Step 1: DO NOT APPLY FOR A FLIGHT MEDICAL! Please consult with us before you attempt a flight medical. If you are going for Sport Pilot, you DO NOT NEED A MEDICAL. If you are going for Private Pilot or higher, you will need one. However, if you are not familiar with the process, you may step into a bureaucratic nightmare that you can never undo! We can help you navigate this process. If you attempt a medical and fail it, you cannot fly Sport either. You will not be able to fly anything unless you get it resolved, and that can take years and thousands of dollars. You may think you are young and healthy and have nothing to worry about, but there are many “gotchas” in this process that you would never expect, and that will cause you to fail.
Step 2: Fill out the Flight Instruction Form. This will help us understand your current experience (if any), your goals, your background, and any complications that we may need to work through. This will allow us to help you achieve your goals as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Step 3: Sign up on Flight Circle, our online scheduling app. This will allow you to schedule lessons directly for any available time on the board. Initially, we will have to approve you as a user before it will let you start scheduling. If for some reason our available time does not line up with your schedule, let us know, and we may be able to accommodate. We will often communicate with you through Flight Circle using the email address you sign up with, so make sure it’s one you monitor!
Step 4: Sign up with GoldSeal ground school, but do not pay for it online. Using the link below will connect you with our organization so we can work with you on your ground school. You can go ahead and start it, and when you are here, we will enroll you and invoice you for it. Also, if you do not already have an iPad with ForeFlight, we highly recommend purchasing one. That will be an important part of your training. Please click here for more information: Heavenbound Aviation GoldSeal.
Step 5: Optional: If you would like to schedule an introductory lesson before you commit, you may do so with any of our instructors and available aircraft.
Step 6: Schedule an initial lesson. If you are going for Sport, select any instructor. For Private, Commercial, or Instrument, select Andy Humphrey. For an initial lesson, schedule 2-3 hours to allow time for orientation and paperwork. If you are a new student, please bring either a birth certificate or current passport to your first lesson (TSA requirement). We will spend a little time on orientation to the process, doing a TSA endorsement, setting you up in IACRA (FAA airmen website), and applying for your student pilot certificate if you don’t already have it. Plan on about 1-2 hours to accomplish all this.
Recommended Items:
Payment Policy:
We operate on a pay-as-you-go basis. We never ask for money in advance, with the exception of the test fee for the DPE when you are ready to schedule a checkride. Many schools demand that you pay large sums of money up front. We recommend against that. Too many times, that has ended with the school closing and not refunding the students their money. We accept checks, cash, or credit cards. Many students simply have us keep a card on file and charge it after each lesson.
Rates:
- CFI Sport: $65 per hour
- CFI: $75 per hour
- Taylorcraft N21235: $135
- Taylorcraft N43539: $135
- Aeroprakt-22: $165
- Aeroprakt-32: $195
*All aircraft rates are wet rates (fuel included)
What to Expect:
When you come for your first lesson or a demo flight, it is important to have an idea of what to expect. Of course, that depends a lot on which aircraft you choose to fly in and what the weather conditions are like. In either case, it’s important to wear comfortable, flexible clothes, especially if flying in the Taylorcraft. Climbing in and out of the Taylorcraft for the first time can be a bit awkward, but becomes easy with a little practice. Shoes should be soft and flexible, such as tennis shoes or something similar. Shoes with heels and bulky boots do not work well in airplanes. You should dress according to the temperature and type of aircraft you will be flying.
If you have any questions, please email training@hba.aero or call/text Andy at 740-644-4690.