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If you ask any student even in elementary school why the town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina is significant to American history, they will know the answer immediately. They will know that this was the place that Orville and Wilber Wright made the first working airplane and discovered that man could fly.

 

Flight School Questions & Answers

 

Before you decide whether the flying is really your dream job, there are a few questions you may want to have an answer for.

For many, it's the idea of being able to just hop in and fly. As a hobby pilot or corporate aviator, that's possible. 

However, commercial aviation is not quite like that.

There's a saying that goes along with commercial aviation "It’s hours of boredom, with occasional moments of sheer terror." Still intrigued? Then click the “read more” button below and read through the entire Q&A.

 

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Q. Is it difficult to fly an aircraft?
A. No. It is not particularly difficult. From the beginning you will do most of the actual flying (handling the controls of the aircraft).

 

Q. When may I begin to fly?
A. Immediately. However, you will need to apply for certain certificates, as described in this guide, in preparation for solo flight.

 

Q. Is there a set number of flight instructional hours I will receive before I solo?
A. No. The instructor will not allow you to solo until you have learned to perform certain maneuvers. These maneuvers include safe takeoffs and landings. You must be able to maintain positive control of the aircraft at all times and to use good judgment.

Q. Is flying safe?
A. Well-built and well-maintained aircraft flown by a competent and prudent pilot make flying as safe or safer than many other forms of transportation.

 

Q. If engine failure occurs, what will happen?
A. Modern aircraft engines are very reliable and complete engine failure is a rare occurrence. If the improbable does happen, however, you will not "fall out of the sky." Just do what the instructor had you practice during lessons; select a good landing area and land.

Q. When do I need a medical certificate?
A. You will need a medical certificate prior to solo flight if you are operating an airplane, helicopter, gyroplane, or airship. Balloon or glider pilots may write a statement certifying that they have no known medical defect that would make them unable to pilot a balloon or glider. It is suggested you obtain your medical certificate prior to beginning flight training. This will assure you are aware of any condition which could prevent you from obtaining a medical prior to making a financial investment in flight training.

Q. When do I need a Student Pilot Certificate?
A. Prior to solo flight.

Q. If required, how do I get a medical certificate?
A. By passing a physical examination administered by a doctor who is an FAA-authorized aviation medical examiner.

Q. How do I obtain a Student Pilot Certificate?
A. Upon your request, a combination medical certificate and Student Pilot Certificate will be issued by an FAA-authorized aviation medical examiner upon the satisfactory completion of your physical examination. Student Pilot Certificates may be issued by an FAA inspector or an FAA-designated pilot examiner. Applicants who fail to meet certain requirements or who have physical disabilities which might limit, but not prevent, their acting as pilots, should contact the nearest FSDO.

 

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Q. What are the requirements for a Student Pilot Certificate?
A. To be eligible for a Student Pilot Certificate, a person must:
1.be at least 16 years of age. If the certificate is limited to the operation of a glider or balloon, the applicant must be at least 14 years of age;
2.be able to read, speak, and understand the English language;
3.hold at least a current Third-Class Medical Certificate or in the case of a glider or balloon, certify that he or she has no known medical defect that would make him or her unable to pilot a glider or balloon.

Q. Where do I get my medical certificate?
A. From any FAA-authorized aviation medical examiner. There are approximately 6,000 doctors who are FAA-authorized aviation medical examiners.

Q. Where can I get a list of FAA-authorized aviation medical examiners?
A. The FAA publishes a directory which lists all FAA-authorized aviation medical examiners by name and address. Copies of this directory are available at all FSDO's, air traffic control facilities, and flight service stations. Airport managers and some aviation operators may also be able to supply this information.

Q. When required, what class of medical certificate must a student pilot have?
A. Third-class, although any class will suffice. Medical certificates are designated as first-class, second-class, or third-class. Generally, the first-class is designed for the airline transport pilot; the second-class for the commercial pilot; and the third-class for the student, recreational, and private pilot.

 

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Q. If I have a physical disability, is there any provision for obtaining a medical certificate?
A. Yes. Medical certificates can be issued in many cases where physical disabilities are involved. Depending upon the certificate held and the
nature of the disability, operating limitations may be imposed. If you have any questions, contact an FAA-authorized aviation medical examiner prior to beginning flight training.

Q. How long are my Student Pilot Certificate and my medical certificate valid?
A. The Student Pilot Certificate and Third-Class Medical Certificate will expire at the end of the 24th month after the month in which they were issued.

