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Take off on one of the greatest adventures of your
life: learn to
fly! You'll extend your horizons, find new challenges,
and have more fun than you can imagine...all while traveling
farther, higher, and faster than you ever have before.
Imagine taking off at sunrise and flying to a lakeside
airstrip for breakfast or a round of golf. Or taking your family on a weekend getaway,
traveling at two or three times the speed of a car (and with no
traffic jams!). You decide where you're going, when you want
to arrive and when to return. And there are more than
12,000 airports across the country...just waiting for your arrival.
Can I Really Learn to Fly?
 Yes! Learning to fly is a lot easier than people think. You don't
have to become a commercial or military pilot to fly. In
fact, there are thousands of people just like you learning
to fly. They come from all walks of life and have a variety of
reasons for wanting to be a pilot. Some fly to expand business
opportunities. Others want to explore careers in the aviation
industry. Some are looking for an activity they can share with
their family. But most fly for the sheer fun of it.
There are only a few basic requirements you'll need to meet
to become a private pilot. You must:
- Be at least 17 years old to receive your pilot's
certificate (although you can begin training at any age, and
you can solo at age 16),
- Be able to speak, read and write English, and
- Pass a basic medical examination.
The Aviation Medical Exam
Your aviation medical exam is a check of your general
health with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)--a physician especially certified by the FAA. But don't worry about the
"medical," because there are few health limitations to
become a private pilot. You don't need perfect vision, as long as it's correctable to
near 20/20. You can even get a waiver from the FAA for special
circumstances, such as deafness and color blindness. The only
things that would keep you from flying are serious conditions, such as a history of
serious heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes,
or epilepsy.
You don't need to have your medical until you're ready to fly
solo, but it's a good idea to get it out of the way early in
your training. If you have any concerns about whether you
would qualify for an aviation medical certificate, call
us for a referral to an area AME. He will answer your specific questions about health and flying.
Ground School
 Your
private pilot training will consist of both ground and flight
instruction. On the ground, you'll learn flight rules and regulations, flight planning,
navigation, radio procedures and weather. But you won't be
sitting in a classroom listening to boring lectures, because our
"ground school" is actually a self-paced
computer-based instruction (CBI) kit.
This CD-ROM system features entertaining video lessons,
interactive quizzes to test your knowledge, and in-cockpit video
previews of each flight. You can work each CBI lesson on
your own schedule, at your home or office--even in your pajamas
if you want!
Flight Instruction
Of course, the most fun comes from actually learning to fly
the airplane. From your very first lesson, you'll be
sitting in the left seat--that's the pilot's--and doing most of
the flying. One of our highly trained and experienced certified flight
instructors (CFI) will be in the right seat, which has its own
complete set of flight controls. Your CFI will teach all
of your flying skills, gradually giving you more and more
responsibility, until you are ready to fly the airplane
alone.
What You'll Fly
 With
Lone Star Flyers, you won't learn to fly in an old, beat-up
trainer. We do our primary instruction in late-model Cessna 172SP Skyhawks. These aircraft--which
Cessna calls their "Executive Skyhawks"--are equipped with higher performance,
fuel-injected engines; digital avionics (including GPS); full instrumentation;
and four-seat leather interiors.
Pre-Solo Training
 Initially, you'll learn how to handle the airplane on the
ground, and how to control it in the air through the
four fundamentals of flight--climbs, descents, turns, and
straight-and-level flight. Next, you'll begin mastering takeoffs, and you'll learn new maneuvers that will refine your
airborne skills and teach you to correct for the effects of wind
in flight. Then, you'll learn how to land the
airplane. In fact, you'll do lots and lots of landings,
until bringing the airplane safely back to Earth becomes almost
second nature to you.
Your First Solo Flight
And then, after perhaps 15 or 20 hours of training, will come
one of the most magical days of your life: your first
solo. On that day, you'll have flown a few excellent
landings, the winds will be just right, and the airport traffic
pattern won't be too crowded. Your instructor will ask you
to pull the airplane onto a taxiway. He or she will sign
your logbook and your medical certificate, which turns it into a
student pilot certificate. And then your instructor will
get out of the airplane. You'll taxi back to the runway,
do three takeoffs and landings by yourself, pick up your
instructor (don't forget this important step!), and return to Addison. On that day, you can
tell your friends that you have truly become a pilot.
