While some people gain their recreational pilot's license because they would like to eventually go commercial, others do it for fun. Whatever your motivations are, you'll soon realise that you need to fulfil a certain number of hours before you can gain your qualification. Fortunately, there are ways to make those hours go faster so you can get to enjoying your new hobby sooner.
Budget in Advance
Although some people will pay for their flying lessons on an ad-hoc basis, this can soon become expensive. If you have a few weeks where you can't budget for them, you may find that you fall out of practice. As a result, you'll spend time making up for it and may use more hours gaining your licence.
One way to overcome this is to budget in advance. By saving money up so that you can pay for lessons in blocks, you're more likely to retain your knowledge and make your way through the training faster.
Pace Your Exams
In addition to completing your flight training in the air, you'll need to take some ground exams. Although some people prefer to take their exams in large chunks, whether they're able to do so depends on examiner availability.
Once you know how many months you want to dedicate to your flying lessons, begin pacing your exams accordingly. By taking them when there is an examiner available to assess you, you won't experience unnecessary delays.
Pass Your Medical
You may not be able to complete certain elements of your flight training until you pass a medical examination. In order to pass your examination, you need to see an approved doctor.
If you're aware of any ongoing health conditions, make sure you're managing them appropriately. And unless you're confident that they won't impede your medical examination, it's worth checking with an aviation medicine specialist for advice.
Read Your Manuals
Your flying school may recommend certain books and manuals for you to read. They're also likely to advise which chapters you need to reflect on in advance of your lessons.
Although a lot of flying instructors will also carry out some groundwork with you, relying on that alone won't help you fly faster. By reading the recommended chapters in advance and reflecting on them after your lessons, you're more likely to pass within your target flying hours.
With consistent efforts, you can complete your flight training within a good amount of time. If you're ever feeling unsure of certain concepts, ask your flying instructors for advice.
To learn more, contact a place that offers flying lessons.