Red Bird FMX Trainer
The FMX serves up a level of realism that is simply unavailable in other training devices on the market
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We have the experienced instructors and aircraft to get you flying
| Ground Instruction | $70/hr |
| Flight instruction | $70/hr |
Whether you are a primary student wanting to get your Private Pilot certificate, looking to work on your Commercial certificate, venture into the clouds with an Instrument Rating or become a Certified Flight Instructor, we have the experienced instructors and aircraft to get you there.
Each Certificate or Rating has it own requirements. Click on the following links to check out the specific section of the Federal Aviation Regulation for the requirements.
| Student Pilot | Private Pilot |
| Instrument Pilot | Commercial Pilot |
| Certified Flight Instructor |
The Private Pilot Certificate with a "single engine land" rating is the most common first operating privilege to earn. With this certificate, you may carry passengers for non-commercial purposes in almost any single engine aircraft, under visual flight conditions. You are also authorized to operate in and out of most airports anywhere in the country.
Private Pilot Training Overview
All flight training is done on an individual basis with an FAA-certified flight instructor on a schedule that suits your own personal needs. Your instructor will be there to personally guide you through the entire flight training process.
- No minimum age is required to obtain flight instruction, however, you must be 16 years of age to solo (a training requirement) and 17 to receive the Private Pilot or Sport Certificates. The certificate never expires, and you may continue to fly at any age as long as you are in good health.
- There are no formal education prerequisites (e.g. college). However, you will be expected to learn new material and eventually pass a written exam, oral exam, and flight test.
- The training experience consists of flight training and ground training. Flight training is done with your instructor in the airplane. Ground training serves the purpose of acquiring aviation knowledge and can be accomplished in a variety of ways including classes, home instruction videos, course books, one-on-one instruction, or a combination of these.
- To receive a Private Pilot Certificate, FAA regulations require applicants to obtain a minimum of 40 hours of total flight time, 20 of which must include supervised flight with an instructor and 10 of which must be solo flight. One should not use these numbers for estimating cost, however, because the national average is 70-75 hours of total training time before a student is proficient and knowledgeable enough to earn the license.
- Before your first solo and periodically (every 2-3 years) throughout your flying career, a medical exam is required for the Private Pilot Certificate. The exam is similar to an annual physical.
- After you become a Private Pilot, you can earn additional flying privileges if you wish. For instance, Private Pilots can upgrade to multi-engine planes or get an instrument rating.
What You Can Do with a Pilot Certificate
Aside from the obvious benefit of being able to fly, pilots enjoy a number of other benefits. For instance, you can get places faster, reach destinations you could otherwise not reach, and go places you would otherwise never go. You can fly to the Catskills, the Vermont ski slopes, Cape Cod, Block Island, over your house, or take your friends and family on sightseeing excursions around Lake Candlewood or down the Hudson River. Fly to Long Island in 30 minutes instead of driving 3 hours. Or go further out to places like Maine, Pennsylvania, the Jersey shore and beyond! Pilot certificates do not expire! Once a pilot, always a pilot. There is no maximum age for learning how to fly or exercising the privileges of a pilot certificate. While airline pilots must retire from airline transport by age 65, there is no such age restriction for other commercial or recreational operational privileges. So whether you are 16 or 96, you can fly as long as you are generally in good health and can pass a basic FAA medical exam.
MoreWhy Choose Us for Your Flight Training?
We realize that you have choices when seeking a flight school. Here are some of the benefits that set us apart from other flight schools. Most importantly, our instructors and aircraft are safe and our accident-free flight records speak for themselves. Our aircraft are maintained to very high standards by full-time maintenance personnel. We offer personal one-on-one training in an intimate setting with a small instructor-to-student ratio. We do not thrive on high customer volume, but rather on building strong relationships with our customers. As a result, many of our referrals are word-of-mouth. Because tastes vary, we offer a variety of aircraft from which to choose, including Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, Piper Warriors, and our most recent addition... the Technam! Our rental prices are also on par with the local competition.
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