Your path to a private pilot certificate
Seven stages, from your discovery flight to your checkride and beyond. Pick where you are and see exactly what to study, what to prepare for and which FAA requirements come next.
Tap I'm here on your stage and we'll remember it on this device.
1
Before your first lesson
Getting started
Take a discovery flight, pick a school, figure out the cost, and get your paperwork started. You can fly with an instructor before you have any certificate.
What to do
- Take a discovery flight (an intro lesson) at one or two schools.
- Choose Part 61 or Part 141 training and a school that fits your schedule and budget.
- Apply for your student pilot certificate through IACRA with your instructor. You need it before you solo.
- Get an FAA medical certificate (third class is enough) early. You need it before you solo in a regular airplane, and it's better to find any issues now.
FAA milestones
- Student pilot certificate Must be at least 16 to solo an airplane. 14 CFR 61.83 ↗
Study
LessonHow Old Do You Have to Be to Fly a Plane? Every FAA Age Limit ExplainedLessonYour First Flight Lesson (or Discovery Flight)LessonHow Much Does a Private Pilot License Cost in 2026? A Realistic BreakdownLessonPart 61 vs Part 141 Flight SchoolsLessonHow to Get Your FAA Student Pilot Certificate (IACRA, Vetting and Timeline)LessonSport Pilot vs Private Pilot After MOSAICLessonStudent Pilot Gear ChecklistToolTraining cost calculatorToolFind a flight school
2
Your first lessons, up to solo
Learning to fly
You learn the airplane: preflight, taxi, the four fundamentals (straight-and-level, turns, climbs, descents), slow flight, stalls, emergencies, and lots of takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern.
What to do
- Read the matching handbook chapter before each lesson. Each Lesson Prep page links it.
- Learn your airplane's checklists and emergency procedures from its POH.
- Practice radio calls out loud at home before you need them.
- Take the pre-solo written test your instructor gives you on the rules and your airplane.
FAA milestones
- Pre-solo knowledge test Given and graded by your instructor, who reviews every missed question. 14 CFR 61.87 ↗
- Pre-solo flight training Your instructor must train you on the maneuvers listed in 61.87(d) before endorsing you. 14 CFR 61.87 ↗
Prepare for these lessons
PrepPreflight InspectionPrepEngine Start and TaxiPrepBefore-Takeoff Check (Run-Up)PrepRadio Calls and Traffic PatternsPrepManeuvering During Slow FlightPrepPower-Off Stalls (Approach-to-Landing)PrepPower-On Stalls (Departure)PrepSteep TurnsPrepGround Reference ManeuversPrepNormal and Crosswind Takeoffs and LandingsPrepGo-Around / Rejected LandingPrepForward Slip to a LandingPrepEngine Failure and Emergency Approach
Study
3
When your instructor says you're ready
First solo
You fly the airplane alone for the first time, usually a few laps in the traffic pattern. After that you'll practice solo between lessons with your instructor's endorsement.
What to do
- Know your solo limitations: they're written in your endorsement (weather, wind, airports).
- Review go-arounds and emergencies the week before.
- Your solo endorsement is good for 90 days and must be renewed after that.
FAA milestones
- Solo endorsements Logbook endorsement for the make and model, plus your student certificate. Valid for 90 days. 14 CFR 61.87 ↗
- Medical certificate Required to solo (unless you're training for sport pilot). 14 CFR 61.23 ↗
Prepare for these lessons
PrepPreparing for Your First SoloPrepGo-Around / Rejected LandingPrepRadio Calls and Traffic Patterns
Study
4
After solo
Cross-country & night
You plan and fly trips to other airports, learn navigation, weather, performance and weight and balance, and fly at night. This stage is where most of the private pilot experience requirements get done.
What to do
- Plan every cross-country fully: route, weather, fuel, weight and balance, performance, alternates.
- Learn to read METARs, TAFs and sectional charts fluently.
- Practice short-field and soft-field takeoffs and landings, and basic instrument flying (by reference to instruments).
