Falcon Field Airport (KFFZ) · Mesa, AZ Call (480) 757-0522 [email protected] Buy SG Flight School Gear

Getting started

Earning a Private Pilot License involves several mandatory steps. Here's the whole path — and how we make each one as easy as possible.

  1. Obtain an FAA medical certificate

    This can take months for the FAA to review and approve, so make it your first step. Don't be nervous — the examination simply confirms you're healthy enough to fly. See what the exam covers.

    • Schedule an exam with an FAA-authorized Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). Find an AME near you.
    • Create an account at FAA MedXPress. Your AME will need this documentation and your MID.
    • You'll need at least a Third-Class Medical Certificate. A Recreational Pilot Certificate is an alternative, but comes with flying restrictions — ask your instructor which is right for you.
    • You can begin ground and flight training while you wait for results.

  2. Choose a flight school

    Look for experienced instructors, well-maintained aircraft and a good safety record. Contact SG Flight School and we'll answer your questions and get you scheduled.

  3. Start ground school

    Ground school covers the theory: aerodynamics, weather, navigation and FAA regulations. You have options:

    • With your SG instructor. The most thorough option, and the most expensive — but you'll have the strongest grasp of the material.
    • Online, at your own pace. Sporty's is a great option with well-built guides, practice tests and study aids for the FAA knowledge test. Gleim is another solid choice.

  4. Begin flight training

    Start lessons with your SG Flight School CFI.

    • Flight hours: a minimum of 40 hours, including 20 with an instructor and 10 solo. Most students take more — that's normal.
    • Skills: takeoffs, landings, navigation, emergency procedures and cross-country flying.
    • Logbook: keep a detailed record of all hours and training.

  5. Pass the FAA knowledge test

    Sixty multiple-choice questions covering everything from ground school. Your instructor will help you schedule it and prepare with practice exams.

  6. Complete solo flight requirements

    After enough training, your instructor will endorse you to fly solo — one of the most memorable days in any pilot's life.

  7. Pass the FAA checkride

    Once you've logged the required hours, your instructor endorses you for the checkride: an oral exam plus a practical flight test with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. Review all knowledge areas and practice your maneuvers to make sure you're proficient.

  8. Obtain your Private Pilot License

    Your examiner issues a temporary certificate on the spot, and the FAA mails your permanent license within a few weeks. You're a pilot.

Authorized Sporty's Dealer
Authorized dealer

We're a Sporty's dealer

SG Flight School is an authorized Sporty's dealer, so you can get your ground school course, headset, charts, kneeboard and the rest of your training gear through us rather than ordering it yourself.

It's the same Sporty's products at the same prices — the difference is that your instructor can tell you what you actually need before you buy it, and what you can happily skip until later. New students routinely spend hundreds on gear they never use.

Ask us what to get before you order anything.

Where this leads

N1287U parked at a remote Arizona airstrip at golden hour, with a tent pitched beside the aircraft and a lake and mountains behind
A licence is a door, not a destination. Camping trips to strips you can only reach by air are exactly the sort of thing it opens.

Step one is easier than you think

Book a discovery flight and find out whether flying is for you — before you commit to anything.

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