Sport Pilot Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

• Student Pilot Certificate
• Needed to complete solo flight training.
• Must be 16 years of age.
• Must be able to read, speak, and understand the English language.


• Sport Pilot Certificate
• Must be at least 17 years of age.
• Must be able to read, speak, and understand the English language.
• Must have a valid U.S. driver's license.

General Requirements

• Student Pilot Certificate – You need to acquire a Student Pilot Certificate anytime prior to your first solo flight, and your instructor will assist you in getting one. Student Pilot Certificates can usually be obtained by simply sending an application to an examiner along with a $25 fee.


• Solo Flight - After you have advanced to the point in your training where you get to fly your first solo, the instructor will give you an endorsement allowing you to solo within a 25 nautical mile radius of the airport.


• Written Exam - The FAA written test is taken at a testing center after completion of ground school instruction. When you pass, you will be issued a certificate that is good for 24 calendar months.


• Practical Exam – When you have completed all of your training, you will take a ground and flight test with an examiner.

Flight Requirements

• Complete flight requirements of 20 hours:
• 15 hours of dual instruction which includes:
• 2 hours of cross-country flight.
• 10 takeoffs and landings to a full stop at an airport
• 3 hours of preparatory instruction prior to the practical exam.
• 5 hours of solo flight which includes:
• One solo cross-country flight of at least 75 nautical miles, with a landing at 2 places and one segment consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 25 nautical miles.

Once all the requirements are completed, an independent examiner will conduct a flight check with you. The test covers everything you have been taught, and after the successful completion of the test you will have your Sport Pilot Certificate!