Flying Information

Aviation Opportunities

Airplanes - Any Vehicle that has wings and its own propulsion system is generally considered to be an airplane. Though according to the FAA, there are many different types of airplanes. Military flying is considered to be in a category of its own.

Private (General Aviation) - These pilots generally fly any plane that you don't see a name or logo on. Pilots fly for the love of flying and to get places without driving. These pilots do not get paid for their flying and have to share some of the cost of their flight.
Commercial - These are the pilots that get paid for flying. In order to get paid for your flying, you must be a commercial pilot. Commercial pilots fly anything from large jet transport planes to small single engine Cessnas, where they can instruct students on how to fly. These pilots participate in aerial deliveries, photography, and anything else where a plane is required for the use of some business.
Crop Dusting - These pilots are the ones who fly extremely low to the ground, and apply fertilization to huge crop fields.
Acrobatic - Otherwise known as stunt pilots, these pilots generally know their aircraft better than anyone else. They fly by the seat of their pants pushing their planes to their absolute limits, all for the thrill of cheating death, and the amusement of spectators on the ground.

Rotorcraft - Rotorcraft pilots are the ones who fly the helicopters, and abide by the same rules as regular aircraft. Helicopters, like airplanes, come in all shapes and sizes, but they are more versatile than planes. They are able to land in more locations, due to their vertical takeoff and landing capability.

Glider - Considered by many to be the only true type of flying, most gliders are towed up to a certain altitude, and then released without an engine on board. These pilots use various piloting skills to find rising air and stay aloft as long as possible. Pilots of gliders get one chance to land, and it must be perfect every time.

Airships - Blimps fall under the category of Airships. These vehicles are not that maneuverable but stay in the air none the less. These pilots need to understand the principals of thermodynamics to ensure they go where they want to when they take flight. Airships are different than hot air balloons since they have a propulsion system that maneuvers them around the sky.

Lighter than Air - Hot air balloons fall under this category, and fly around the globe by means of wind alone. These pilots control the altitude of the balloon, but direction is solely determined by the wind.

Military - These pilots fly anything from transport planes to supersonic, highly-maneuverable jet fighters. These pilots train all the time, and are required to know their planes' systems inside and out. The requirements for military pilots are much different than any other type of flying.

Licensing / Flight Training

Every year the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) publishes a book of regulations which, not only governs the rules of flight, but also regulates how one acquires a pilot's license and how one maintains that license. Currently there are many different licenses which allow people to fly, but they are specific for their particular category of aircraft. For example, there are different licenses to be able to fly hot air balloons, helicopters, gliders, and airplanes. Each of these categories of licenses has a particular set of courses associated with them which a pilot must complete before he or she can move on to a higher class of license. For example, if a pilot would like to fly an airplane that has two engines in it, he or she needs to get a different license than if he or she were only flying single engine airplanes. The FAA regulates all of this, but the most basic license that a person can acquire is called a single engine land license. This license allows pilots to fly a vast variety of small airplanes, including the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, the most widely produced aircraft ever.

What do I need to do to get a license?

Medical - The FAA requires that all pilots pass what is called a flight physical. Approved doctors by the FAA administer three different flight physical exams, depending on the type of flying that the pilot will be doing. A third class physical is the lowest rank physical that a private pilot is required to have. A pilot's license is null and void without a current physical.
Part 61 Training Program - The first program and most common program is the Part 61 program. This program requires the student to have a minimum of 40 hours flight time, and an instructor's signature in order to participate in any of the exams. The FAA requires the student to fulfill minimum flight requirements during that flight time, to prove that the student has enough training to move on. Examples of this, are a five hours of solo flying by the student, five hours of cross country time (student flies to another airport greater then 50 miles away), landing, and aerial maneuvers requirements. No class room time is required for this flight program.
141 Training Program - This is a more classroom-based program that requires a certain amount of classroom time for the student, and a set schedule for all the flying that the student does. In this program students have to fly a minimum of 35 hours, though all of these hours are on a predetermined FAA curriculum. Hence each flight has a more defined set of goals and requirements then that of the part 61 program. At the completion of different stages of the students flight training the students are required to take stage exams, which require a student to go up with a pilot and perform all of the maneuvers associated with that particular stage of their program. Students are still required to complete the three FAA exams, and flight medica. The requirements in this program are slightly different then the part 61 allowing the student to achieve a license at a lower amount of flight hours, since this program is classroom based.
Exams - To receive a license, a student must complete either of the two above flight training programs and pass two separate FAA exams. The first exam is called the written exam, where a student has three hours to complete a 60 question multiple choice exam, and receive a score of 70 or higher. The second exam, known as the practical exam or the checkride, is a two part exam where the student first has to go before an FAA examiner and participate in a two hour oral exam, which is then followed by a two hour flight exam. The examiner not only checks out what the student knows, but how well the student flies. In order to take either of these two exams, the student is required to have an instructor endorse their training, and the student must have complete one of the previously mentioned flight training programs. A student may take the written exam at any time before they meet with the FAA examiner.

How long will it take me to get my License?
An instructor once told me that the amount of time it takes to achieve a license depends on two things. The first is the determination of the student, and the second, is the weather. Both are extremely true. If a person flies almost every day they can get their license in less then a month, though due to weather and not always being able to fly it takes anywhere from three months to several years to achieve a pilot's license. It solely depends on the determination of the student, the weather, and the availability of both the planes and the instructor.

What is it going to Cost me?
Flying is not a cheap activity, though in the end, most pilots will say the fun outweighs the cost. The mathematics for figuring out how much its going to cost vary so much that it's almost impossible to give a very good estimate. However, a safe assumption is a minimum cost of $4500. The actual cost, however, depends on a multitude of factors. The first is the airplane that the person is flying. Depending on weight, a person may have to use a larger aircraft, so it can be expected that a person will pay anywhere from $70 to $120 an hour just to rent the airplane. This charge is not based on how long the plane is in the renter's possession, but instead how long the renter has the planes engine turned on. On top of that, students are required to pay for their instructors, which usually ranges anywhere from $25-$45 an hour. Don't forget instructors are getting paid while they are with you, so it is a good idea to figure that you will have to pay for them around three tenths of an hour longer than the airplane. Finally, of course, the ability of the student to learn and retain the necessary information is a huge variable and is different for each person. Younger students, however, do tend to learn and retain information faster than older adults. If you total everything up, it usually comes out to be at least $4500. However, it is a good idea to be prepared to pay anywhere from $4000 to $6500 for your entire flight training.

Take the first step...

Enroll in the RPI Sponsored Ground School Program

Thanks to Eric Jacob for compiling this information.