Fly Your Way To A Homesteading Experience

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WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL PILOT?

The student pilot certificate is your first goal. This slip of paper entitles you to fly solo (that is, all by yourself) under the supervision of your instructor. And, no, you won't be allowed to fly solo the first time you get in a plane. You'll need at least eight to ten hours of "dual" (i.e., instruction time) before you can go up by yourself.

The next step up is the private pilot certificate. (This may also be the last step up for the homesteader who doesn't wish to fly for hire.) The holder of a private ticket may legally carry passengers and may share his or her expenses (gas, oil, etc.) with passengers, but may not fly for a living. A private pilot may, however, use an airplane in his or her business if flying is not the primary purpose of that business. (For example, many big-game hunting guides who fly their clients to and from the scene of the murder are private pilots.)

At present, the FAA requires all applicants for a private license to pass a written examination, complete a minimum of 35 hours of flight training, and pass both oral and flight examinations before the license is issued. That translates into about one to two months of fairly intensive effort for the student with lots of time on his or her hands.

A commercial pilot certificate is required of all pilots who wish to fly for hire. If you want to fly charter, you'll also need an instrument rating (which entitles you to fly when the visibility is less than one mile). To qualify 'for a combined commercial/instrument license, you must pass two written exams (one for the commercial, one for the instrument), log a minimum of 190 hours total, and pass both an oral and a flight test. Commercial/instrument students who devote full time to their studies can finish in as little as three months.

Certified flight instructor (CFI) and instrument instructor (CFII) licenses are required for those pilots who wish to teach others how to fly. (Strictly speaking, the CFII is required only of instructors whose students are preparing for their instrument ratings. It helps to have a " double-eye" -that is, a CFII license-when you apply for a job, however.) Most pilots pass their flight tests for both the CFI and CFII easily after about 35 hours of instruction. (There is no "set" number of required hours.) Two written exams are required for the CFI license ... no additional tests for the extra "I".

A multi-engine rating (once you've learned to fly a single-engine plane) normally requires about 10 additional hours of instruction. There is a flight test, but no written examination for this license. Any pilot wishing to fly airplanes with more than one engine must have a multi-engine rating but, because of the additional expense, most flyers wait until they actually need it before obtaining this license.

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