Learn how to get an airplane pilot licence: medical, ground school, flight hours, solo training, exams and the practical flight test.
To get an airplane pilot licence, choose the licence and aviation authority, meet the age and medical requirements, train with an authorised instructor, pass the required theory exams, complete the specified flight experience, and pass a practical flight test. A private pilot licence is the usual starting point for recreational flying.
In our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, we use pilot licence as the general term. The FAA formally issues pilot certificates, while the UK CAA and EASA issue licences. Each authority sets its own requirements, so there is no single worldwide aeroplane licence.
Which pilot licence should you get?
For most people who want to fly recreationally and carry passengers, the correct starting qualification is a private pilot licence or FAA Private Pilot Certificate.
| Qualification | Choose it when | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Private pilot licence or certificate | You want to fly privately and carry passengers | Normally prohibits flying for payment, apart from limited exceptions |
| Sport or light-aircraft qualification | You only need simpler, lighter aircraft and the option exists in your country | Restrictions may cover aircraft, passengers, weather and operating area |
| Commercial pilot licence or certificate | You intend to be paid as a pilot | Requires substantially more training and experience |
A private licence is not an airline qualification. Professional pilots add commercial privileges, instrument training, multi-engine qualifications and other experience; our overview of the training sequence from no experience to airline flying explains where the private stage fits.
Steps to get a private pilot licence
- Choose the issuing authority and licence. Train towards the qualification you intend to use. Hours completed under another country's rules may require verification, conversion or additional training rather than transferring automatically.
- Check the age, language and medical rules. Under FAA, UK CAA and EASA rules, 17 is the usual minimum age for an aeroplane private licence or certificate, while supervised solo flight can generally begin at 16. Applicants must also meet the applicable English-language standard.
- Obtain the right medical early. An FAA third-class medical is the usual initial route to a private certificate, although defined alternatives exist. UK CAA and EASA PPL applicants normally need a Class 2 medical. Anyone planning a professional career should investigate the higher professional medical standard before committing heavily to training.
- Choose an instructor and training organisation. FAA students can train through an independent Part 61 instructor or an approved Part 141 course. Other authorities use their own approved or declared organisations. Compare aircraft and instructor availability, maintenance downtime, syllabus structure and total billed costs—not just the advertised aircraft rate.
- Complete ground training. Subjects normally include air law, meteorology, navigation, aircraft systems, performance, human factors, flight planning and radio procedures. The examination format and the point at which you take it depend on the authority.
- Learn the required flight exercises. Training covers pre-flight inspection, taxiing, take-offs, landings, aircraft control, stalls, emergency procedures, navigation, radio work and the instrument or night elements required by the course.
- Fly solo and complete the required experience. An instructor must judge you competent and provide the necessary authorisation before solo flight. You then complete the prescribed solo, cross-country and other experience while maintaining an accurate logbook.
- Pass the final test and apply. FAA applicants take a practical test, commonly called the checkride, containing ground questioning and a flight. UK CAA and EASA applicants take a skill test. Before booking, the instructor should audit the logbook, endorsements, examination results and application documents. FAA candidates can use our knowledge-test and checkride preparation checklist to avoid paperwork and endorsement problems.
How many flight hours does a pilot licence require?
A private pilot licence has a legal minimum number of flight hours, but that minimum is not a reliable estimate of how long every student will need.
| Authority and route | Published minimum |
|---|---|
| FAA Part 61 private pilot | 40 hours |
| Approved FAA Part 141 private course | 35 hours |
| UK CAA PPL(A) | 45 hours |
| EASA PPL(A) | 45 hours |
Those totals contain specific sub-requirements for instruction, solo flying, cross-country work and other exercises. Our comparison of private-pilot flight-hour requirements explains the breakdown and why many students exceed the minimum.
There is no fixed calendar duration. Frequent lessons usually reduce time spent relearning previous exercises, while weather, aircraft availability, instructor changes and long gaps can extend training considerably.
Can a home flight simulator count towards a pilot licence?
A normal home flight simulator does not count as loggable aeroplane training merely because its cockpit and flight model are realistic.
Credit requires an eligible training device used under the applicable authority's rules, usually with an authorised instructor and an approved training purpose. A home simulator is still useful for practising checklists, navigation, radio calls and cockpit flows, but it cannot reproduce control forces or the visual judgement needed for landing. We explain the distinction in our guide to ground school and the permitted uses of flight simulators.
What mistakes make pilot training take longer?
- Delaying the medical: resolve medical eligibility before paying for a large training package or reaching the solo stage.
- Choosing by hourly rate alone: an inexpensive aircraft that is rarely available can cost more overall through cancellations and repeated lessons.
- Flying too infrequently: long gaps commonly lead to repeated landing, navigation and emergency-procedure training.
- Budgeting only for minimum hours: treat the legal minimum as an eligibility threshold, not a guaranteed completion time.
- Training for the wrong authority: confirm which country will issue the licence and what conversion would be needed before beginning abroad.
- Arriving at the test with incomplete records: have the instructor check every required hour, endorsement, examination result and identification document before the booking.
What can you fly after getting your licence?
A new private licence lets you fly only within its aircraft privileges, ratings and operating limitations; it is not permission to fly every aeroplane.
For example, an FAA certificate may specify Airplane Single-Engine Land privileges, while a UK or EASA licence relies on an appropriate class rating such as single-engine piston. Multi-engine and instrument flying require additional qualifications, and night privileges differ between authorities.
Carrying passengers also requires the relevant recent experience, valid ratings and an acceptable medical status. Private pilots cannot normally fly for payment, although limited cost-sharing and other specific exceptions may exist. The licence document may remain valid indefinitely under some systems, but ratings, medicals, flight reviews and passenger-carrying recency still need attention.