How much time and money is it going to take?
Learning to fly does take time and money, usually more than people plan for. The FAA-imposed minimum flight requirement is 40 hours, but it is not realistic to expect to complete your training in that amount of time. The current national average is over 75 hours, and the average for the Bay Area is even higher. The Bay Area requires more time because it is busy, more complicated, and practice areas are farther away. However, once you learn to fly here, you will be able to fly just about anywhere in the country with confidence! In addition to the airplane rental, you will need to pay an instructor for both flight and ground instruction, pay for various training materials, and pay for your medical exam and FAA checkride. The cost is also affected by how quickly you learn, and what type of airplane you choose to fly in (the smallest, cheapest airplanes may be too small for some people to fly comfortably).
