If you are contemplating on becoming a Pilot then there are some basics you must know right from the beginning before you even enroll in a flight training School. All Pilot licenses are governed by the FAA, which stands for Federal Aviation Association. They are the ones that set the rules on what is required for an individual to obtain a Pilot's license. They are also the ones that govern the tests that determine whether you will become licensed or not. Let's talk first about the preliminary steps before you pursue any type of training.

Preliminary Step One:
You must meet the age requirements. In order to obtain your Student Pilot Certificate you have to be a minimum of 16 years of age. If you met these criteria then you are allowed to fly the solo requirements of the course. In order to become a fully licensed Private Pilot you must be 17 years of age.

Preliminary Step Two:
You will be required to read, speak and write fluent English. This is necessary because you will have to read your manuals, maps and instruments. You will be required to learn radio communication and you will have to write your exams. All of this is done in English. If this is not your first language and you have concerns whether your command of the English language is good enough then you may want to consider a least a basic course in this area before your pursue your training.

Preliminary Step Three:
In order to qualify to even attempt at getting your Private Pilots License you are going to have to pass a medical and obtain a certificate stating you are in good health.

Preliminary Step Four:
Arranging for the payment of your course. In order to determine this you will probably need to do some research as to what flight training schools are available in your area, and what their fees are. No matter what they quote plan on paying extra in case you want to purchase extra flying time. Moreover, there will be some equipment and textbooks costs. Be sure these are included in the quote. You are probably looking at anywhere between $4,000-$6,000. With the cost of fuel now, these prices are probably in the low range.

Preliminary Step Five:
Time scheduling. You will not know the exact time schedule until you have chosen your school. There is no point in going any further though unless you can ensure you are going to be able to dedicate some fair amount of time to your flying studies. If you go about this intermittently then in all likeliness you will not complete your course. You are probably going to be required around 65 flight hours before you final exam. Then there is the theory to be learned prior to this, which constitutes a written exam as well.

Once you have satisfactorily completed five preliminary steps you should be in a position to now seek out accredited flying schools. Don't rush into this and make sure you check around to see how established the schools are.