martes, 26 de marzo de 2013

I Have Some Questions ...


How long does learning to fly take?

Learning to fly is not difficult, but it does require study and practice. Your aviation authority itemizes the things you must learn and the minimum hours of training and solo flight to earn a private pilot certificate. The minimum hours will vary from country to country but averages at about 45 hours. Few people complete their training in the minimum amount of time; most take 60 to 80 hours.

How long does a lesson last?

While most lessons are based on a one-hour flight, they may take two hours from start to finish because there's more to it than flying. There are pre- and post-flight discussions, in which you and your certificated flight instructor (CFI) talk about what you're going to do during your flight, how you performed, what you did well, what needs work, and what you'll do on your next lesson.

How safe is it?

General aviation (GA) is as safe as any other mode of travel, if not safer. You don't need a parachute because airplanes (and helicopters) do not fall from the sky, even if the engine stops. An aircraft without an engine, even if it's supposed to have one, is a glider and can be guided safely to the ground. If an engine quits, for example, the most common cause is the pilot ran out of gas. In other words, flying is as safe as the pilot makes it.

What kinds of licenses are there?

Pilots earn certificates, not licenses. Students work toward either a sport, recreational, or private pilot certificate. While the training for these is basically the same, the sport and recreational certificates are designed for fun flying close to home. In other words, sport and recreational pilots don't need or get the same training that private pilots must have for flying at night, on cross-country trips, or in more complex airspace.
Once you earn a private certificate, you can move up the ladder, if you so desire, to a commercial certificate, which enables you to fly for hire. A flight instructor certificate enables you to teach others to fly, and an airline transport pilot certificate is needed to captain an airliner. You can add a number of ratings to these certificates that let you fly airplanes in bad weather, seaplanes, gliders, helicopters, balloons, and airplanes with more than one engine.

Can I carry passengers?

Student pilots cannot carry passengers when flying solo. Friends or family may ride along on dual lessons (when the instructor is in the airplane); however, it's a good idea to discuss this with your instructor in advance. Recreational and sport pilots may carry only one passenger at a time; private pilots may carry as many passengers as the airplane will legally seat.

What about a medical exam?

In most cases, a student pilot certificate is also the medical certificate. This dual-purpose piece of paper is good for 24 months or less if your are over 40 years of age, and you get it from an aviation medical examiner, who is an aviation authority-approved doctor. Your instructor or flight school can connect you with one. You will need your student/medical certificate before you can fly an airplane solo (with out an instructor on board the aircraft), but it's often a good idea to get it before you start training.

What's ground school?

Flight training is divided into two parts: ground school and flight training. Ground school teaches you the principles, procedures, and regulations you will put into practice in an airplane — for example how to navigate from one airport to another. You have several ground school options, including a scheduled classroom course that may be offered at a flight school, weekend ground schools, or a home-study course.

When will I actually begin flying?

You'll be flying on your first lesson, with your flight instructor's (CFI's) help, of course. With each successive lesson, your CFI will be helping less and less, until you won't need any help at all. When you reach this point, you will make your first solo flight, an important milestone in every pilot's training, in which you will fly as the sole occupant of the airplane. After you solo, you and your CFI will work on such things as flying cross-country trips to other airports.