Learn To Fly
Still to do
The day your instructor climbs out and says it's all yours, you'll fly your first solo circuit with nobody beside you.
The adventure
Your first lesson starts with a walk round a small, slightly battered training aircraft, checking the fuel, the oil and the control surfaces. Then you're lined up on the runway, the throttle goes forward, and at around 60 knots a gentle pull on the yoke lifts the whole world away. Within minutes the instructor hands you the controls and the ground spreads out below in a patchwork of fields.
The following months are a mix of joy and hard work: radio calls, crosswind landings, stalls, navigation and nine theory exams. Then one ordinary day after a few circuits, your instructor climbs out and tells you to take it round alone. The empty right-hand seat feels enormous. You take off, fly the circuit, land, and you're a pilot. With a licence in hand, you can fly to the Isle of Wight for lunch or cross the Channel to France.
Why it’s epic
- A UK private pilot's licence needs at least 45 hours of flying, including at least 10 hours solo.
- Your first solo, often after 15 to 25 hours, is the moment most pilots never forget.
- Once qualified you can take passengers and fly abroad, from a coastal hop to touring Europe.
- A trial lesson lets you take the controls on day one, and can often count towards your licence hours.
What it is
Learning to fly means earning a private pilot's licence.
How to do it
Start with a trial lesson at a local flying school, then work towards a PPL.
Top tip
Get your medical before investing in lessons.
Need to know
- You need a Class 2 medical certificate to fly solo, so get it before spending heavily on lessons.
- Expect to study for nine theory exams covering subjects like air law, meteorology and navigation alongside the flying.
- Flying regularly, ideally weekly, makes progress much faster and cheaper than occasional lessons.
- Most students take six months to two years, depending on weather, time and budget.
Make it happen
Why it’s on my list
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by planes, the bigger the better, there is something really magical that just resonates with me about gliding through the air in a metal tube!
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to fly as much as I have, and being a passenger with your feet up is great, but its just not the the same as flying the plane, being in the pilots seat and having the best view in the house.
I have experienced the front seat –
as part of an acrobatic flight that was purchased for me as a gift
when flying into Canaima National Park in Venezuela in a 4 seater Cessna (I had the Co-pilot seat)
When flying around the Fjords of Alaska in a small tourist plane
Its an expensive thing to learn, but the reward of being able to fly yourself around the world would be incredible.
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