You can learn to FLY!

student pilot looking out the window of a cessna

Learning to fly is not reserved for military personnel, engineers, and thrill seekers. In fact, the average student pilot is probably just like the average American. No special education is required to get started, and you certainly don't have to be a genius. There is nothing involved in flight training that an eighth grade science student cannot grasp. Sound easy? It really is. But don't be mistaken - the material you have to learn isn't overly difficult, but there is a lot of it. There is a lot more to flying an airplane than simply steering it around and landing.

Everything you need to become a safe, proficient, and confident pilot is found right here in the Gold Seal Ground School. This is a comprehensive program. You don't need anything else. Gold Seal covers you from start to finish!

Cessna flying over a lake facing some clouds

There are two types of skills you have to master to become a pilot: the physical skills involved in actually flying the airplane, and the knowledge mastery of topics that cover everything from navigation, to aerodynamics, to weather theory. Your flight instructor will help you with the first, and Gold Seal will help you with the second.

Depending on how often you fly, and how much you study on your own, it will probably take you between three and nine months to complete your training. The more that you study, the more quickly (and cheaply) you will complete the program and attain your goal of becoming a licensed pilot. Want to get started now? You've come to the right place.

Requirements to Become a Pilot

Student pilot walking up to a cessna 182

There is no minimum age for beginning flight training, although a student pilot must be at least 16 years of age to solo. A student pilot must be at least 17 years of age to take the Practical Test. This is the final exam (usually called the "checkride") conducted with an FAA or FAA-designated examiner. Upon successful conclusion of the Practical Test, the candidate is immediately issued a pilot's license.

So, to take the Private Pilot Practical Test, a student pilot must:

Be at least 17 years of age
Be able to read, speak, write, and converse fluently in English
Obtain a 3rd-Class Medical Certificate - this is not required for Sport Pilots
Obtain a Student Pilot Certificate apply online; your instructor will help you)
Pass the FAA Knowledge Test (usually called the "written test") with a score of at least 70%
Complete a curriculum of flight training (which generally entails between 50 and 80 hours of in-flight training plus some unspecified amount of ground training) - less training is required for Sport Pilots, but they also have fewer privileges

Cover of the Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards

One of the most important documents for flight students is the Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards. It is usually abbreviated and known as the ACS. In it, the FAA has carefully described precisely what you have to learn to become a pilot. You will pass two tests before you earn your private pilot certificate and the ACS is the best way to prepare. It lays out the conceptual knowledge you must learn as well as the physical flight skills you will master. There is a lot of material, but the good news is that none of it is particularly difficult. The Gold Seal Ground School leads you through this material in a fun and interactive way. All of your progress is stored so that you can come back and pick up where you left off. Anywhere, and from any computer. Aviation is in your future. You can do this!