A Private Pilot Certificate (Private Pilot License) is the first rating of many you can achieve on your path to leaving the ground and soaring among the clouds. Even with just your first rating, a Private Pilot License, you can bring your family, friends and others along for the ride; giving them the experience of flight.
With a Private Pilot Certificate you cannot fly for hire, but you can fly for hire with a commercial license/certificate.
There are many pilot schools in Nashville that can help you achieve your flying goals.
Whether you want to fly as a hobby, sport, fly to your own vacation spots or eventually work for the airlines, it all starts with a Private Pilot Certificate.
Harmony Air offers a Discovery Flight to give you a taste of flying. No experience or certification needed. You can visit www.harmonyair.com and sign-up online for your first flight into the sky. You will be able to ask questions, touch the controls and see what it is like to be a pilot.
Once you take your Harmony Air Discovery Flight and you find out how fun it is to fly, you are ready to make sure you are healthy enough to fly by yourself (when the time comes). You can fly as much as you want with another certified private pilot but he/she would be in control. If you want to fly by yourself and/or fly others with you, then you have to pass at least a 3rd Class Medical.
This is just a your standard doctor exam. They will ask you about your health, check your heart, lungs, blood pressure, sight and hearing. These specialized AME doctors report what they find to the FAA. It is recommended you talk with your regular health physician before you see the specialized AME medical doctor.
Now that you are medically fit, it is time to learn the rules of the road…or sky!
Ground School is learning about flying while staying on the ground. The best method is to purchase Sporty’s Private Pilot Learn To Fly course. If you purchase it through Harmony Air’s website you can get a much better discount: https://www.harmonyair.com/ground-school-training/
This course is interactive, has a lot of animations and is fun to watch and learn!
Talk with Harmony Air about the best method of learning your ground school fundamentals. It is usually best to watch the first section and then meet with your flight instructor to review.
A typical flight instruction session will begin with a ground briefing on what you are going to do, such as: basic aircraft control, takeoffs and landings, slow flight, aerodynamic stalls, emergency procedures, etc. Then you will review the related ground school fundamentals, flight requirements, procedures and weather. Once that is done, you and your instructor will examine the plane (which you should do before every flight) to make sure everything is in order.
When you two are satisfied the plane is ready for flight, you will enter the plane, perform your pre-flight briefing, talk with the tower/air traffic control (if necessary) and then taxi (roll/drive the plane on the ground) to the runway and take off when cleared.
There is a written test you must complete as you progress with your flight instruction. This written test can be done at anytime once your instructor has agreed you are ready to take the test. It will cover everything you are learning in ground school and in the air.
After you have performed at least 40 hours of flying time, passed your written exam and have been “signed off” that you are ready, you will now have to pass a practical/oral exam.
This practical test is with a specialized instructor (DPE) who will ask you similar questions to the ones on the written test and will fly with you to examine your abilities in the air.
When you have successfully completed the written exam, have at least 40 hours of flight time and passed your practical exam, you will have earned your Private Pilot Certificate! Congratulations!
It was a lot of hard work and a lot of information, but you are now on your way.
This isn’t the end. A good pilot, even if he/she only wants one rating (Private Pilot Certificate) should be always learning more, always striving to understand how to fly better and safer.
Harmony Air offers flight training in Nashville. If you want to be a certified/certificated private pilot and be able fly your own privately-owned aircraft or rent an aircraft to fly to almost anywhere, give Harmony Air a call today. 615-350-8550
Harmony Air’s instructors are passionate about flying and want to share their passion with you. Blue Skies!
