Getting Started as a Private Pilot

Are you interested in taking your first step toward becoming a pilot? You've come to the right place. Whether flying for personal recreation, business commuting, or getting started on the path towards becoming a professional aviator, earning a Private Pilot certificate is the best place to begin for most students. There are two main reasons for earning your Private Pilot certificate:

Recreation
If you're like us, you've got the "bug" for flying. Just sitting in a cockpit makes your heart race a little. After you earn your license, you can avail yourself of a host of opportunities available for getting your aviation "fix:"

• Join the South Carolina Breakfast Club
• Volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol
• Join the Experiment Aircraft Association and become a Homebuilder
• Fly to Oshkosh for the famous Airventure convention

Business and Personal Travel

Modern America is built on highways and motor vehicles...and traffic jams. Earning a Private Pilot allows you to spend more time at your favorite vacation or meeting meeting with an important client and less time on the freeway. By owning and flying your own aircraft, you may be eligible for significant tax breaks.

Becoming a Professional Pilot

Give wings to your dreams of become a career pilot by earning your first certificate. Once you've achieved Private Pilot, you'll be ready to move on to more advanced training that will help you land a career in the booming aviation industry. Find out more about advanced training here.

How to Apply for Private Pilot Instruction

Applying with USAeroFlight is easier than you might think:

• Schedule an aviation medical exam.
• Complete an interview with USAeroFlight.
• Submit an online application.
• Visit our school to complete student orientation.

How to schedule your aviation medical exam:

In order to qualify as a Private Pilot, you'll need to schedule an appointment with an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). To locate an AME near you, click here. Request a Class 1 or Class 2 exam if you plan to become a professional pilot. Request a Class 3 exam for recreational or personal flying.

How to prepare for your interview:

When you first talk with our flight school team, we expect you'll have many questions. Please come prepared with a written list so that we can make sure all your questions and concerns are addressed before you start training. We'd love to meet you in-person, but we can also conduct interviews over the phone. Just give us a call to get started!

How to submit an application:

After meeting with our team to discuss your questions and goals, you will receive a link to our online application form. Be prepared to set aside 15-20 minutes to thoroughly complete and submit the application and supplementary documents. We will process the information to allow a smooth transition into training!

What to expect at student orientation:

Orientations gives us an opportunity to take care of many of the prerequisites to beginning your flight training. We'll explain our billing and scheduling system, make copies of your passport for TSA verification, and help you apply for your Student Pilot certificate, the learner's permit of flight training. Once this is finished, you can begin flight lessons the same day!