Q. May my Student Pilot Certificate be renewed?
A. No, but a new Student Pilot Certificate may be issued by an:
1. FAA-authorized aviation medical examiner, upon completion of the required examination;
2.FAA inspector or FAA-designated pilot examiner if you already hold a valid medical certificate or if you are not required to hold a medical certificate.

Q. If my original Student Pilot Certificate has been endorsed for solo, do I lose this endorsement on my new certificate?
A. The endorsements are still valid, but are not transferred to the new certificate. Retain the old certificate as a record of these endorsements.

Q. Should my flight instructor endorse my Student Pilot Certificate before or after my first solo flight?
A. The endorsement on the Student Pilot Certificate certifying that the holder is competent to solo must be made by the flight instructor prior to the first solo flight.

Q. If I solo in more than one make and model aircraft, must I have an endorsement for each on my Student Pilot Certificate? If so, who should endorse the certificate?
A. Yes. A flight instructor must make this endorsement prior to the
first solo flight in each make and model aircraft.

Q. Does the endorsement to solo permit me to make solo cross-country flights?
A. No. The flight instructor must specifically endorse the Student Pilot Certificate to permit cross-country flights.

Q. Must I carry my Student Pilot Certificate on my person when I am piloting an aircraft in solo flight?
A. Yes.

Q. Must I have my medical certificate or certified statement in my personal possession when I am piloting an aircraft in solo flight?
A. Yes.

Q. Is there a charge for the Student Pilot Certificate?
A. Not when the Student Pilot Certificate is issued by a FSDO. However, an FAA-designated pilot examiner is allowed to charge a reasonable fee for issuing Student Pilot Certificates, and executing the necessary reports. The FAA-authorized aviation medical examiner will charge a fee for the physical examination in connection with issuing the combination medical and Student Pilot Certificate.

 

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Today, with thousands of airplanes and helicopters taking to the sky at any given moment and the experience of flying high above the earth as common as riding a bicycle, it seems that a world where men did not fly is as far away as the ancient Romans. But we have to travel in time back to the days before the Wright brothers made their phenomenal discovery and the invention of the first aircraft when there was a time when it was firmly believed that man would never fly like a bird and indeed, man was meant to never fly but always be a terrestrial being. We can be grateful that the Wright brothers did not hold to that belief.

The date of that first successful flight was December 17, 1903. It was on that fateful day that Orville and Wilber successfully flew the first controlled, powered, heavier than air airplane. This break through ranks as one of the greatest inventions of American history and in truth, one of the great inventions of all time as man had been dreaming of being able to fly as far back as we have primitive drawings illustrating that dream.

The Wright brothers were well suited to go through the tedious research to finally create a machine that could accomplish this feat. We all know that great inventions are often the results of hundreds or thousands of failures and tests by which the inventor refines his ideas and makes new discoveries that take him step by step toward that final break through. That was certainly true of the Wright brothers.

Our reference to flight becoming as common as riding a bicycle is well chosen because it was the Wright brothers vocation as mechanics repairing printing presses, motors and bicycles that gave them the knowledge of the inner workings of such machines that was needed to create a machine that could sustain flight. Their work to perfect the design of the common bicycle lead them to believe that conquering flight was not a question of providing sufficient power to the aircraft as it was providing mechanisms of control and balance to properly keep the aircraft steady with sufficient consistency that it could take to the air.

Long before that first successful flight, the Wright brothers conducted their research. Using their bicycle shop as a makeshift laboratory, they first experimented with gliders and unmanned aircraft to refine their theories and their designs. But finally on December 17, 1903, they achieved their dream of manned flight, even if only for a short time. Orville Wright’s account of that first flight is scientific and understated.

"Wilbur started the fourth and last flight at just about 12 o'clock. The first few hundred feet were up and down, as before, but by the time three hundred feet had been covered, the machine was under much better control. The course for the next four or five hundred feet had but little undulation. However, when out about eight hundred feet the machine began pitching again, and, in one of its darts downward, struck the ground. The distance over the ground was measured to be 852 feet; the time of the flight was 59 seconds.”

Little did the Wright brothers know that an entire new industry would be built around these simple experiments. Moreover, they had achieved a dream man had dreamed for centuries, to actually be able to fly above the ground and come back safely. It is truly one of the great accomplishments of American history.

Leonardo DaVinci drew the principles of helicopters.

Basically, the concept of an aerodynamic screw was supposed to lift the platform below and achieve flight. Undoubtedly, Da Vinci was an incredible visionary. The design layed the foundation of rotorcrafts - helicopters.

It's your turn now.

You plan on flying the most advanced, exciting and liberating piece of machinery?

Check out the flight schools and other opportunities on this site!

Best of luck in your pursuit of flight. It's worth it in every single second you can see something from above.