Can 14 year olds start private pilot training?

Question

I am 14 years old and I am interested in learning to become a private pilot. I live on Long Island, NY and I want to know if I could start training. Also, Does anyone want to be my flight instructor or help teach me about becoming a pilot? If so leave me your email address. How much will it cost? I am a mature 14 year old and I am in all honor classes... I REALLY WANT TO LEARN HOW TO FLY.....

Answer 1

First of all, yes...you can take flying lessons. I started when I was 13. I also grew up on Long Island. First you should go to a local airport and gather some information. Unfortunately, it costs a lot of money to take lessons. I would take a flying lesson every month or so until I was 16. At 16, you can solo. At 17, you can get your Private Pilot Certificate. Since you live on Long Island, find out if you can go to BOCES (talk to your Guidance Counselor about this). I went to BOCES during my junior and senior year of high school. They offer a Pre-Professional Pilot program where you can earn math and science credits toward your High School diploma. The best part is...you get to fly at school! You go to your high school for half of the day, and you go to BOCES for half of the day. It is a 2 year program where you can actually get your Private Pilot license!!! And you don't have to pay for it!!!! There are minimal expenses for books, etc. Even if it cost you $1000 over a 2 year period, it's still better than paying $6000-$8000 to do it on your own.

The training I received there was excellent. I am now a Captain at a regional airline flying 50-70 seat Regional Jets. If you need more info, e-mail me through yahoo answers. Best of luck and happy flying!!!

Answer 2

You can start flying now but you can't solo until you are 16 and can't get your license until you are 17 (according to the Federal Regulations). So, you can start learning and flying now but it really won't "buy" you anything until you are between 16 and 17.

What you could do now, if you wanted, is the ground school portion of the training. But realize that even if you did the entire ground school now and took the FAA Private Pilot written exam, the exam has a life of only 2 years and you'd have to take it again later!

One other thought... if you are on Long Island, check out McArthur or Republic; they should have flight schools there.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Well if your smart about it you can find many programs and opportunities that will allow you to get all your flight training, certificates, and ratings for free and if you are good with your networking skills you can get a job right at 18 years old as a commercial pilot hauling passengers and cargo. That's the way I did it. The company I fly for just hired a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds straight out of High School with there commercial ticket fresh in hand and they are doing great! No you don't need a college degree to be a commercial pilot. Just go get it done it isnt that hard it is just time consuming while your in high school.

Answer 4

Sure you can start taking lessons when you are 14. I started right around that age. You will not be able to solo the aircraft until you are 16 and you can not get you actual Private Pilots Certificates until you are 17 years old, but most definitely you can start taking lessons now.

If you want a little more information try checking out my yahoo 360 blog I have been writing about getting your PPL.

Answer 5

Greetings Patrick. I first seriously attempted to start my flying career at 14. This is a difficult thing to do when you come from a family of non-flyers with little money. I tried to find a job, but no one wants to hire a 14 year old usually. So you have a tough road ahead of you if your family doesnt have several thousand dollars its willing to part with for this. I have some ideas though. Locate your nearest small airports with FBO's offering training, and find a way to start spending lots of time at them. Don't be afraid to ask questions. So long as you are polite and respectful, you will almost always get a friendly reception. Let people know of your dream. Listen to the old timers swap stories, there is a lot to be learned there. Once people get used to you and like you, you may get invited on some rides, if your parents will give permission. If you are very lucky, you may get offered the chance to do odd jobs around the FBO in exchange for flying time. I was lucky enough to spend many hours washing planes, fueling and parking aircraft. It was hot (I lived in Tulsa at the time) nasty work and I loved every minute of it, because I love planes and being around fellow enthusiasts. But in trading 'my time for flight time' I got most of my time logged without having to fork over cash, and after I got my license I even got to log a few hours ferrying aircraft for the FBO. There will be walls and challenges. Keep your dream alive and always keep at it. You will make it eventually.

Answer 6

For now, read everything you can get your hands on to prepare you for the knowldege "written" test.
The following links will give you info on who to contact for flight instruction.
First one will let you print out a certificate for a introduction"discovery flight"
for $99.00. Most schools will honor it. The certified flight
instructor can better recommend when you start your flight training. and schedule . No reason you cannot log some hours now, just dont be in a rush. The logged hours count, but you cannot solo until You are 16, get your certificate until you are 17;

I will list some links to Faa material that will help you obtain the necessary knowledge for the Private pilot "written" test ias well.

http://www.beapilot.com/register.html

http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/school/index.cfm

Free 6mos membership to AOPA for student pilots:https://flighttraining.aopa.org/apps/student/ft_free.cfm?priority=SX05ASLTF


In no particular order:
Aviation Weather For Pilots and Flight Operations Personnel
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/regulatory_and...

Aviation Weather Services
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/regulatory_and...

Aeronautical Decision Making
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/regulatory_and...

Private Pilot Practical Test Standards (Airplane)
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/regulatory_and...

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
Part 1, 61, and 91 are the ones you will mostly be using.
I recommend you get a hard copy of these regs . I t will be in a publication called the FAR/AIM The AIM (Aeronautical Information Manulal has a wealth of non regulatory info . (A "MUST HAVE!)

Regs found here:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/tex...

The AIM (formally called the AIRMANS Information Manual) here:
http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/a...



Airplane Flying Handbook
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircr...

If you do not read any of the others , read this! (recommend a printed copy available from many vendors on line. (they are actually a reprint from the govt's hand book, copyright does not apply)
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aviat...


http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aviat...

Answer 7

It is pretty expensive to learn to fly. For me it was about $7000. That is on the cheap side. You might be able to go to your local FBO and offer to clean planes or something and you might get some free rides and free lessons. When I was learning to fly my instructor wanted the plane full so that the first time it was full was not the first day I got my license. My nephew got a lot of good information while riding with me.

Answer 8

Do a search for flight schools in your area, government websites usually have something under General Aviation. I'd give you examples but I'm in Canada and I don't think it would be of much use to you. I did a quick search "Long Island Flight Training" and I got this: http://longislandflighttraining.com/
Flying is great fun!!!

Answer 9

No you have to be 16 to start pilot training.

Answer 10

yes