Flight training is a course of study used when learning topilot anaircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basicairmanship skills.[1]
Flight training can be conducted under a structured accredited syllabus with aflight instructor at a flight school or asprivate lessons with no syllabus with a flight instructor as long as all experience requirements for the desired pilot certificate/license are met.
Typically flight training consists of a combination of two parts:
Although there are various types of aircraft, many of the principles of piloting them have common techniques, especially those aircraft which are heavier-than-air types.[citation needed]
Flight schools commonly rent aircraft to students and licensed pilots at an hourly rate. Typically, the hourly rate is determined by the aircraft'sHobbs meter orTach timer, therefore the student is only charged while the aircraft engine is running. Flight instructors can also be scheduled with or without an aircraft for pilot proficiency and recurring training.[4]
The oldest flight training school still in existence is theRoyal Air Force's (RAF's)Central Flying School formed in May 1912 atUpavon,United Kingdom.[5] The oldest civil flight school still active in the world is based inGermany at theWasserkuppe. It was founded as "Mertens Fliegerschule", and is currently named "Fliegerschule Wasserkuppe".[6]
TheInternational Civil Aviation Organization sets global standards for pilot licensing that are implemented and enforced by a country'scivil aviation authority. Prospective pilots must first meet their country's requirements to obtain astudent pilot certificate, which is required for training towards aprivate pilot licence (PPL). They can then progress to acommercial pilot licence (CPL), and finally anairline transport pilot licence (ATPL).[7]
Some countries have alight aircraft pilot licence (LAPL), but this cannot be used internationally.[citation needed]
Separate licences are required for differentaircraft categories—for example,helicopters andaeroplanes.[citation needed]
Atype rating, also known as an endorsement, is the process undertaken by apilot to update their license to allow them to fly a different type ofaircraft.[8] Aclass rating covers multiple types of similar design.
Aninstrument rating allows a pilot to fly underinstrument flight rules (IFR). Anight rating allows a pilot to fly at night (that is, outside ofcivil twilight).[9]
