AeroDynamic Aviation » Private Pilot

Flight Training

Private Pilot Certificate

Most people begin their flight training with the goal of earning their Private Pilot Certificate. As a Private Pilot, you can fly most single-engine airplanes, day or night. You can carry family, friends, pets, or baggage while you fly to exciting destinations and share the joy of private air travel. We generally use the Citabria 7ECA, Cessna 172, or Cessna 150 airplanes for Private Pilot flight training, but we tailor our training to your needs.

After Private Pilot, most people continue on to earn endorsements, ratings, or even another license. Please see our Flight Training page for an outline of training options and the general progression of flight training.

Requirements for Private Pilot Certfication

At least 17 years of age
Student pilot certficate
Third class medical certificate
FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test (passing grade is 70%)
FAA practical test (aka “checkride”)
Flight training as listed in Flight Hour Requirements (below):

Flight Hour Requirements for Private Pilot License

The FAA minimum is 40 hours of flight time. The national average is 65-85 hours. Actual flight hours will vary with each student. We take pride in the quality of our instruction and that we have been in business of flight training for over 60 years. We do not train just to pass the test; we train you to be a proficient, skilled and safe pilot.

Total flight time in any category and class of aircraft at least 40 hrs and must include the following:

Dual flight training minimum in any aircraft at least 20 hrs including:

3 hrs dual cross country in a single engine airplane
3 hrs dual night time in a single engine airplane
- Including one dual cross country night flight over 100 nm
- Including 10 takeoffs and landings at night dual to full stop
3 hrs dual instrument time (hood or actual) in single engine airplane
3 hrs dual checkride prep in a single engine airplane in past 2 calendar months

Solo flight minimum in single engine airplane 10 hrs including:

5 hrs solo cross country time in single engine airplane
- Including one flight over 150 nm total, 3 landing points, and at least one leg over 50 nm
3 solo takeoffs and landings to a full stop at an airport with a working control tower

* Night Time is any flight time between the end of evening civil twilight and the start of morning civil twilight. Easiest place to find these is

* Cross Country flight must include a landing at an airport more than 50 nautical (not statute) miles from the original point of departure. Additional cross country requirements apply – e.g. night XC must be over 100nm total. The long solo XC has to include one leg of over 50 nm, plus be over 150 nm total.

Private Pilot Course Outline

Check out our Ground School page also, which is strongly recommended to help you pass the FAA Knowledge Test.

We have our own Syllabus & Maneuvers Guide for Private Pilot flight training, both Cessna and Citabria versions. This allows us to streamline your training based on our years of experience in the industry. Both of these documents should be purchased once you begin flight training, and they can be found at any of our locations.

STAGES OF TRAINING

Our syllabus is organized into 3 stages. You must complete each stage and associated stage check before moving on to the next stage. They are as follows:

Stage 1 – Maneuvers: You will learn all airplane flight maneuvers to develop precise aircraft control in preparation for traffic pattern work.
Stage 2 – Pre-solo: You will learn to operate in the airport environment with emphasis on communications, takeoffs, landings, abnormalities, and emergencies.
Stage 3 – Cross-Country & Checkride Preparation: You will begin with your first solo, then continue learning how to fly to other airports. This stage will be complete when all checkride requirements are met and all ACS Tasks are well within required knowledge and flight standards.

STAGE CHECKS (SC)

As you near the completion of each stage, your instructor will ask the office to schedule the Stage Check with a senior instructor. The most current version of each SC can be found on our website. The primary goals of stage checks are to verify you are ready for the next phase of training, provide detailed feedback on areas that need more attention, and make you comfortable flying with a different person observing you in preparation for the checkride, which is the final flight test for earning your Private Pilot certificate.

SCHEDULING LESSONS

At the beginning of each stage of our syllabus you will see a Table of Contents listing every Ground Lesson and Flight Lesson in that stage. On the far right of each lesson you will see two columns under the label Gnd Flt. These numbers indicate how much ground and/or flight time to schedule for each lesson. The timeline should be accurate if you are studying and completing the ground lessons concurrently with the associated flight lessons on a regular basis. If you are well prepared, you may be able to complete multiple ground lessons during one booking. We recommend booking the ground lesson just before your flight lesson for continuity and to best prepare for the flight.

Estimated Cost

Total flight hours in our private pilot syllabus: 77 hours including approximately 55 hours dual and 12 hours solo. This time is based on the average time to complete. You can shorten this considerably with ground lessons, home study, and flying more frequently.
Total ground instruction time varies greatly based on your ability to study; however, your instructor is still required to assess and cover all knowledge areas thoroughly along the way. In short, you must do the ground lessons to be ready for each stage check and the checkride. The oral portion of the checkride is longer than the flight portion, so knowledge is vital to becoming a competent pilot.
Estimated flight instruction cost based on our private pilot course of 77 hours (includes airplane rental and dual instruction) = approximately $14,000. Additional cost for ground lessons varies, but you should budget $2,500 for an additional 40 hours of one-on-one ground instruction.
Many students prefer to go more in-depth in their training or can’t fly as regularly. This can lead to a need for higher training time. Approximately 100 hours of flight time may have an average cost of $21,000. This is dependent on the student’s available time to allocate to studying and flying often. We also have students who complete their training in 50 or 60 hours for an average cost of $12,000. Bottom line…a lot of it is up to you!
Rates: Please select your location for Aircraft and Instructor Rates

Cost of ground school (optional) – $330 tuition for the complete course or $40 per session for sixteen sessions. Tuition does not include cost of books and materials (approximately $100-150).
Books and materials – A supply of recommended study materials and books is listed in our syllabus.

Cessna or Citabria?

You can train in either a tricycle-gear airplane, such as the Cessna 172, or you can earn your license in a tailwheel aircraft, like the Citabria 7ECA. Please see our aircraft for details.

1701H_small 990WY_small N12234_sm

Prices and rates are subject to change without notice. All training and rentals are subject to the terms and conditions in the Renter’s Agreement. Minimum 24 hours’ notice required for cancellation or you may be charged for the rental time.

C Flight training, california, pilot, monterey, san jose, salinas, private pilot, tailwheel ome fly with us in the beautiful San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas of California. Our flight school facilities are located at Reid Hillview airport in San Jose (KRHV), at the south end of San Francisco Bay, and Monterey Regional Airport (KMRY). We offer ground and flight training for private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, multi-engine, ATP, CFI, tailwheel, aerobatics, and mountain flying.

Ready to schedule a flight? Have a question? Give us a call!

San Jose (408) 320-9614

Monterey (831) 373-8320

You can also reach us via email with our Contact Form