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

 

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