To obtain a private pilot certificate, a person must be at least 17 years old and
have a minimum of 35 to 40 flight hours, depending on the type of school
attended. Pilots must also pass a 60-question, multiple-choice,
FAA-written examination and a “checkride” with an FAA examiner.
As a private pilot, a person is allowed to fly alone or with passengers.
Special weather requirements pertaining to visibility and cloud
conditions must be met. A medical exam must be passed every two years as
well. Those pilots are not allowed to be paid for their services. They must have a commerical license to qualify for charging for flying services.
Instrument-rated pilots are allowed to fly when visibility is poor and
clouds are low in the sky. Those pilots are required to have a total of
125 hours of pilot experience and 40 hours of instrument instruction, in
addition to passing a written test and a “checkride.”
The cost to get your pilot’s license is not cheap! Somewhere between $3000 to $5000, but this can vary depending on the region, type of aircraft, type of ground school, etc.
You must pass the basic medical exam that all applicants are required to undergo, certifying that you meet the medical standards for safely operating an aircraft.
All in all, before you start make sure you are 100% dedicated to getting your license, (actually the correct term is “certificate” but only the FAA use that term). There are many that start the program and even solo but never finish. Flying can be a fantastic venture for anyone that wants the challenge, but count the cost and don’t try it unless you are serious about it.