What a private pilot license lets you do
With a private pilot certificate (commonly called a PPL) and an airplane single-engine land rating, you can:
- Fly an airplane with passengers, day and night, in good weather (VFR).
- Fly to any public airport in the U.S. From KLWM that means Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Maine, the Lakes Region and beyond.
- Share operating expenses with your passengers (you can't be paid to fly — that's the commercial certificate).
- Keep training: the PPL is the foundation for an instrument rating and every professional certificate.
FAA requirements
Private pilot training under 14 CFR Part 61 requires at least 40 hours of flight time, including:
- 20 hours with an instructor, including 3 hours of cross-country, 3 hours at night (with a cross-country flight of over 100 nm and 10 full-stop takeoffs and landings), 3 hours of flight by reference to instruments, and 3 hours of checkride preparation.
- 10 hours of solo flight, including 5 hours of solo cross-country, one solo cross-country of at least 150 nm total with full-stop landings at three airports (one leg over 50 nm), and three takeoffs and landings at a towered airport. At KLWM, every landing is at a towered airport.
You'll also need to:
- Be at least 16 to solo and 17 to receive the certificate.
- Read, speak, write and understand English.
- Hold an FAA medical certificate (third class is enough) before you solo.
- Get a free student pilot certificate through the FAA's IACRA system. We'll walk you through it.
- Pass the FAA knowledge test (a multiple-choice exam at a testing center).
- Pass the practical test (checkride): an oral exam and flight with an FAA-designated examiner.
How long does it take?
The 40-hour figure is a legal minimum, not a prediction. Most students nationwide finish somewhere around 60–75 flight hours. How long it takes on the calendar depends mostly on how often you fly:
- 2–3 lessons a week: often 4–6 months. This is the sweet spot, because skills build on each other and you spend less time relearning.
- 1 lesson a week: 9–12 months or more, and usually more total hours.
New England weather matters too. Plan on some cancellations, especially in winter, and fly as consistently as you can.
What training looks like
Stage 1: Pre-solo
Aircraft control, climbs and descents, turns, slow flight and stalls, emergency procedures, radio work with KLWM tower, and lots of takeoffs and landings in the pattern. It ends with your first solo flight.
Stage 2: Cross-country
Navigation by pilotage, dead reckoning and GPS, flight planning, weather, working with Boston Approach and flight following, night flying, and solo trips to other New England airports.
Stage 3: Checkride prep
Polishing every maneuver to the FAA's Airman Certification Standards, mock oral exams, and a stage check before your practical test.
Ground school
You'll need to learn aerodynamics, regulations, weather, navigation, airspace and more for the knowledge test. Most students combine a self-paced online ground school with one-on-one ground lessons with their instructor. Ask us what we recommend for how you learn.
What does it cost?
Cost is driven by aircraft and instructor time, so the total depends on how many hours you need. Read our breakdown: How much does flight training cost? Then contact us for current rates.