How long does it take to get a pilot's license?

The minimum FAA requirement is 40 hours in the aircraft, but the U.S. average is 70-80 hours.

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How much do flying lessons cost?

The cost of flying lessons will vary based on what you pay for airplane rental, as well as whether the lesson is solo (monitored by your instructor) or dual (with the instructor in the aircraft with the student). In addition, though you won't be paying Columbus Flight Instruction for these items, additional costs that you will incur include ground school supplies (books, navigation materials, testing materials), headphones, an airport ID badge, the FAA written test, an FAA flight physical, and the FAA flight test. As a ballpark figure, if all costs are added up, no matter to whom they are paid, you will run about $8000 to $9000 total to get a license. You may have other flight schools quote lower prices, but be cautioned that those costs may be based on lessons only (and sometimes on the FAA minimum only). We strongly recommened that you take an introductory flight. There is no obligation to go on, but your time will count toward the FAA minimum flying time requirements. Once you have decided to start lessons, your up front costs include headphones, textbooks or a DVD course of study, a logbook, and the Airport ID badge. The rest of your costs can be paid over time as training goes on. Most lessons just involve the cost of that one flight.

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Can I give an introductory flight as a gift?

Yes. Gift certificates can be purchased by calling (614) 864-9464 or sending a request by e-mail. Personalized gift certificates are made up by Kathy Samuelson, Columbus Flight Instruction's owner and flight instructor. You can buy gift certificates for the half-hour or one hour introductory flights, or for any amount of gift money that can be put in an account that the student can use at any time during training. Columbus Flight Instruction gift certificates have no expiration date, so they can be bought for special occasions or for any time a person is curious about flying, and then they can be used at the receiver's convenience.

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If the FAA requires 40 hours, why should I expect to take 70-80 hours?

The legal minimum flying time is 40 hours, divided into 20 hours with an instructor in the airplane ("dual" time), 10 hours solo practice time monitored by the instructor ("solo" time), and 10 more hours of any combination of dual and solo time. If you could "cram" all the needed skills to be learned into 40 hours, and squeak though the flight test with minimum hours, you would be a "minimum" pilot - not a comfortable or competent pilot. Though a testing day (either written or flight) is only one day in your life, you want to be comfortable and competent with your flying skills for all your future flying days. Each student has a personal learning curve (with no relationship between eventual skill level and amount of hours it took to get the license). Also, frequency of lessons has a large impact on total flight time necessary to be able to take the flight test. The more often a student is able (given personal finances and time availability) to fly frequently, the fewer hours it will take to get a license (thus also saving money).

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What type of airplanes do you use?

We normally use a Cessna 152 for primary training (for the Private License), unless a person is just too tall to fit into it (under 6'4" usually), when we would use a Cessna 172. Training for the Instrument Rating is done in a Cessna 172, which has more navigation gear (not mandatory, but traditional). Former students and current instrument students can also rent the Cessna 172 for their own flying.

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How old do I have to be to get a pilot's license, or to take lessons?

You need to be 17 to get a license, and 16 to solo an airplane. You can take lessons at any age. Columbus Flight Instruction has taught students in a wide range of ages. However, if you start young, well before being old enough to solo or get a license, you will be limited in what you can achieve (no solos, no ability to take the flight test), and you will usually end up spreading out the lessons more than older students, which could increase your total cost and decrease your sense of accomplishment. No matter what your age, though, your personal motivation is the number one key to success.

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Is there an obligation to complete the training once it's started?

No, you can decide to stop taking lessons at any time, and any training you receive at Columbus Flight Instruction is transferable to any other program in the U.S. If you were to move out of town or need to take a temporary leave from training, you could resume here later, or wherever you move to within the U.S.

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Is there a time constraint for getting the license?

No, you can fly as often or as little as you wish, but keep in mind that the more you fly back to back the less rusty you'll get between lessons. You can get a license in a couple of months if you fly several times a week. If you fly once a week, you'll still make reasonable progress and will take about a year to get the license. If you must spread the lessons out even further, you will need to keep up your motivation and visualize previous lessons at home, so as not to lose too much while you're not flying. Any flight time that you get at any U.S. location is transferable throughout the U.S. Training is regulated by the FAA, and not by individual states.

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Is there classroom study?

