solo flight time and demonstrate skill.
8. Successfully complete a practical (flight) test given as a final exam by an FAA inspector or designated pilot examiner and conducted as specified in the FAA’s Private Pilot Practical Test Standards.

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Instrument Rating Requirements

 

1. Hold at least a private pilot certificate.
2. Be able to read, write, and converse fluently in English.
3. Hold a current FAA medical certificate.
4. Receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course.
5. Pass a knowledge test with a score of 70% or better.
   • The instrument rating knowledge test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions selected from the airplane-related questions in the FAA’s instrument rating test bank.
6. Flight time requirements:
   • At least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot-in-command (10 of these in airplanes for an instrument-airplane rating)
   • A total of 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time
   • At least 15 hours of instrument flight training from an authorized instructor in the aircraft category for the instrument rating sought
7. Receive flight instruction and demonstrate skill.
8. Successfully complete a practical (flight) test given as a final exam by an FAA inspector or designated pilot examiner and conducted as specified in the FAA’s Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards.

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Commercial Pilot Requirements

 

1. Be able to read, write, and converse fluently in English.
2. Be at least 18 years of age.
3. Hold at least a current third-class FAA medical certificate.
   • If flying commercially, a second-class medical certificate is required.
4. Hold an instrument rating.
   • If not, the commercial certificate will be endorsed with a restriction against carrying passengers for hire on day VFR flights beyond 50 NM or at night.
5. Receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course.
6. Pass a knowledge test with a score of 70% or better.
   • The test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions from the FAA’s commercial pilot test bank.
7. Accumulate required flight experience:
   • A total of 250 hours of flight time is required.
8. Successfully complete a practical (flight) test given as a final exam by an FAA inspector or designated pilot examiner and conducted as specified in the FAA’s Commercial Pilot Practical Test Standards.