Student Pilot Guide

How do I get a pilot’s license? Where do I start? Who can I ask? All these questions and more are answered in the FAA’s Student Pilot Guide.

For veteran members of the flying community, the question “How do I get a pilot’s license?” seems to have a simple answer. But for the uninitiated, it is a task that can seem overwhelming.

Before beginning flight training, it is important to have a basic understanding of the responsibilities, safety regulations, and other issues you will face, including the choice of a flight school, selecting study materials, study habits, and the role of the instructor, student, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This guide lays out for prospective student pilots and for those already engaged in flight training, in “how to” fashion, the general procedures for obtaining FAA student pilot, sport pilot, recreational pilot, and private pilot certificates.