There is truly no question I get asked more than some variation of, “How do I start flying?”

“How do I become a pilot?”

“How do I start flight training?”

Being a pilot is a unique career for many reasons, but one thing that makes this job really different is that it’s a pretty mysterious industry from the outside. Sure, most people know a thing or two about how airlines work. Many people travel every year for vacation or for business. But as for the inner workings of the industry and how to get into flying as a career, that seems to be lesser known.

Let’s demystify this amazing career path! If you’ve ever wanted to take flight lessons but don’t know where to begin, start with these three steps:

1. Look for a flight instructor or flight school

Search for flight schools in your area, or look up your local airport (there are small ones everywhere – you’d be surprised!) and ask them if they can recommend a school or independent instructor to you.

I’m an independent instructor and my students often come to me through word of mouth. This is a lot of times more flexible and affordable than a traditional flight school model, so don’t rule out those freelancers!

2. Book a discovery flight

A discovery flight is a short introductory flight lesson that exists to give you a feel for what training would be like. Because how do you know if you’d like flying an airplane if you’ve never tried it? This is a good way to test out different schools and instructors as well before committing to a full program.

3. Schedule an aviation medical exam

Ask your instructor or school for help getting your FAA medical exam set up. This usually costs around $150 and is CRUCIAL to get BEFORE you start training. In the US, you need a current medical certificate from an FAA approved physician in order to fly solo and eventually to get your pilot’s license.

If all you want to do is take a lesson or two, you can go without it; but to progress as a pilot you cannot move forward without it, so make sure to lock this down before you start any training program. Too many people pour money into their training only to find out they don’t qualify for a medical. Don’t let that be you!

Looking for more flying tips?

For more tips on getting started with flight training, be sure to grab my New Student Checklist. It’s brief on purpose to give you the exact things you need to get started, no fluff.

You don’t need to do everything on it all at once so don’t get overwhelmed – I knew nothing about what flight training entailed when I first started so I started creating the resources I wish I had in the beginning. Use this as a guide to begin your research!