Student Pilot Requirements: Everything You Need to Take Off
TLDR
This article discusses the steps someone must take and the requirements they must meet in order to get their student pilot certificate:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Read, speak and understand English
- Fill out an application on IACRA
- Meet with a Recommending Instructor (RI) to finalize the IACRA applicaiton
Before you go too far in your flight training journey you should make sure that you are qualified to be a student pilot. Part Time Pilot recommends doing Ground School, getting your Student Pilot Certificate and even your Medical Certificate (for private pilot students) before you do flight training even though you could start flight training even before do any of these! We will discuss why we recommend this and exactly how to get your student pilot certificate below:
The FAA states that in order to be a student pilot you must meet the following criteria:
- You are at least 16 years old
- Unless you are planning to pilot a glide or balloon then this goes down to 14 years old
- You can read, speak and understand English
- The FAA Advisory Circular AC 60-28B describes this more in detail here.
- Per the FAA “The holder of an FAA certificate or applicant for an FAA certificate or rating should be able to communicate in English in a discernible and understandable manner with air traffic control (ATC), pilots, and others involved in preparing an aircraft for flight and operating an aircraft in flight. This communication may or may not involve the use of the radio. An applicant for an FAA certificate issued per part 61, 63, 65, or 107 who cannot hear or speak due to a medical deficiency may be eligible for an FAA certificate with specific operational limitations.”
Then, in order to receive a student pilot certificate you will need to submit an application for and receive a student pilot certificate:
- The easiest way to do this is through the IACRA website where there are instructions here
- You are required to fill out an application and then meet with a Recommending Instructor (RI) who fills out a checklist, confirms your identity and verifies your English language proficiency.
- Bring with you a valid photo ID for the RI to verify your identity.
- An RI can be any certified instructor, a designated pilot examiner (DPE) or an authorized FAA employee at a local Flight Service District Office.
- Once the RI completes the application on their end you will digitally sign the application in IACRA with your IACRA username and password
- You will receive a temporary Student Pilot certificate within a week and your actual certificate will be mailed to your address in 1-3 months.
When do you need your Student Pilot Certificate?
In order to solo an aircraft (fly it by yourself) you will need your Student Pilot Certificate and will also need a 3rd Class Medical Certificate (if you are going for Private Pilot) or just a Driver’s License (if you are going for Sport Pilot). This means you can start flying with your instructor without a student pilot or medical certificate but must get these before you fly solo. Since April 1, 2016 student pilot certificates no longer expire. If you received one before this, the expiration dates were the same as the medical certificate.
At Part Time Pilot we recommend first starting with ground school, getting your student pilot and medical certificate, passing the written exam and then starting flight training. When you start with ground school and get your student pilot and medical certificates first you have many benefits:
- Ground School is lowest financial barrier of entry into flight training (Can start with Part Time Pilot here)
- Ground School helps you decide if the topics actually interest you before you spend too much money
- Ground School prepares you mentally for flight lessons, which…
- Makes you a safer student pilot
- Makes flight lessons easier
- Less repeat lessons and less 1 on 1 ground instruction with your flight instructor means you save lots of money
- Getting your Student Pilot Certificate before flight training ensures you are qualified to become a pilot before spending too much money
- Getting your Medical Certificate (if going for Private Pilot) before flight training ensures you are qualified to become a pilot medically before spending too much money
Once you are in the midst of ground school and starting to think about taking and passing the FAA Written exam this is when we recommend starting to prepare for flight training. This is when you can begin your student pilot application in IACRA and start talking to an aviation medical examiner (AME) about your medical certificate. Then, once you find the right flight school for you (something we will talk about soon) you can have your flight instructor finalize your student pilot certificate.
Now, you have your ground school complete, your FAA Written Exam passed, a flight school picked out, your Student Pilot Certificate on the way to you in the mail and you can get your medical certificate and have everything lined up for you to go as smoothly as possible.
Watch the video below that includes a step by step tutorial on signing up in IACRA!
The number 1 way to ensure your success in becoming a pilot is by properly managing your time & money
And the easiest way to properly manage your time & money is by doing ground school before it’s too late and ACTUALLY understanding the material
5 years ago I saw NO ONE mentoring unsuspecting students on the traps in flight training that was costing them $1000s
This is why I created the Part Time Pilot Online Ground Schools
The ground schools were created with these ideas at the heart of our mission statement:
- Mentoring students from start to finish
- Providing content that saves time & money & provides a deep understanding
How does Part Time Pilot compare to other Online Ground Schools?
I went to the website of each of the Top10 Online Ground Schools and gathered ALL the relevant info a student pilot like you needs to make an informed decision.
Things like cost, student ratings, lifetime access or not, types of lessons, bonuses included, scholarships included, support available and more.
Then, I lined them all up and compared them all in a single table so that student pilots could make the best, most informed decision on their training.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about the topic of the a student pilot certificate:
What are the Requirements for a Student Pilot Certificate?
In order to get a student pilot certificate from the FAA a person must be at least 16 years old and be able to read, speak and understand English. They also must be who they say they are and have a valid, FAA approved photo ID such as a Driver’s License, Passport, Government ID, Military ID, etc..
