FAQs
Is this a good option if I want to fly professionally?
Yes! Nice to be Nice Aviation can provide personalized training for you all the way to your Commercial Pilot Certificate. We can also help you arrange further training for other ratings and guide you along on your journey to whatever pilot career you are aiming for, be it airline pilot, charter pilot or any of the other myriad careers in aviation.
What are the steps I need to take to fly for the airlines?
The first step is to obtain a private pilot’s certificate. You can read more about that process here. From there you have a number of paths available, but the most common one is to obtain your instrument rating and then your commercial certificate. Once you obtain your commercial certificate, you are legally allowed to get a job as a pilot, but will have to build at least 1,500 hours with some multi-engine experience in order to be eligible to fly for the airlines. Some people, will work as a flight instructor to bridge that gap, whereas others will find work in banner towing, skydive operations or other aviation fields in order to gain experience. Everyone’s journey is a bit different and Nice to be Nice Aviation will be happy to help you navigate yours.
What will it cost?
As everyone’s journey is different, the cost can vary for every person. Nice to be Nice Aviation breaks down some various scenarios for private pilot cost and recommends budgeting at least $15,000 for this first phase of training and at least $50,000 to reach your commercial certificate which requires 250 hours total time. As you can see by examining the scenarios, it is not uncommon for people to go well over these figures, but Nice to be Nice Aviation will advise you on ways to keep these costs as low as possible.
What is required to be a Student Pilot?
In order to complete the solo training required of the private pilot certificate, you must first obtain your Student Pilot Certificate. To obtain this, you must be 16 years old, be able to read, speak and write the English language, and have at least a third class medical certificate obtained from an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME).
How long does the training take?
Training time differs from person to person. Someone who train sporadically can take years to earn their first certificates while some only take a few months, only slowed down by the wait for a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) to be available to conduct a checkride. A typical dedicated student trains at approximately 20 hours per month which means that a superstar pilot would earn their private pilots certificate in 3-4 months, their instrument rating in 6-8 months and their commercial certificate within a year.
What should I do to prepare for flight lessons?
Nice to be Nice Aviation recommends familiarizing yourself with the copious knowledge available. You can start by ordering some of the books listed here. Additionally, Nice to be Nice Aviation recommends enrolling in an online test prep program for your written exam (King Schools and Sportys are some of the most popular providers). While this program does have a cost, it saves the typical pilot money in that they require less ground school at an hourly instruction rate.
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