How old do you have to be to get a private pilot certificate?
You must be 17 years old to earn a private pilot certificate. You can begin flight training at any age and can solo an airplane at 16, but the certificate itself requires you to be 17.
There’s no minimum age to start taking flight lessons, and many students begin well before 17. You can fly solo at 16. To take the checkride and earn the private pilot certificate, you must be at least 17.
There is no upper age limit, and people earn their certificate at every stage of life.
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Thinking About Flying as a Career?
The private pilot certificate is the first step toward the flight deck. But if you’re thinking about a career as a pilot you’ll need more then that. Zero Time to Airline is a structured program that takes you from no experience all the way to airline-qualified, with every certificate and rating along the way.