How do I get a Student Pilot Certificate?
To obtain a Student Pilot certificate a person must apply on the FAA IACRA website by making an account and applying for a student pilot certificate. However, to finalize the application an applicant must meet with a Recommending Instructor (RI) who proves the applicant is who they say they are, can understand and speak English and has a valid photo ID. Once the RI proves these requirements they will finalize the application and a student pilot certificate will be in the mail to your registered address. An RI can be your flight instructor or other FAA personnel but you must meet them in person (can not be done online).
Can I get a Student Pilot Certificate online?
You must start your student pilot application online on the FAA’s IACRA website. However, you cannot completely get your student pilot certificate online because in order to finalize the application you need to meet in person with a Recommending Instructor (RI) who verifies you are who you say you are with a valid ID, you can read, understand and speak English and you meet the age requirement of 16 years old. The meeting with an RI can be your flight instructor as all flight instructors are RIs and you only need a student pilot certificate before you fly solo. You can fly with your flight instructor before that and have them finalize your application.
How long does it take to get a Student Pilot Certificate?
To submit an initial student pilot application takes only a matter of minutes on the IACRA website. Then, you must meet with a Recommending Instructor (RI), which can be your flight instructor, to finalize the application. This process can take only a few minutes as well.
Once the application is finalized by an RI a student pilot can receive a temporary student pilot certificate from IACRA in less than 7 days that they can then print and use as temporary. The FAA will also send you a permanent, plastic student pilot certificate card in the mail which you should receive in 6-8 weeks.
How much does it Cost to get a Student Pilot Certificate?
The student pilot certificate is free to apply for and receive from the FAA! However, you will likely be charged by your Recommending Instructor (RI) for their time. Your RI can be your flight instructor and flight instructors usually charge anywhere from $40 to $80 per hour for their time.
In order to fly solo as a private pilot student you will need your student pilot certificate and a medical certificate. Medical certificate exams cost about $175 to $200.
Can you fly with a Student Pilot Certificate?
A student pilot certificate is not your ticket to flying at all times. You still need to fly with your instructor unless you have the following:
- Student Pilot Certificate
- Medical Certificate
- Endorsement from your Instructor for solo flight
What are the Requirements to Fly Solo?
The requirements to fly solo as a student private pilot are:
- Student Pilot Certificate
- Medical Certificate
- Endorsement from your Instructor for solo flight
Is it worth it to get a Private Pilot License?
Yes! But this depends heavily on your goals. If you want to have the maximum amount of privileges as a pilot with the minimum amount of training then a Private Pilot certificate is worth it. If you want to become an Airline Pilot or fly as a career then you are required to first get a Private Pilot certificate and in that case, it would be worth it as well. So whether you want to be a hobby pilot and able to fly family or friends from state to state or you want to fly for the Airlines one day, a Private Pilot certificate is the best choice. This is why Private Pilot certificates are by far the most popular certificate in the US.
What is the Cheapest Way to become a Pilot?
The cheapest way to become a pilot explained step by step in Part Time Pilot’s free email course called “How to Become a Pilot and Save Money” and summarized below. There is no one trick or one flight school that allows a student pilot to save the most money. Rather, it is a series of things student pilots can prepare and plan ahead for that will make their flight training journey as cheap and as stress-free as possible. Some of those things are:
- Doing Ground School before Flight Training
- Doing a complete Ground School & understanding the concepts in the material rather than just doing FAA Written Test Prep
- Planning ahead financially instead of flying paycheck to paycheck
- Doing flight training at a Flying Club
- Doing flight training in rural parts of the US
- Taking time off work and avoiding travel during flight training
- Flying during the sunniest months of the year
- Buying your own aircraft if you plan to fly a significant amount after receiving a Private Pilot certificate
- And more outlined in the Free “How to Become a Pilot & Save Money” course
How Long does it take to become a Private Pilot?
This varies depending upon several factors but mostly on how often you perform flight training lessons and how quickly you progress through the lessons in the eyes of your flight instructor.
The FAA minimum number of hours to become a Private Pilot is 40 hours for Part 61 or 35 hours for Part 141. However, there are several underlying requirements such as solo flight hours, night flight hours, cross-country flight hours, simulated instrument flight hours, ground training and more. Even if you meet all minimum hour requirements, your flight instructor still needs to endorse you for your final checkride exam to become a pilot. In order for your instructor to endorse you, they must deem you proficient in all areas required by the FAA in the Airmen Certificate Standards (ACS) document.
Students that are able to progress and gain proficiency quickly while flying full-time (every day or every other day) can finish near the minimum hour requirement (35 to 50 hours) in about 2-3 months. These students also perform their ground training and have a good understanding of the knowledge prior to starting flight lessons.
Students that aren’t able to fly full-time but on the weekends or off-days from work are more likely to finish in 50-70 hours and in about 4-6 months.
And students that have gaps in their training lasting multiple weeks or that aren’t able to fly each week are going to finish in the higher range of 70-100 hours and 6 months to a year or more.
