What it takes to fly

In response to a comment for a previous post, here is what it takes to take flying lessons and become a pilot in this country.

1. Make sure you have the correct visa for it. H1B status is OK. F1 is not. Ask USCIS just in case.

2. Research the kinds of pilot certificates (not licenses) that are available and determine which is the best for you. I went for Private Pilot but that might be overkill for some. There is a new category called Sport Pilot license that is becoming popular which is sufficient for most recreational flyers and requires only half the instruction of the Private. For someone who wants to fly for a living, going all the way to commercial and then getting the Instrument and Multi-engine certificates is the only way to go.

In short, define your typical "mission". If you don't know, a Private gives the most options for later.

2. Find a flight school near you. Almost every county in the US has at least one airport if not more. This is the home of general aviation in the area and will be home to several "FBO"s i.e. Fixed Base Operators who offer airplane rental and instruction services along with fuel, airplane repairs, tiedown (i.e. parking) etc.

3. Go talk to flight schools and take an introductory flight. These flights cost less than $50 each. Don't be bashful about asking questions. Evaluate the instructors and see if you can learn from them effectively. The one you pick will be stuck with you in a small cockpit for about 15-30 hours of flying. That is a very long time if you don't like him/her.

4. Once you make the decision to enroll, before actually enrolling ensure that you can fly at least 2-3 times a week. Anything less and you will spend more money to recall what was taught in the previous class. It is important that you find a school that is as close to you as possible. The farther away it is, the less the inclination to fly when you are feeling even a little bit lazy. My airport is next to my office which is less than 10 mins from home.

5. If you have significant others, ensure that they are bought in. If you have families that worry too much, feel free to follow my example. Keep in mind that it takes quite a bit of commitment to follow through with training and can be compared to taking an additional 2 graduate level courses in addition to your regular work.

5. Go to the school and enroll. Your flight school will then help you (if you are a foreigner in this country) to open an account with the friendly TSA. You will have to go to some nearby location and submit fingerprints which the TSA will use to do a background check. You cannot begin flight lessons until you get the clearance. This takes less than a month to come through. You then have to get a medical certificate. A 3rd class medical will do. People of good health should have no problems getting a 3rd class medical. You can wear glasses and fly. Again, your school should tell you the local physicians who are approved by the FAA to issue these certificates.

6. Contrary to popular perception, there really isn't a big problem for people of color to fly. Use common sense and watch what you say especially in the beginning. You will soon get a feel for the environment at your airport. Most pilots are very friendly and honestly want to share the experience of flight with others. There are less than 500,000 pilots in the US so they are a minuscule part of the population. This causes two kinds of behaviour - pride to be part of an elite group, and a mild paranoia about the extinction of the species. Both are good if you want to be a pilot.

7. Enjoy your lessons, and keep on top of the study materials. You don't need to be some kind of a genius to be a pilot. Heck I am one. Double heck, Rajiv Gandhi was one. F***, even Sanjay Gandhi was one. Rajesh Pilot, Biju Patnaik.....you get the picture.

8. The US is an incredibly beautiful place. You will know that from the first flight. What better way is there to experience another country? As an aside, this has prompted me to arrange for an introductory flight in Bengalooru when I go there in a few weeks. I want to fix in my mind the image of the beauty of my land so that I am never too wowed by this one. Might be difficult with the pollution in Bengalooru.

I have not talked about costs because they vary widely between regions and even airports. You pay as you go i.e. you pay for every hour you fly. I have not added up my total costs. I don't want to because I wanted to be a pilot no matter what. But I know it doesn't cost more than an old used Toyota Corolla.

Enjoy.

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