How to Become a Pilot: the podcast series.
Flight instructor Jason Miller of The Finer Points takes you through it one step at a time, from your first lesson to the instrument rating. Listen in order, or start where you are.
Each episode covers one step on the road to the cockpit. Start with Part 1 if you’ve never flown. Every step below lists what the FAA requires, what the episode covers and a play button.
Student pilot
What it takes: Fly solo at 16 in an airplane. You need an FAA medical (or a driver’s license for sport pilot) and a free student pilot certificate.
Jason Miller and Justin cover how to pick a flight school, whether to get a first-class medical before you start, and much more.
Private pilot
What it takes: Age 17, at least 40 hours of flight time (most students need 60 to 75), the FAA knowledge test and a checkride.
What you need, the best resources, the struggles to watch for and how to know you’re ready for your first solo.
Instrument rating
What it takes: Fly in the clouds. Requires 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command and 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time.
Finish the written early, learn the why behind every procedure, recognize your saturation point, and build routines and checklists.
Commercial pilot and CFI
What it takes: A commercial pilot certificate takes 250 hours and lets you fly for pay. Many pilots then become flight instructors to build time.
This part of the series hasn’t been recorded yet. Until it is, these pilots share how they built their hours as instructors and paid for their ratings.
The airlines
What it takes: Airline first officers need an Airline Transport Pilot certificate: generally 1,500 hours and age 23, with reduced hours for military pilots and approved degree programs.
Interview prep, the hiring market and how pilots on the show made it to the flight deck.
Bonus: how to save money on flight training
Jason Miller’s follow-up on spending less: fly consistently, use dry time and procedure practice on the ground, set a goal for every lesson and standardize your procedures.
More from Jason Miller
His ground school app, three “Ask a CFI” episodes answering listener questions, and his first appearance on the show.
The original 2020 series with Chris Palmer
Before Jason’s series, CFI Chris Palmer of Angle of Attack and Justin covered the same road for student, private and instrument pilots.
