Flight Training

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long will it take to get my private pilot license?

           How long it takes is up to you and your schedule.  We’ve seen students get their license in 60 days while others take 20 years.  We suggest scheduling lessons two or three times per week.  This allows you to retain most of the previous lesson information, giving you more time to concentrate on new lesson information.  If you can’t schedule that often, that’s okay too, it may just take a little longer to progress.  Remember, at WFS, our instructors perform one on one instruction for you on your schedule.  By scheduling two or three times a week you can expect to earn your license in about 12-18 months.

2.      My schedule only allows me to fly on evenings and weekends.  Do you have flight instructors available at those times?

           Yes.  We have flight instructors available on evenings and weekends.  Our flight instructors are usually available beyond our normal business hours, depending on their personal schedule.

3.      How much does it cost and what forms of payment do you accept?

           For specific cost questions, see the quotes on the individual license page.  WFS accepts cash, checks, and most credit cards.  You can pay for each lesson as you go, or you can start an account with WFS.  A statement will then be processed on a monthly basis, with full account payment required upon receiving your statement.

4.      How many flight instructors do you have to choose from?

           Wausau Flying Service currently employs three flight instructors (CFI’s).  See the Employee page for more information on each flight instructor.

5.      How often should I schedule lessons?

           For the fastest progress we suggest flying two or three times per week, and combining flight and ground training.  However, most customers are unable to do this consistently.  Let’s face it, life is full of responsibilities and distractions.  We can work with that.  The important thing for you is to not bite off more than you can chew.  Only set goals that you can obtain.  If that means one flight training lesson every other week, that’s fine.  Consistency is the key to earning your pilot license.

6. Do I have to enroll in a ground school class in addition to the flight lessons?

           No, there is no FAA requirement to take a ground school course in a classroom setting.  Most students prepare for the knowledge exam through a combination of self studying and ground work with our instructors.  Before you take the appropriate knowledge exam, you will take a practice test on our computer.  After passing with an 80% or better and resolving any further questions, your instructor will endorse you to take the knowledge exam.  WFS does offer a Private/Recreational/Sport ground school at least once a year.

7.      Will I have to fly with the same flight instructor throughout my training?

           No.  In fact, we encourage you to fly with at least two different CFI’s during your training.  WFS instructors take a team approach to flight training.  Each student is treated much like a doctor’s patient, with extensive and detailed individual training records to allow the instructors to work as a team and help you obtain your flight training goals.  Multiple instructor input gives you the advantage of a “second opinion” and a different point of view.  Having the advantage of more than one instructor also gives the customer more flexibility with scheduling, allowing for more continuity and faster progress.

8. What is a recreational license?

           When someone wants information about earning their pilot license, we like to ask “Why do you want to learn how to fly?”.  If they say something like, “Because I want to experience flying and I think it will be fun,” we usually suggest the recreational license.  The recreational license differs from the private license in the following ways: You can only fly with only one passenger, You cannot fly anywhere that requires radio communication (towered airports), You cannot fly at night,  Initially you can only fly within a 50 nm radius of your home airport (this restriction can be removed with appropriate cross country flight instruction and a CFI endorsement).  Eighty percent of rental pilots flying WFS aircraft operate within these requirements.  Upgrading to the private pilot license later is easy.  The cost of the recreational license is about $1000 less than the private license.

9.      What is a sport pilot license?

           The sport pilot license is the latest option for those pilots seeking to fly for fun.  Sport pilots are not required to obtain an FAA medical, but must have a valid driver’s license, and cannot have been denied an FAA medical for any reason.  The aircraft sport pilots fly cannot weigh more than 1320 pounds max gross take off weight.  There is also an airspeed and horsepower restriction.  Sport pilots also cannot fly with more than one passenger at a time.  If you have a private pilot license and fail to renew your FAA medical, you may begin flying under the provisions of the sport pilot license.

10.    Winter is very cold.  Can I fly throughout the year?

           Yes, we operate our airplanes year round.  We do have winter procedures for our rental aircraft though.  We do not rent airplanes when the temperature drops below 0°F.  Below 10°F we do not allow take off and landing practice (touch & go’s).  Runway conditions and snow are also factors in the decision making process.  During cold winter months when these conditions may ground us, you and your instructor may want to concentrate more on the ground instruction portion.  That way, no matter what the weather conditions, you are always making progress.

11.    I understand you must have a medical exam to get your license.  Does a normal annual medical exam, or a Commercial Driver’s License medical count toward the pilot medical exam?

           No.  Only an examination by an FAA certified Aviation Medical Examiner will qualify to be used for your pilot license.  The Third Class Medical Certificate with Student Pilot License must be received by the student before he/she can be endorsed for solo flight.

12.    Do I have to take the written exam before I solo?

           No, you do not have to take the knowledge exam before you solo an airplane.  However, you are required to take a Pre-solo written exam administered and graded by our flight instructors covering operation characteristics of your airplane, local traffic patter/airport procedures, and applicable Federal Aviation Regulations.

13.    How soon can I start flying?

           You can start flight training immediately!  Ground training can be done simultaneously with flight training.  WFS normally requires students to accomplish the appropriate knowledge exam before starting cross country training.  Some students prefer to get the ground training done before flight training.  You have to do what is best for you and your schedule.  Even if your initial emphasis is on ground training, we suggest that you fly at least once every month to remind you why you’re studying.

14.    How much time should I plan for each lesson?

           You should plan an average lesson to last two hours.  This includes the pre-flight briefing, the flight lesson, and the post-flight briefing.  Initially the flight portion will last between 30 and 50 minutes, eventually working toward and hour or a little more.  Some lessons will be longer (such as cross country and/or night flights).  If weather interferes with the flight lesson, then a ground lesson can be substituted.

15.    What can I do with my private pilot license?

           You can fly for your personal pleasure with passengers to the destination of your choice.  To fly for commercial purposes (flight instructing, charter pilot, airline pilot, etc…) or to fly in clouds (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) requires advanced licenses and ratings.  WFS can instruct for sport, recreational, private, commercial licenses, and instrument and multi-engine ratings.

16.    Are there any special abilities required to become a pilot?

           If you can pass an FAA medical exam, you can drive an automobile, you show good judgment and decision making skills, and you have the motivation to obtain your goal, then you can be reasonably sure that earning your pilot license will not be a problem.  Pilots are not super-human.  They are people just like you and me.