FAA Private Pilot (Airplane)

A Private Pilot Certificate with an airplane category and single-engine land class rating lets you act as pilot in command of an airplane for any purpose except compensation or hire -- flying yourself and passengers cross-country, splitting costs pro rata, is squarely within the certificate's privileges.

You must be at least 17 years old (14 CFR 61.103), hold at least a third-class medical certificate or qualify under BasicMed, and log at least 40 hours of flight time meeting the specific dual, solo, night, and cross-country minimums in 14 CFR 61.109.

The knowledge test is called the PAR (Private Pilot -- Airplane) exam. It has 60 questions, you have up to two and a half hours, and 42 correct (70%) passes it. Passing the knowledge test is a prerequisite for the checkride, not a substitute for it -- you still need the flight training and the practical test.

First, get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating a free account on IACRA, the FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application. Your flight instructor endorses your logbook when you are ready for the knowledge test.

Book the PAR exam at a PSI-run testing center through PSI's FAA exam site. Bring government photo ID that shows your photograph, signature, and date of birth.

This course drills the 295 questions grounded in the FAA's own Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Airplane Flying Handbook, the Private Pilot -- Airplane Airman Certification Standards, the FAA's published PAR sample questions, and 14 CFR parts 61 and 91 fetched fresh from the eCFR -- see each question's citation for exactly which source proves it. A question grounded in the regulation carries a section number (such as "91.155") so you can look the rule up yourself; the FAA's pilot page is the place to check for anything newer still.