SPONSORED CONTENT: Lots of people would like to be a pilot. There is something incredibly glamorous about it. Scott Beale, for instance, remembers seeing his first plane and knowing that he wanted, one day, to fly one. He quickly found, however, just how much hard work is involved in getting an aviation license. However, for him, it was the right choice to make and one that he will never regret. Today, when he isn’t flying, he helps to provide advice and information to others who would like to step in his footsteps.
Piloting and driving are quite similar. There are agencies the world over that issue pilots with a license, and they ensure the airspace is safe at all times. They have also worked together to ensure that only people who meet certain criteria can become pilots. Each agency, and each country, also has some eligibility criteria that are different from others. For instance, in the United States:
A key element of getting a pilot license, like a driver’s license, is to be trained in flying a plane. Training will start accompanied and move on to solo. Again, depending on the country in which you are training, how many hours you have to clock has been set by the agencies. In the United Kingdom, for instance, you must complete at least 45 logged hours flight before you can sit the licensing exam. At least 25 of these have to be with an instructor, and at least 10 of those must be solo flights. Meanwhile, a further five hours of flight have to be logged. The US requirements are very similar.
To get an aviation license, you must meet the aforementioned requirements and flight training. You must also pass a written examination. In the US, this is before you train to fly, whereas in the UK it is after. Either way, the written examination is made up of multiple parts, including performance, radio telephony, human limitations, flight principles, flight planning, flight performance, and navigation.
You can also prepare yourself so that you have a bigger chance of passing the various examinations involved with getting an aviation license. There are lots of lessons to be followed on virtually every subject related to planes. They can be found online, on YouTube, through official sources, and so on. If you do decide to go through non-official sources for your learning materials, make sure that you find out whether the information contained within them is correct. After all, there are regular but very significant changes in how planes operate and on the aviation regulations, so you have to make sure that you have the right information. Last but not least, be prepared for some very hard work – but it will be worth it in the end.