by Anthony Markham

Created on: April 26, 2009

So, you want to fly a plane, but without all the stress of doing it as a career? Not to worry, because anyone can fly a plane these days, all it takes is a PPL (Private Pilots Licence), and a commitment to learning! Throughout my article, I will be correcting some major errors which other people have made in their articles on this topic, as it is clear that they have NOT done their research.

The Private Pilot licence has a number of stages to it, and it is separates into two "pieces". The first piece is known as the BAK (also known as the GFPT), Basic Aeronautical Knowledge, with the second stage being the PPL.

So, who can fly and who can't? What are the medical requirements? Well, anyone at the age of 12 and up can learn to fly and fly in a dual configuration with an instructor, but to fly solo, you need to be 16 years of age, or older. Medically, fitness is not a problem, unlike becoming a military or commercial pilots. Hearing needs to be good, as does vision, but neither need to be perfect, and private pilots CAN wear glasses. The only other medical conditions which could restrict you from obtaining a PPL are serious heart problems, or any medical problem which could cause you to lose consciousness, have a stroke, or a life-threatening medical emergency while flying the aircraft.

Generally, when you start your licence, you have about 12 hours of flying with an instructor, learning the physics of flight in a theory lesson, and then going and seeing these in real life, in the flight, in a 1 hour lesson. After about 12 hours of this, you are normally ready for your first solo flight, and after 8 hours of solo flight you can sit for your GFPT, the General Flying Progress Test, which is a theory paper test. This marks the halfway point in getting your PPL, and certifies you to fly solo within the training zone of the airport which you are based at. Some people stop learning when they get their GFPT - flying solo for a few hours around their airport is enough for them, but most people go on and get their PPL. You might be wondering what the difference between the GFPT and PPL is. The GFPT allows you to fly solo anywhere in the training area, whereas the PPL allows you to fly solo anywhere in your country.

After passing the GFPT, you then move onto PPL training, where you focus mainly on navigation, and you perform about six four-hour flights at this stage, normally out to remote places to test your navigation skills. Typically, four of these flights are with an instructor, and two are solo. After you complete these six exercises and have a minimum of 55 hours, you can sit your PPL theory exam. Upon completion of this exam, you are now the proud holder of a PPL - legally able to fly solo anywhere in the country!

So don't believe the others who say that you need to have perfect eyesight, perfect hearing, and you need to be super-smart to get your licence - all it takes is persistence and a strong will to learn.

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