Getting your student pilot certificate is the first major thing you need to do to develop your aviation career. You don’t need a student pilot certificate to take flying lessons, but for flying alone you do. To be able to obtain the student pilot certificate, you must be at least 16 years of age to fly an airplane and 14 years of age to fly gliders or balloons. To be eligible for the license, you also have to be able to read, write, speak, and understand English in a high level.

“Well, if I am already eligible for the certificate, how do I register?”. You could apply for student pilot certificate by paper by filling in application form through the integrated airman certification and rating application (IACRA) website. You will then find an FAA Designated Pilot examiner, Airman certification representative associated with a part 141 flight school, or a certificated flight instructor to verify and submit your application. Regardless of how you apply, the Airmen Certification Branch will review the documents and the application you have given. In around 3 weeks, you should get your pilot certificate by mail.

Once you have become a student pilot and start your flight school, here are some materials you need the most.

Logbook

First, a logbook is important to monitor your progress as a student in your flight school. A pilot logbook is a book that contains a pilot’s flying hours. The book has information on every flight that the pilot has done, the flight time, and the number of landings.

Kneeboard

A kneeboard is a small clipboard with a pen or pencil holder that is strapped to the pilot’s leg. A kneeboard is usually used to note down ATIS information, weather information, and the codes that the ATC gives to the pilots.

Foggles

Next item you would need are foggles or a view limiting device. During your private pilot flight training, foggles are used to limit the student’s field of vision to make the pilot rely on the flight instruments to fly.

Headsets

Headset is used to block your hearing during private pilot flight training for good reasons. The sound of the engines inside of a plane can be heard quite loudly from the cockpit. With the loud engines at the speed that you are going at, it might be difficult to communicate with people. The headsets are needed to communicate with the ATC and with your instructor during your flight lessons as a student pilot.

Pilot Ground School

Before actually taking flight lessons, you would also need to join and participate in ground training. In flight school, there is a ground training and flight training. Before going into training to fly the plane, student pilot would need to be assessed first of your aviation knowledge. That is what the ground training is for. The pilot ground school would give you knowledge about flight lesson systems such as weather patterns, aerodynamics, navigation, and aviation regulation. Before taking your private pilot flight training, it is best to first pass the ground school tests. These ground training could nowadays either be done online or onsite. Once you are done and have passed the test, you will start the fun part of your aviation journey, learning how to fly.

Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH)

During your flight lessons as a student pilot, knowing everything about the plane’s machine and system won’t be easy. That’s when the POH comes in handy for student pilots. The POH contains appropriate checklists for operation, systems, performance, weight, and many more for the pilots to acknowledge to be able to run a smooth flight.

Maps/Charts

In flight school, learning the area chart or the maps are very important. Learning the different symbols in the map really could enhance your knowledge of how to control your plane.

Airport Facility Directory

Another topic during private pilot flight training is airport operation. The Airport Facility Directory gives information on the airports you would do your flight training in. It would contain information on the fuel, the distance of the runways, and other crucial information needed before landing on an airport during your flight lessons.

TSA Clearance

The TSA clearance is needed by non-US citizens who wants to go to a flight school. To be able to join a flight school, a student pilot must pass TSA background check first.

Flight Bag

Finally, to be able to manage your things properly during flight school, a flight bag is definitely the right item to use. Flight bags are designed in a way where everything is organized and is easy to find. Especially during flight school, there could be emergencies where you need to find a certain item to secure your safety, these flights bags are the best choice for that.