At a bare minimum, the FAA requires flight students to take a multiple-choice written exam, but it doesn't specify how the student must get the information covered on the test. Most Columbus Flight Instruction students do home study, using a textbook (such as the well-respected Jeppesen text used all over the US). A good basic textbook is portable and can be taken anywhere - a student could even study while eating lunch at a fast food restaurant! Students may also use other sources such as DVDs, online ground schools, or weekend ground schools. Occasionally a classroom ground school with weekly sessions will still be offered at various locations but few exist today. Whichever method is preferred, your ground training will be monitored by your instructor, and you can call or email her at home throughout your training. Everything you learn in the ground study helps you understand the airplane, and everything you experience in the airplane helps you understand the ground study - they are partners!

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Is there a lot of math involved?

No, just basic arithmetic is needed. For example, if the airplane burns 6 gallons of gas an hour, how much gas would be needed to fly for two hours?

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How healthy do I have to be to fly?

You will need to pass an FAA flight physical. The flight physical is performed by a doctor who has the training and certification to know what the FAA allows (though the doctors themselves are in various medical specialties). The FAA doctors are looking for major physical conditions that would cause a person to have problems in flight (those who have had heart attacks, seizures, need insulin, etc.).

Can I wear glasses?

Yes, glasses or other "corrective lenses" as the FAA calls them, are allowable, as long they correct to at least 20/30 vision. Without glasses or contacts, the FAA looks for at least 20/50 vision.

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I started my flying lessons somewhere else, and now want to start again. Is my previous flying time transferable to Columbus Flight Instruction?

Yes, all flight training is regulated by the FAA, which is good anywhere in the US. Any flight time that you had in the past is transferable wherever you go in the US, and any time you have at Columbus Flight Instruction will go with you if you move to some other location.

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Isn't it harder to learn at Port Columbus than at a smaller airport?

No, not at all. When you are first starting lessons, everything is new, and no matter what you are learning that flight (whether it be during ground operations or in flight) new experiences are added to your knowledge foundation, "brick by brick". Students may express concern that they will not know how to talk on the radio, or find their way around, but Kathy will make sure that you learn these skills safely and effectively, and the continued practice you get each time you go out will soon put you at ease. You will learn the teamwork that goes on with the other pilots and the controllers. We also fly to smaller towered airports like Bolton, and non-towered airports such as Delaware and Lancaster, so you will have a well-rounded education and you will be able to go anywhere once you get your pilot's license. Just imagine learning to drive on country roads and then being afraid of the freeway. If you learn at a bigger airport you will learn how to be part of the team and feel confident going anywhere.

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Can I take flight lessons year-round, or is it seasonal?

Lessons can be scheduled all months of the year, but of course there is less daylight to work with in the winter. Many students fly after work during the "daylight" seasons, but can't come out on the weekdays after work when it's dark in the winter. Since lessons at Columbus Flight Instruction are available seven days a week, though, you can still fly on weekends. Also many students find that if they ask for flex-time at work, they are able to come out to fly during the day, thus giving them seven days of flexibility instead of just the two weekend days. Winter flying is also dependent on temperature, since really cold temps aren't good for the engine and the airplane wings have to be totally cleared of ice and snow to develop lift. For this reason, January often is a less "cooperative" month than the others. Reasonable flying hours can still be accomplished in November, December, and February. March through October offer the most hours with good flying conditions.

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What are my payment options when taking lessons?

We currently accept cash or checks. You may pay for each lesson individually, or you may pre-pay into an account and pay for lessons from it (as long as you keep the balance above zero). Columbus Flight Instruction doesn't currently accept credit or debit cards. These cards, while convenient, come with a charge to those companies accepting them, and these costs would need to be passed along to the students. Columbus Flight Instruction tries to keep costs in line by not needing to pass along credit or debit card costs.

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What can I do with the license once I have it?

The FAA allows a person with a Private License to fly in the U.S. (or out of it with knowledge of the other country's rules), carry passengers (though not for hire.....they can share expenses with you), fly day or night (though with only 3 hours night flying required for the license, this should only be in the very best of conditions, if at all).

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Once I get my pilot's license, will I need additional training in the future?

Though your license won't expire, there are two strings attached. You will need to renew your physical ("medical") every two years if you are 40 or over, and every three years if you are under the age of 40. Also, there is a requirement to go out with an instructor to do a flight review every two years (or if you have been not flying for a while, to do the review to get going again). The bare minimum legal requirement for the flight review is one hour flight time and one hour ground reveiw time. If you have been flying regularly, very little more would be needed. If you haven't been flying regularly, you and your instructor will do more review work until you are comfortable again.

Will I need to buy my own airplane after I get the license?

No, We let former students rent the Cessna 172. It's a "big brother" airplane to the Cessna 152, so it only takes an hour or two to adjust to its bigger size. Many pilots never buy an airplane, or only after looking around a bit once they have the license.

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