At What Age Can A Person Get A Pilots License?

At What Age Can A Person Get A Pilots License?A lot of people ask us “At What Age Can A Person Get A Pilots License“. The Federal Aviation Regulations states in FAR 61.103 that “to be eligible for a private pilot certificate a person must (a) be at least 17 years of age for a rating other than glider or balloon”. So with that regulation in mind, a person can take their private pilot check ride on their 17th birthday.

The age requirement to solo an aircraft other than a glider or balloon is set forth in FAR 61.83 (a). At 16 years of age a person can obtain a student pilot certificate and be legal to solo in an aircraft other than a balloon or glider.

Training can begin at any time the student can comprehend the material and comfortably and safely reach the controls. That being said, a 6′ tall 10 year old may allow for some of the criteria to be met but at 10, the comprehension may be an issue. It is a good idea to begin young students with a flight every four weeks and let them do more in the books and ground training. The closer to solo age they get, the more they would need to fly. The best pace is a couple of training flights a week once the age requirements are met.

There is no age requirement to start learning. There is a point where common sense and logic come to play though. I completely agree with getting kids of all ages involved in aviation, but taking a flying lesson at five years old is doing nothing for the student and costs a lot of money. It has been my experience that at age 15 young men and women can start understanding the material and building their skill to a level necessary to be a safe and proficient pilot.

If you ever wanted to learn to fly give us a call at Perry Air LLC at 1-478-284-0880 to schedule a discovery flight or if you have additional questions. Servicing Perry, Macon, Warner Robins, Atlanta GA and surrounding counties.

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