Welcome to your journey of obtaining a pilot certificate!
Private Pilot Training Syllabus
Training for the Private Pilot certificate is conducted under Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, and is broken up into four stages:
| Stage 1 – Primary Flight Maneuvers | |
| Unit 1 | Introduction of effects of controls and the Four Fundamental maneuvers |
| Unit 2 | Climbing and Descending turns, Power/Pitch/Sight Picture at different airspeeds and configurations |
| Unit 3 | Slow Flight, Approach to Landing Stalls, Departure Stalls |
| Unit 4 | Steep Turns, Traffic Pattern at altitude, Rectangular Course |
| Unit 5 | Maneuver Review, Emergency Procedures, Traffic Pattern at altitude |
| Unit 6 | Traffic Pattern and Slow Flight in Ground Effect |
| Unit 7 | Takeoffs and Landings, High and Low Approaches, Introduction to Forward and Side Slips |
| Unit 8 | Stage Progress Check – Written, Oral and Flight |
| Stage 2 – Advanced Flight Maneuvers | |
| Unit 1 | Maneuvers Review and Traffic Pattern |
| Unit 2 | Review of Stalls and Introduction to Incipient Spins and recoveries |
| Unit 3 | Introduction to Emergency Instrument Flying |
| Unit 4 | Maneuver Review, Emergencies and Ground Reference Maneuvers |
| Unit 5 | Soft and Short Field Takeoffs and Landings |
| Unit 6 | Emergency Instrument Flying |
| Unit 7 | Soft and Short Field Takeoffs and Landings |
| Unit 8 | Stage Progress Check – Written, Oral and Flight |
| Stage 3 – Cross-Country | |
| Unit 1 | Navigation Ground School |
| Unit 2 | Dual Cross-Country to Two Airports |
| Unit 3 | Introduction to Night Flying |
| Unit 4 | Maneuver Review and Emergency Instrument Flying |
| Unit 5 | Dual Night Cross-Country and Pattern Work |
| Unit 6 | Cross-Country Stage Check – Written, Oral and Flight |
| Stage 4 – Preparation for the Practical Test | |
| Unit 1 | Introduction to the Practical Test |
| Unit 2 | Mock Checkride – Navigation, Ground Reference and Traffic Pattern Focus |
| Unit 3 | Mock Checkride – High Maneuvers and Emergency Instrument Flying Focus |
| Unit 4 | Mock Checkride – Emergencies and Traffic Pattern Focus |
| Unit 5 | Mock Checkride with another instructor |
| Unit 6 | Dress Rehearsal Mock checkride |
| Solo Flights | |
| Solo 1 | Solo Flight in the Traffic Pattern |
| Solo 2 | Solo Flight in the Traffic Pattern |
| Solo 3 | Solo in the Practice Area and Pattern |
| Solo 4 | Solo in the Practice Area and Pattern |
| Solo 5 | Solo Cross-Country |
| Solo 6 | Solo in the Practice Area and Pattern |
| Solo 7 | Solo Cross-Country |
| Solo 8 | Practical Test Prep |
| Solo 9 | Practical Test Prep |
| Solo 10 | Practical Test Prep |
Pricing
Flight instruction includes all time that your instructor spends assisting you in learning knowledge, skill and decision making, both in the classroom and in the airplane.
Hourly Instruction – $60 an hour – Total instructional hours needed to complete training can vary depending on a number of factors including frequency of lessons, your level of preparation for each lesson, and the rate at which you learn. Budget for at least 100 instructional hours, but it’s common for pilots to need additional instruction time, especially if they experience breaks in training, missed lessons, and can’t consistently prepare for each lesson.
Aircraft Rental
Max Aero has aircraft available to rent while you are training for a certificate. See our Airplanes page for current rental rates. For budgeting purposes, expect to consume:
- 50-60 hours if training 3 lessons per week
- 60-70 hours if training 2 lessons per week
- 70+ hours if training 1 lesson per week
Other things you’ll need along the way
Besides instruction and aircraft rental, there are other expenses that you need to plan for to accomplish your training.
- Student Pilot Certificate and Third Class Medical certificate (approx. $100).
- Textbooks and test prep books($50-$100)
- Headset ($150-1050)
- Pilot Operating Handbooks ($30-80)
- Flight Plan Logs ($5)
- Aeronautical Sectional Charts ($8)
- Airport Facility Directory ($6)
- Kneeboard ($35)
- E6-B Flight Computer and Plotter ($50)
- Knowledge Exam Fee ($150)
- Practical Test Examiner Fee ($500)
Click here to get started.
