Recreational And Private Pilot Training

If someone just wants to fly as a hobby, recreational or private pilot training is all they need. These two types of flight training are similar, but private pilot training is less restricted than recreational pilot training. After completing recreational pilot training, an aviator cannot fly any farther than fifty miles from their home airport, and they can only fly a single engine, four-seat plane.

They also cannot fly at night or in any part of the air that would require them to converse with air traffic control. While the private pilot training allows people to do more with their license, some people prefer the recreational flight training because it requires fewer hours of flight training. This means that it is cheaper and less time consuming, so for people that just want to play around it's fine. Once a person becomes bored with the restrictions of their recreational license, though, they can easily spend the extra time and money and complete their private pilot training.

Both types of flight training do have some similarities, though. Students must be 16 years of age in order to fly solo, and 17 years of age to get their license. They must also be able to read, speak and understand English, because it is the international language of aviation. Private and recreational flight training students must both complete a minimum of a third class medical certificate.

Back to Articles