Contact: COL Bill Hansen, flight instructor
* Settling into the cadet routine and taking ground school to learn basic aerodynamics
* Initial training flights to understand takeoff, climb, pitch and power
* Many touch-and-go landings to get comfortable landing the plane
* First Solo flight, “the loneliest 30 minutes of their lives,” consisting of three take offs and three full stop landings
* Cross country flights (at least 150 miles, to three different airports)
* Written and oral test with prepared flight plan, followed by check ride with examiner
* PPL awarded based on check ride performance (turns, holding altitude, parameters, landings, takeoffs, etc.)