Before taking the flight test, the Federal Aviation Regulations require that a student must complete a minimum of 48 hours of flight time (20 hours of dual instruction and 10 hours of solo). However, this minimum was established before WW II. Since the airspace has become more complicated, equipment more sophisticated and with new added regulations the national average flight time is now 70 flight hours. We have found this to be true in our school.
Training include twenty hours of dual instruction by an FAA certified flight instructor including at least:
- Three hours of cross country flight
- Three hours of night flight
- Three hours in airplanes in preparation for the flight within 60 days prior to the test.
Ten hours of solo time including at least:
- Ten hours in airplanes
- Five hours of cross country flight
- Three takeoffs and landings at an airport with an operating control tower
The period of time it takes to accumulate this flight time is largely up to the student. At Eagles View we recommend that a student fly at least two hours per week, if possible, for the first four to six weeks in order to progress throughout the program in a minimum amount of time. This will avoid costly reviews caused by excessive time between flight lessons. We have found that with this type of scheduling, added to the amount of time a student diligently does the book work, coupled with attentive comprehension, will bring the total time for certification closer to the minimum hourly requirements. If students fly less than once a week, the overall time necessary to obtain a certification will increase greatly.
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