Learning Cross-Country Flying
 But your training isn't over yet. Now that you've
mastered the basics, it's time to learn how to go somewhere
in the airplane. In this phase of your flight training,
you'll discover how to plan a "cross-country" flight
between two distant airports and how to navigate in the
air. You'll learn how to read aeronautical charts, and how
to use basic navigational instruments. You'll find out how
to fly and find your way around at night. And you'll learn
about weather, so you'll know whether it's safe to fly before
you ever leave the ground. At the same time, you'll be
gaining confidence by flying solo flights: both in the
local area, to airports such as Denton, McKinney and Mesquite,
and at least two solo cross-country flights.
Getting Your Certificate
Finally comes the last phase of your training:
practicing for and then taking your FAA tests. There are
two of these: a "knowledge test"--60 multiple
choice questions that evaluate your knowledge of the ground
school material--and a "practical test" with an
FAA-designated pilot examiner. The practical test includes
both an oral portion, in which the examiner tests your ability
to apply your aeronautical knowledge, and a flight portion, in
which you'll demonstrate your flying skills for the
examiner. And when you successfully complete the practical
test, your examiner will say, "Congratulations. You
are now a Private Pilot." He or she will hand you
your private pilot certificate, and you will finally be able to
take your friends and family for that airplane ride for which they've been
waiting.
 As
a Private Pilot, you can fly solo, or carry passengers.
(You can even share the cost of your airplane rental with your
passengers, as long as you pay your own share--but you can't
receive compensation for your piloting unless you go on to earn
a Commercial Pilot certificate.) You can fly during the
day or at night. You can stay close to home, or fly across
the country if you wish. Your opportunities are limited
only by your imagination.
Many new pilots decide to purchase their own airplane. Or, you can continue to
rent
an airplane each time you fly.
A good pilot is always learning. So after some
experience as a Private Pilot, many pilots continue to improve
their skills and expand their flying options by pursuing an instrument
rating, which allows you to fly in the clouds or in low
visibility conditions, or a commercial
certificate, which permits you to fly for hire.
In addition to flying just for fun, you'll have many
volunteer opportunities as a pilot. You could fly patients
to medical care with an organization like Angel
Flight, or treat
physically or mentally challenged children to airplane flights
with Challenge Air for
Kids. You could fly domestic search
and rescue missions or help introduce teenagers to aviation as a
member of the Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force
Auxiliary. And there are many other similar chances to put
your certificate to good use.
How Long Will it Take?
You can earn your certificate in as little as a few months,
flying between 40 and 60 hours in the process, at least 10 hours
of which will be solo. But some people take more time than
that, and others learn faster. To minimize your training
time, it is best to fly at least once or twice a week, to help
you retain the skills you learn in each lesson. Also, by
working the ground lesson in the CBI kit before your
flight, you'll understand the relevant principles before you
ever get in the airplane, so you can concentrate on the flight
skills rather than on learning "book knowledge" in the
air.
What Does it Cost?
Your cost to obtain your private pilot certificate will vary, depending on the amount of time you can
devote, how often you fly, and how quickly you learn. At a
minimum, you should expect to spend about $6,000 on your ground
school CBI course, airplane rental and instructor fees.
Because we want to teach you to be a safe, competent pilot--not
merely able to pass your practical test--you may need additional
training time. You should also budget about another $850
for FAA testing fees, your aviation medical exam, a headset, and
supplies like aeronautical charts. For a complete listing
of expenses, see the Private Pilot
Certificate page. You pay for your training as you go,
not in one lump sum at the start of your instruction.
Sure, learning to fly is not inexpensive. But when you
think of it in the context of other recreational activities that
you might pursue--like a nice vacation for your family--flight
training doesn't cost that much more. And unlike the money
you might spend on a week-long vacation, the investment you make
in your pilot's certificate will continue to bring you enjoyment
for the rest of your life.
 There are two ways to begin your flying adventure. If
you've never flown before, consider taking an
Introductory
Flight: a "mini flight
lesson" that gives you a taste of flight training.
You'll spend a few minutes on the ground learning about the
airplane, and then you'll fly in the left seat with one of Lone
Star Flyers' CFIs. As in a regular lesson, you will get to fly the
airplane with the help of your instructor. The
Introductory
Flight is a flat fee which covers the airplane and
instructor.
Gift certificates are available.
But if you know you're ready to begin flight training, simply
call to schedule your first lesson. You'll get the most
out of it if you purchase the CBI kit and work the first ground
school lesson before your flight, but that isn't required.
Whichever route you decide upon, we're here to help
you. Call us or email us
if you have questions. All of us at Lone Star Flyers look forward to seeing you in the blue skies over Texas.
Stop Dreaming. Start Flying. Be a
Pilot.
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