The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of logged flight time to be eligible to take your Private Pilot Exam. However, the number of logged flight hours is not the determining factor. You must be a safe and proficient pilot in order to pass the exam! Nationwide, most pilots are able to finish their flight training with around 60-70 hours of logged flight time. Here on Long Island, we are in some of the nation's busiest airspace, so it would be wise to set your expectations in line with the national average.

When considering you must acheive a certain proficiency, it is clear that the more regularly you schedule Flight Lessons, the faster you will learn to fly! In a perfect world, you would take one flying lesson every day, have perfect weather, and be finished in six weeks. We understand this is not an option for most people!

All of our courses are self paced. Over the years, we have had clients that were able to fly every day and finish in a few weeks. However, the majority of our clients come out for 1 lesson every week. Learning to fly is not like riding a bicycle - there is always a bit of regression between lessons. We have created a number of tools on our website designed to help you retain what you learn each lesson, and to help minimize regression between lessons.
(See our Student Pilot Tools)

On average, if you schedule 1 flying lesson per week, and study really hard to prepare for each lesson, it will likely take you at least 1 year to become proficient enough to be a safe pilot and pass the required practical exam. If you can manage a second or third lesson each week, the time it will take you will be greatly reduced!

Other important factors that affect how long it takes to learn to fly:
 - Personal Skill Level
 - Personal Study habits
 - Free time available to study between flight lessons