Hi there, I am just wondering how much time for your written test and flying to get your PPL? Any info is greatly appreciated. TIA
The written can be studied for and passed in weeks to months but most people take a few months and work on the written during flight training. Some people wait until the flight training is finished and have to take more lessons because they don’t take the written in a timely manner. There are countless online written prep programs that can be accessed online. Gleim is one that I used over the years from Instrument to CFI, ATP, and Aircraft Dispatcher written exams. If you are outside the US, ignore what I just said. You will need to find one that is specific to your locale because airspace and regulations vary around the world.
You can get a PPL in 6 months to 12 months. When I was a CFI, some students finished in 6 months and some were 12-24 months. It depends on the person’s schedule, self-study discipline, and how often they are able to take lessons. Those numbers can vary a lot. Flight time can range from 35-40 hours minimum depending on the type of flight school, but the average is around 65 hours before being signed off to take a practical exam.
You should inquire at your local airport. If they don’t have flight training, they will know who does and be able to give contact information.
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It varies greatly form person to person, so there is no magic numbers here. I can give you some things that affect how long or short it takes.
The written exam is a very well known quantity so theoretically you could cram and pass it in just a couple of weeks. If you go this route, yes you get it out of the way and i guarantee you wont understand anything you just passed. That could come back to haunt you in your oral, checkride and later in life when you are actually flying on your own. The top things that affect how long it takes to get certificate. 1. location (airspace, weather, climate, school) 2. How often you fly. 3. how much you prepare for each flight. 4. Your instructor 5. condition of plane.
I personally thinks its best to take your time, take lessons over many different types of weather conditions, do your written lessons as you take each lesson so you actually understand and experience each topic. Its one thing to memorize an answer, its a whole other thing to experience it in the aircraft. Take your lessons, complete the syllabus, then take pass written, then prep, practice for check ride, oral. If your are in the north east with cold winters and gray skies its gonna take you longer than if you are in florida, arizona, california etc.
One other thing I forgot to mention is right now schools and DPE’s are SUPER booked and busy. 1. Don’t assume you can fly on your schedule or that there will always be an aircraft and instructor available. 2. Don’t assume that when you finish training a DPE will be available. You could be looking at 6-8 weeks to get a check ride booked right now.