The Student License allows the student to gain solo flight experience (supervised by a flight instructor), prior to obtaining a pilot license. If you have not flown before, this is where you need to start. Just call an FAA examiner and schedule your flight physical examination.

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Pre-requisites:

1. Be able to read, speak, and understand English

2. Pass a physical examination by an FAA designated Medical Examiner. (A list is available.)

Costs: Medical Exam and Certificate

The Recreational Pilot License is offered for pilots who only want to fly locally (within 50 miles of home airport), in the daytime and clear weather. We mention it here because it is an option, but it is rarely pursued as a goal by our students. The Recreational License is so limited in what it allows, that most of our students decide to spend a little more time and money by working on the Private Pilot’s license as their initial goal. If you are interested in the Recreational Pilot’s license, CAS does offer it. Please come in and review the details with one of our flight instructors.

The Private Pilot License is the most common initial license obtained by a new student. It is a pre-requisite for all the more advanced licenses. The private pilot license allows pilots to fly any distance with passengers, day or night. This license does not allow you to fly above 18,000 feet in altitude, into or near clouds, or into areas that operate under instrument flight rules (large city airports). As a private pilot, you cannot be compensated for flying - for example, transporting paying customers or towing advertising banners. This license by itself, is sufficient if you plan to fly for fun or personal reasons or your travel plans are flexible. You must pass a written exam, complete the required training, and pass an in-flight test with an FAA Flight Examiner.

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Pre-requisites: a current Student License-Medical Certificate

Training Required (Summary):

1. Ground school instruction (typically 22 hours) to pass the written test.

2. Minimum of 40 total hours of flight instruction, including:

3. Minimum of twenty hours of flight instruction with a Certified Flight Instructor

4. Minimum of ten hours of solo flight

5. It often takes more than the minimum times to pass the private pilot test (50 to 60 total hours is typical)

Costs: 

1. Books & Test Fees

2. Ground Instruction

3. Flight Training including Solo flight hours. Instruction is self-paced.

The Instrument Pilot License is for pilots who have a Private Pilots License and want the flexibility to fly in or near clouds, and into or through busy (FAA controlled) airspace, such as areas near large city airports or altitudes above 18,000 feet. Because it allows travel in a wider range of cloudy weather, the instrument license is invaluable to persons flying themselves on business, which requires more dependable scheduling. The instrument license does NOT permit a pilot to be compensated as “pilot for hire”.

The Instrument Pilot License is awarded after passing a written exam, after obtaining the minimum requirements of training time, and after passing an in-flight proficiency exam with an FAA Flight Examiner.

Pre-requisites:

1. Hold a current Private Pilot’s License.

2. Hold a current Third Class Medical Certificate

Training Required (Summary):

1. Instrument ground school (typically 22 hours)

2. Minimum of 100 total hours flying time, including:

3. Minimum of twenty hours of instrument flight instruction with a Certified Flight Instructor

4. Minimum of ten hours of solo flight

5. Minimum of forty hours instrument time

6. Minimum 50 hours solo cross country time

Costs: 

1. Books & test fees

2. Ground Instruction

3. Flight Training and Solo flight hours

The Commercial Pilot License (unrestricted) is for pilots who want to be able to fly an aircraft for compensation or hire. Commercial pilots can fly with paying customers, tow advertising banners, or carry cargo for hire. This is the license you need if you want to earn money for flying an airplane.

The Commercial Pilot License is awarded after passing a written exam and after obtaining the minimum required training time and after passing an in-flight proficiency exam with an FAA Flight Examiner.

Pre-requisites:

1. Hold a current Instrument Pilot’s License

2. Obtain a Second Class Medical Certificate

Summary of Training Required:

1. Ground school instruction sufficient to pass the written test.

2. Minimum of 10 hours of flight instruction with a Certified Flight Instructor in a “complex” aircraft.

3. Total of at least 250 hours of flying time.

Costs:

1. Books & Test fees

2. Ground instruction

3. Flight Instruction

4. Solo flight hours (total cost depends on extent of previous flying)

Flight Certification includes important safety responsibilities that are both common sense for qualified and safe flying and are mandated by the FAA. Recurrent training helps to insure that pilots stay current on technique and maintain sufficient minimum flight hours to refresh important flying and safety procedures.

Every two years, pilots are required to take both written exams and in-flight exams with an FAA Certified Pilot to obtain recurrent certification for Private, Instrument, and Commercial Pilot’s License. Recurrent training is offered and can be discussed with any of the CAS Certified Flight Instructors.

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There are other types of recurrent training for specific flight skills that are required by either the FAA or CAS in order to use our planes. Those include recurrent training for instrument rating, night flying, and proficient operation of rental planes.