Learning to Fly at
Long Aviation
a Long Aviation student and instructor taking off in the
Piper Archer
Learning to fly is an extremely challenging
experience. At Long Aviation, our goal is to make your learning
experience as safe, enjoyable, and rewarding as possible.
Most people who are considering learning to fly have lots of
questions. Here are some answers to a few of the most common
ones:
"How much does it cost to learn to
fly?" --- The cost of learning to fly
varies greatly from student to student, depending on many factors. As
a general rule, students can figure that a typical lesson (one hour
of ground instruction and one hour of flight instruction) will cost
$95 to $125. Reaching the private pilot level requires a minimum of
40 hours, so the cost will be at least $3300. Commonly, people spend $5000 to
$6000 before reaching that level.
"Why does the cost vary so
much?" --- The cost varies mostly
because people learn at different speeds. Some people pick up the
skills quickly, while others need more coaching. Also, the type of
aircraft the student chooses to learn in will effect the price... the
Piper Archer, for example, has a higher hourly rental rate than the
Cessna 152. Finally, time between lessons is a major factor. The more
frequently a student takes a lesson, the more they retain.
"Do you offer financing?" --- Yes! Long Aviation offers financing through Pilot
Finance, Inc., allowing you to spread out payment for flight training
into level monthly payments. Ask us for more details.
"How long does it take to get a Private
Pilot License?" Once again, the length
of the process varies greatly. If an average student can take two to
three lessons a week, they can probably get their license in three to
four months.
"What kind of plane would I learn to fly
in?" Long Aviation conducts private
pilot training in the students choice of the Cessna 152 or the Piper
Archer II. Both are meticulously maintained and equipped with
state-of-the-art satellite navigation systems (color moving map GPS)
which are very rare in training aircraft. For advanced training, we
also use a Piper Arrow II. To learn more about these aircraft,
click
here.
"Once I get my license, what can I do with
it?" You can carry passengers to or
from any public airport, day or night. You can fly your own plane, if
you choose to purchase one, or you can rent one from a flight school
(all of Long Aviation's planes are available for rent by licensed
pilots). Initially, you will be limited to flying only in good
weather, and you cannot get paid to fly. To fly in less-than-ideal
weather or to recieve payment for flying, you will need advanced
training (intrument rating and commercial license). Long Aviation
also provides training for those advanced licenses.
"Will I be learning to talk to a control
tower?" ---Goose Creek Airport, our
base of operations, does not have a control tower. During the course
of your training, however, you will be flying to airports that have
control towers, and communicating with the air traffic controllers
will be a major part of your training.
"I've heard that Goose Creek Airport is a
difficult place to takeoff and land. Is that true?" --- Goose Creek is a challenging airport with a short,
narrow runway. After learning to takeoff and land here, you will fly
with confidence and precision not taught at other schools! To learn
more about our airport, click
here.
A Long Aviation plane taking off from
Goose Creek on a training flight
For answers to more questions, or to
schedule a lesson, please call Long Aviation at (704) 882-1102