FAQs

None at all. Most of my students have never touched an airplane before their first lesson. That's the whole point — we start from zero and build everything together. If you can drive a car, you can learn to fly a plane.

In most cases, yes. Glasses and contacts are perfectly fine — you just need to have them with you when you fly. Many medical conditions are also approved with documentation. You'll need a third-class medical certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), and I can walk you through that process before we start.

You can start taking lessons at any age. To fly solo, you must be at least 16 years old. To earn your Private Pilot Certificate, you must be at least 17. There's no upper age limit.

It depends on how often you fly. The FAA minimum is 40 hours, but most students finish between 50 and 70 hours. Flying 2–3 times a week, you could be done in 3–5 months. Flying once a week, it's more like 6–9 months. We'll build a schedule that works for your life.

Part 141 schools follow an FAA-approved curriculum with set lesson plans. Part 61 gives the instructor more flexibility to adapt training to each student. Both produce the same certificate. I train under Part 61 because it lets me focus on what you specifically need rather than checking boxes on a rigid syllabus.

We usually start with a 15–20 minute ground briefing to cover what we'll work on that day. Then we'll preflight the airplane together, fly for about an hour, and debrief afterward. The whole block is usually about 2 hours. I'll always tell you what to study or review before the next lesson so you come prepared.

Yes — students who study between lessons progress much faster. I'll always tell you exactly what to review before the next session. You don't need to become an expert on your own, but showing up prepared makes a huge difference in how quickly things click in the airplane.

A realistic budget for most students is between $12,000 and $17,000 total. That covers aircraft rental, instruction, books, supplies, written test fees, and the checkride. I'll always be upfront about costs and help you plan so there are no surprises.

You pay as you go — per lesson. There are no large upfront payments or financing required. You'll know exactly what each lesson costs before we fly.

Life happens — just give me as much notice as you can. Weather cancellations are part of aviation and never a problem. I'm flexible and we'll always find a time that works.

We reschedule the flight portion and may do a ground lesson instead. Weather cancellations are a normal part of training — especially in Michigan. We'll use that time productively so you're still making progress.