Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

  • We highly recommend meeting with an instructor who can answer questions and discuss any special circumstances before your training begins. It will be very helpful to read this document first and then contact us to set up a meeting with an instructor.

    To obtain a Private Pilot license, a student must complete the following steps…

    • Obtain a Medical Certificate

    • Get a Student Pilot Certificate

    • Complete Ground School

    • Pass the FAA Knowledge Exam

      Train with an instructor in the air and on the ground

    • Practice on your own in the air and on the ground

    • Pass the Oral and Practical Exam

    • When you begin flight training, we will match you with one instructor that will be your primary instructor. He/she is the one you will fly with most and will monitor your progress. If your primary instructor is unavailable, we have several other instructors you can fly with to avoid delays in your training.

    • The FAA has set requirements for the number of hours you must train with an instructor prior to your check ride. During this time, you will gain practical knowledge about safely operating an aircraft in the national airspace system. Your instructor will discuss these requirements with you in detail. The FAA’s minimum flight time requirements is 40 hours however, the national average is between 60-80 hours for an average student pilot to get their license.

    • Many factors affect the number of flight hours you acquire during training including your availability, motivation, prior knowledge and experience, complexity of the aircraft, weather, simulator use, etc. You can see estimated training costs on our website where we use an average of 65 hours.

    • Before you are assigned to an instructor, you will select the airplane you wish to train in (Cirrus or Cessna). We are a Platinum Cirrus Authorized Training Center so training in the Cirrus is our bread and butter and there are a lot of great advantages to learning in the Cirrus. However, we understand that the Cirrus may not be for everyone, so we also have Cessna 172s available for primary and advanced training.

    • Information about our fleet is available on our fleet page. We are happy to show you the differences between the airplanes and help you make a well-informed decision.

    • Each lesson includes a pre-flight briefing, preflight inspection of the airplane, a 1-to-2-hour flight, and a post-flight briefing. Expect every flight lesson to be 3-4 hours from start to finish.

    • Northwest Flight Service offers Private Pilot Ground School in a classroom setting. Our ground school is split into three stages and each stage lasts approximately one month.

    • More information, including dates and times, for our ground school is available here.

    • Contact us to enroll today!

    • A medical certificate can only be issued by an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). A. A list of local AMEs can be found on our website, or by visiting the FAA’s database of AMEs.

    • AMEs are usually booked out 2-4 weeks so plan ahead if time is critical.

    • There are 3 classes of FAA medical certificates: First, Second and Third class. Each one has a different purpose. A private pilot who will fly for pleasure or business only needs a Third class medical. If your goal is to fly as a career, you will need a First class medical. We suggest obtaining a First class medical initially to ensure you can get one.

    • Prior to your doctor visit you must fill out some required forms online. The forms are on the MedXPress website. Once you set up an account, this website will prompt you for information, and then it will generate the forms your doctor will need to approve your application for a medical certificate. If you wear glasses, bring them with you to your appointment.

    • You can prepare for the exam by enrolling in ground school or by working one-on-one with an instructor.

    • Once you are ready for the test, you will get an endorsement from your instructor authorizing you to take the test. Once authorized, you can make a test reservation by visiting https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login.

    • The check ride is the culmination of all the training that took place while working toward your private pilot certificate.

    • This test will be conducted by an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and can be done here at our facility. On the specified date, you will meet the DPE and show him/her what you know.

    • The check ride is composed of two parts: the Oral and the Practical. The oral must be completed first and involves the DPE asking questions and putting together scenarios to test your knowledge. This usually takes between 2-3 hours. The practical test is when you get to fly. You and the DPE will fly together, and he/she will ask you to perform take offs and flight maneuvers, test your handling of simulated emergencies, grade your landings, and assess your overall ability to be the pilot in command.. The flight is usually between 2-3 hours.

    • Upon successfully passing the check ride, you and the DPE will complete the appropriate forms and you will receive a temporary pilot certificate right then and there. Your plastic pilot license will arrive in the mail in a few weeks. You are officially a pilot!!

    • A Student Pilot Certificate is required before you can solo an airplane.

    • To obtain a student pilot certificate you will need to set up an account on IACRA.FAA.GOV (we recommend using Chrome as your internet browser) a. In the login box (upper right corner of the IACRA website) click on "Register" to set up a new account. This is free and you can do this on your own.

    • The TSA requires that we verify U.S. citizenship prior to conducting flight training. For this reason, you will be required to have photo identification AND either a valid US Passport or birth certificate. If you are not a US citizen click here.

    • To complete the final step in the process, you will need to meet with a flight instructor. We ask that you give us a call to set up a meeting. The process normally takes 15-30 minutes. Together, you will log on to your new IACRA account and fill out the required information. A temporary student pilot certificate will be immediately available for you to print online, and a plastic student pilot license will be mailed from the FAA. It normally takes around 3 weeks to receive it in the mail.

    • Before you meet with our flight instructor we ask that you print and fill out the NWFS Client Information Form. Bring this completed form with you to your meeting so we may enter your information in our system.

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