You Can Fly - 2024 Edition - 14

Start your journey
Check out our interactive chart for
more information on how to launch
your game plan for either recreational
or career flying. Bon voyage!
the road (see " Are you Fit to Fly? " p. 42)
and taking your knowledge test before
starting the bulk of your flight training
can help you better grasp concepts in
your flight lessons. Read (and watch)
voraciously. Books, online ground school
courses, and even YouTube videos will
give you a far-reaching education at a low
cost. Ask other pilots for their favorite
sources. And don't forget to become an
AOPA member to know the goings on in
the community and industry, get training
tips, receive award-winning magazines
filled with exclusive content, and become
a part of a community that invests in the
future of aviation. Plus, you'll get free
access to AOPA Flight Training Advantage,
an adaptive digital flight training
syllabus that automatically generates
individualized lessons for you based on
your performance.
Consider starting with a glider
Gliders are aircraft that don't have engines
and fly by getting towed to a predetermined
altitude and using the natural air
currents to stay aloft and even climb. This
type of flying will teach you invaluable
skills that will apply to all other types of
flying for a lower cost than a powered airplane.
It's also great for younger students,
as you only need to be 14 to fly a glider
solo instead of 16 for a powered airplane.
When you're ready to transition to powered
aircraft, those handling skills and the
ability to read the air around you will give
you an advantage. Locations with glider
clubs can be harder to find than an airport
with airplanes, but if you have a gliderport
near you it's worth a lot of consideration.
Take advantage of a simulator
The ones you set up at home on your computer
don't count (although those can still
help you with familiarity of the cockpit
and procedures), but you can log training
with an FAA-approved flight simulator
and flight instructor at your school toward
your certificate. This is cheaper than
flying an actual aircraft, can be used when
the weather is too bad to fly, and some
have motion as well. Although there is a
limit to how many simulator hours will
count, any time you put in will give you
valuable experience. It also gives you the
freedom to practice procedures and situations
that might not be safe or practical to
try in the real world.
Embrace basic
Shiny new airplanes and sophisticated
cockpits with high levels of computer
automation are fun and important to
the industry, but it's not necessary when
starting out. Plus, all those screens mean a
higher rental cost, which drain your budget
fast. Consider looking past the glitz and give
an older, more basic training aircraft with
traditional gauge instruments a chance. It
will be just as safe and effective as a newer
aircraft, and not relying on too much digital
assistance at the start will help you build
better skills. Focus on the most important
instruments in flying: your eyes and the seat
You Can Fly - 2024 Edition

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of You Can Fly - 2024 Edition
