Flight Training

If you're planning to become a licensed pilot, you probably want to know:

• What to expect
• What it costs
• Where to start

There isn't one set of answers for everyone. If you'd like to work through the details, feel free to contact us to schedule a 100% free, no-obligation one-hour consultation at our location at the Aurora State Airport, just south of Portland. We'd love to meet you.

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What to expect

Student pilots begin flight training with a Discovery Flight, or they simply start at the first flight lesson. This first time at the controls allows students to get a sense of the aircraft and the flight environment, along with their initial level of comfort. You might be a bit nervous on your first flight. You might be eager to take the controls. Everyone's experience is a little different.

After the Discovery Flight, you will start on Phase One of flight training, typically referred to as "pre-solo." During this phase, you will be introduced to various flight maneuvers, emergency procedures, and landing techniqes. Traffic patterns are introduced as well. Students at Sunbreak initially learn how to fly traffic patterns in our flight simulator, which makes things easier.

Your first solo will be a day you will never forget. You can expect to make a few landings with your instructor. If everything goes as expected, you'll then return to the training base to complete some paperwork. After that, you'll get back in the plane, but this time alone. You'll complete three traffic patterns with full-stop landings to earn your solo wings.

After your first solo, you'll enter Phase Two, which can be described as an adventure phase. These flights include some of the most memorable experiences in flight training. You will plan and execute cross-country flights to airports more than 50 miles from your home airport, both with your instructor and solo. You'll log night hours as well.

Around this time, if not before, you will have completed the Private Pilot Knowlege Test at a certified testing center. A passing score on this test is a substantial achievement, and studying for the test should not be overlooked. Feel free to contact us to learn about our Ground School and Test Prep programs.

Phase Three is the preparation for the flight test, commonly referred to as a "checkride." You'll return to the tasks and maneuvers covered in Phase One, now with a focus on polish and precision. Your instructor will work with you to schedule the flight test.

The flight test itself will start with paperwork, followed by an oral exam, which is a two-to-three hour conversation with the examiner. Once that's done, the flight itself should last no more than two hours.

And that's it! If everything goes according to plan, you'll be issued a temporary pilot certificate that day. You can expect your permanent certificate to arrive in the mail in a few weeks.

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What it Costs

The short answer to this question is: It depends.

• How often you are available to fly?
• How quickly can you pick up the academics?
• Do you wan to use a flight simulator to accelerate your training?
• How much money do you want to spend on a headset and an online test prep package?
• Is there any reason that you might need to stop training and re-start at a later time?

Student pilots training at a Part 61 flight school for a Private Pilot Certificate are required to log a minimum of 40 flight hours in specific task areas before proceeding to a flight test. However, most pilots can expect to log anywhere from 60-90 flight hours, or more.

A student pilot who proceeds to a checkride with 60 logged hours can expect a training budget of around $20,000, give or take. But for everyone who is starting out, the final cost isn't much more than a guess.

After all, costs include more than hourly aircraft rental.

• The student's flight instructor will collect an hourly fee for flight and ground training.
• Student pilots will need to pay for an FAA medical exam.
• Students will want to purchase an online test-prep program.
• Students also need to buy a headset, kneeboard, and flight calculator.
• Most students pick up additional training items from various online retailers.
• The knowlege test will be taken at an approved testing center, which charges a fee.
• The flight examiner will collect a fee.

Please note that most Sunbreak students build experience in our flight simulator, which is another expense. However, for most students the simulator offloads some of the training costs associated with aircraft rental. Simulator flights are less expensive, more relaxed, and they aren't canceled because of weather.

Everyone is different. Feel free to contact us and schedule a 100% free consultation. We can help you put together an estimated budget based on your individual needs and circumstances.

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Where to Start

For many student pilots, flight training begins with a Discovery Flight. Most future pilots find this first flight adventure to be completely thrilling, although a few will decide to step away. It's a good idea to get this done and log the flight in a brand-new pilot's logbook.

Future pilots also can begin with a Flight Lab Introduction before the Discovery Flight. This is an inexpensive option for those who want to gather some information about the airplane, flight controls and instruments, and the flight environment. A Flight Lab Introduction can be done on the same day as a Discovery Flight or on any prior day.

If you want to get started with the academics before flying, you can attend our ground school, which happens Saturday mornings most weekends and is 100% free.

Those who want to start with self-study can purchase an online test prep package (there are many online vendors) and schedule Test Prep time at Sunbreak to help keep you on track.

And you can contact us to schedule a 100% free, no-obligation one-hour consultation at our location at the Aurora State Airport. This is ideal for anyone who still has questions. We want to help guide you to the training solution that's right for you.