FAA milestones
- Solo cross-country endorsement Your instructor endorses you for solo cross-country, and each flight is reviewed. 14 CFR 61.93 ↗
- Night training 3 hours, including one cross-country over 100 nm total and 10 full-stop landings. 14 CFR 61.109 ↗
- Solo cross-country At least one of 150 nm total, with full-stop landings at three points and one leg over 50 nm. 14 CFR 61.109 ↗
- Instrument training 3 hours of flight by reference to instruments. 14 CFR 61.109 ↗
Prepare for these lessons
PrepCross-Country Flight (Pilotage and Dead Reckoning)PrepDiversion and Lost ProceduresPrepNight FlyingPrepShort-Field Takeoff and LandingPrepSoft-Field Takeoff and LandingPrepBasic Attitude Instrument Flying (Private)
Study
LessonVFR Navigation and Cross-Country PlanningLessonWeather Theory for PilotsLessonHow to Read a METARLessonDensity Altitude Explained (and Why It Matters at High-Elevation Airports)LessonAircraft PerformanceLessonWeight and BalanceLessonNight FlyingToolDensity altitude calculatorToolCrosswind calculator
5
Any time before the checkride
Knowledge test
The FAA written test: 60 multiple-choice questions on regulations, weather, navigation, performance and more. Many students take it during the cross-country stage.
What to do
- Get the endorsement from your instructor or a home-study course before testing.
- Practice with the official testing supplement figures, the same book you get at the test.
- Your result is valid for 24 calendar months for the checkride. Missed topics show as ACS codes; review them before the checkride.
FAA milestones
- Knowledge test endorsement From an instructor or a home-study course. 14 CFR 61.35 ↗
- Pass the test Minimum passing score is 70%. 14 CFR 61.103 ↗
Study
6
After you meet every requirement
Checkride
The practical test with an FAA examiner: an oral exam on the ground, then a flight covering the maneuvers in the Private Pilot ACS.
What to do
- Read the Private Pilot ACS cover to cover. Every task can be asked.
- Fly mock checkrides with your instructor or another CFI.
- Have your logbook, endorsements, IACRA application, medical, ID and airplane documents ready.
FAA milestones
- Aeronautical experience At least 40 hours total, with 20 hours of training with an instructor and 10 hours solo (Part 61). Most students need more. 14 CFR 61.109 ↗
- Checkride prep and endorsement 3 hours of training within the 2 calendar months before the test, plus your instructor's endorsement. 14 CFR 61.39 ↗
- Pass the practical test Oral exam and flight test to the Private Pilot ACS standards. 14 CFR 61.107 ↗
Prepare for these lessons
PrepEndorsements and Logbook EntriesPrepSystems and Equipment MalfunctionsPrepSteep TurnsPrepPower-Off Stalls (Approach-to-Landing)PrepPower-On Stalls (Departure)PrepShort-Field Takeoff and LandingPrepSoft-Field Takeoff and LandingPrepEngine Failure and Emergency Approach
Study
7
Keep going
After your private
Stay current, then add ratings: instrument, commercial, multi-engine and flight instructor. Each has its own Lesson Prep pages.
What to do
- Stay current: three takeoffs and landings in 90 days to carry passengers, and a flight review every 24 calendar months.
- The instrument rating makes you a much safer pilot and is the usual next step.
- Thinking about a career? Commercial, CFI and the airline path build on each other.
FAA milestones
- Flight review Every 24 calendar months. 14 CFR 61.56 ↗
- Passenger currency 3 takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days. 14 CFR 61.57 ↗
Study
LessonPilot Currency RulesLessonInstrument Rating Requirements (Part 61, Airplane)LessonCommercial Pilot Requirements (Airplane)LessonHow to Become a Flight Instructor (CFI)LessonHow to Become an Airline PilotToolInstrument Lesson PrepToolCommercial Lesson PrepToolMulti-Engine Lesson PrepToolCFI Lesson Prep
Every student's path is different. Your instructor's syllabus decides the order. Hour figures are FAA minimums, not predictions, and most students need more. Requirements are from 14 CFR Part 61, checked Oct 17, 2026.