1. Obtain Gleim's Sport Pilot Kit or Private Pilot Kit. Additionally, once you begin your pilot training, purchase a local sectional chart, an Airport/Facility Directory, and a copy of your airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook (POH).
2. Visit several flight schools, if more than one is available, to talk to flight instructors about flight lessons. Visit our CFI Directory to locate a CFI near you. Alternatively, look under aircraft schools, airplane instruction, aircraft sales, airports, etc., in the Yellow Pages. Indicate that you are interested in taking flying lessons and want to choose a flight instructor with whom you will feel comfortable.
   
   Make sure that the CFI is familiar with Gleim private pilot training materials (the books with the red covers) and is enthusiastic about using them. If you encounter hesitation, call (800) 874-5346.
   
   Plan to speak to several instructors. While there are no perfect answers, the following questions should be asked. The objective of these questions is to gain insight into the flight instructor's personality.
   1. "Do you instruct full- or part-time?" This information concerns availability only. Part-time does not imply less proficiency or less availability.
   2. Ask to see their syllabus. Compare it to your Gleim Pilot Syllabus .
   3. "How long does your average student take to solo?" Note that the flight instructor who solos his/her students in the least amount of time may not necessarily be the best instructor.
   4. "How many total hours of solo and dual flight do your typical students require?"
   5. "For the Private Pilot certificate, what percentage of your students require more than 40 total hours?" (Probably 100%.) "How much more?" A national average of 55+ flight hours is often quoted.
   6. "What are the solo and dual rental costs for your training aircraft?"
   7. "Where do you recommend that I take my pilot knowledge and practical tests, and what are the estimated costs?"
   8. "Where do you recommend that I take my medical examination(if pursuing a Private Pilot certificate)?" See www.gleim.com/aviation/amesearch.php.
   9. "What are the flight instructors' schedules and the schedule of available aircraft?"
   10. "Do you have an introductory flight for a nominal fee, e.g., $59? May I take it with no further obligation?"
3. Once you have made a preliminary choice of flight instructor, you need to sit down with your flight instructor and map out a plan.
   1. When and how often you will fly
   2. When you will take the FAA pilot knowledge test
   3. When you should plan to take your FAA practical test
   4. When and how payments will be made for your instruction
4. Consider purchasing an airplane (by yourself or through joint ownership) or joining a flying club. Sharing expenses through joint ownership can reduce the cost of flying. Insuring a plane, especially for a student, should not pose too much of an additional expense - especially if the airplane you insure is of the typical training variety (i.e., a simple, low-horsepower, single-engine airplane). However, it is always a good idea to contact an aviation insurance company/broker to discuss your insurance needs prior to the purchase of an airplane.

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