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Private Pilot rating

Zero to PPL in fourteen days

There are three parts to earning a Private Pilot rating: ground school, flight training, and a checkride. Here is exactly how each one works.

Before you arrive

The 14-day timeline only works because you show up ready to fly. Two things must be finished before we start:

  • FAA written exam — passed

    Your Private Pilot knowledge (written) test, completed with your results in hand.

  • FAA medical certificate — in hand

    At least a 3rd-class medical from an aviation medical examiner (AME).

New to all this and not sure how to knock these out? Call me — I'll point you to the right AME and the fastest way to pass your written, so you arrive ready.

  1. 01

    Ground School

    The academic foundation — the knowledge you need to pass the written exam. I integrate it directly with your flight training so it's never purely esoteric. It makes sense because you're using it in the air the same day.

  2. 02

    Learn the machine

    The first phase of flight training is mastering the airplane and learning to take off and land. The typical student solos in about 15 flight hours — taking off and landing three times, solo. I'll be right beside the runway with a radio. Solo is a huge accomplishment.

  3. 03

    Go places

    The second phase is cross-country flying — actually going somewhere. First you fly cross-countries with me, then you fly them by yourself.

  4. 04

    Polish & checkride

    The last phase covers night flying, emergency instrument work, and checkride preparation. The checkride is an oral exam followed by a flight with the examiner — whose job is to confirm I did mine. Pass it, and you are a pilot.

Once you pass your checkride, you are a pilot.

Ready to set your dates? Let’s map the fastest safe path to your certificate.

Plan my 14 days
Before you commit

Questions about the 14-day program

Do I really need any experience to start?
None at all. Most students walk in having never touched the controls. We build from your very first hour, and ground school is integrated so it always connects to what you just flew.
How old do I have to be to learn to fly?
There's no minimum age to start learning. To fly solo you must be 16, and to take your Private Pilot checkride you must be 17. There's no upper limit either — I've trained plenty of people who were sure they'd missed their window. They hadn't.
Can you really get me to a PPL in 14 days?
On an accelerated, immersive schedule, yes — many students earn the Private Pilot certificate in about two weeks. The catch is you have to arrive ready: your FAA written (knowledge) exam already passed and a current medical certificate in hand. With those done, your pace comes down to your availability and the weather. New to all this? Call me and I'll help you get the written and medical squared away first.
What kind of medical do I need — can I use BasicMed?
For your first Private Pilot certificate you'll need at least a 3rd-class FAA medical from an aviation medical examiner (AME) — get that done before an accelerated course. BasicMed is a great option down the road, but it requires you to have already held an FAA medical, so it can't be your first one. Not sure where to start? I'll point you to a good AME.
Are you a Part 141 flight school?
No — I train under FAR Part 61, not Part 141. Part 141 schools follow a fixed, FAA-approved syllabus and are what you need for things like VA/GI Bill funding or certain student visas. Part 61 gives us the flexibility to build training around you and your schedule — which is exactly what makes the accelerated, one-on-one approach possible. For almost everyone the certificate is identical; the path to it is just more personal.
How does payment work — do you offer financing?
I keep it simple and honest: flat, transparent rates we go over on our first call, with no surprise fees. For an accelerated block I'll usually ask for a deposit to hold your dates, with the balance handled as we train. I don't offer in-house financing, but many students use an aviation-specific lender or a personal line of credit — and I'm glad to point you in the right direction.
Do you come to me, or do I come to you?
Either. Instruction is available in my aircraft or yours, at your home field or mine, anywhere in the country. Your location or mine, your aircraft or mine.
What aircraft will I train in?
Everything from a Piper Cub to a Citation. For primary and time building I fly Piper Cherokees and a Cessna 150; for instrument and commercial work I use a well-equipped Mooney M20. For type-specific training, we use the airplane you actually fly.
What if the weather doesn't cooperate, or I need more time?
The 14 days is a realistic target, not a promise to rush you. Weather, your own learning curve, or a maintenance day can move things. If we need more time, we take it — I will never sign you off for a checkride until you're genuinely ready. You're paying for a capable pilot, not a date on the calendar.

Your fast track to flying starts now

Tell me your availability and where you’re based — I’ll build the schedule that gets you there.

Start your training (561) 704-2008