What do you think?
Rate this book
Becoming A Pilot: What Every New Pilot Needs To Know To Save Time And Money In Flight School
Now that you have decided to become a pilot, what happens next?
There are so many unknowns for those looking into the aviation world for the first time, and the whole process of flight school can quickly become overwhelming. Where do I begin? What do I look for in a flight school? What books do I need to read? How many tests are there? How do I go from A-Z?
Becoming A Pilot answers all these questions and shows you the big picture by providing a logical overview of the entire flight training process. It also answers what to look for in a flight school, how to mentally prepare for training, how to approach your studying, what to study and when, how to ensure you are not taken advantage of, and so much more!
Becoming A Pilot provides information in a factual, unbiased manner that sheds light on the most time and cost-efficient path you can take through flight training. You will become armed with the knowledge and tools to guide yourself down this exact path; nevertheless, how closely you decide to follow it is up to you.
Upon completing the book, you will know what to do and where to go to find the next step and will have received insight and perspective to develop the professional mentality you need to succeed, providing you the power to take control of your education, giving you the wherewithal to guide yourself instead of paying your instructor to tell you what's next.
What is the goal?
Becoming A Pilot aims to prevent you from looking back at the end of your flight training and wishing you had done it differently. Read the book and apply the principles, and you will have the knowledge and ability to complete flight school efficiently from the start.
Who will benefit from reading Becoming A Pilot?
Becoming A Pilot was written for those considering flight school and student pilots in the early stages of their training, specifically for those training under the FAA. Aspects of the book will still benefit those training under other aviation agencies as the overall mentality and guiding principles still apply. However, the specific details such as tests, testing procedures, references and resources, regulations, and other information listed within Becoming A Pilot may differ from the other governing agencies. Therefore, individual due diligence on the differences is required.
Your personal mentor.
Becoming A Pilot is written as though you sat across the table from James Kofford and are listening to a caring mentor as he delivers all the insights and guidance you need to navigate flight training as cheaply and quickly as possible. He sincerely has your best interest at heart and wants to set you up for the best chance of success by helping you learn how to help yourself.
What is the value of Becoming A Pilot?
The average cost for a flight instructor is roughly $50 per hour. It would take an experienced instructor approximately 3-5 hours to teach the same information in Becoming A Pilot. That means the face value of Becoming A Pilot is $150 to $250.
However, this does not include the money you will save if you apply the concepts taught, ranging from easily hundreds to thousands of dollars. Add that to the $150 to $250, and the value of this book increases drastically.
It's not over yet. The time you can save by applying the concepts taught will range from weeks to months or even a year or more. How much do you value your time?
Combine the value of the cost per hour for a flight instructor to teach you this information ($150 to $250), the money you can save by applying its concepts (hundreds to thousands), and the time you can save (Priceless).
There are so many unknowns for those looking into the aviation world for the first time, and the whole process of flight school can quickly become overwhelming. Where do I begin? What do I look for in a flight school? What books do I need to read? How many tests are there? How do I go from A-Z?
Becoming A Pilot answers all these questions and shows you the big picture by providing a logical overview of the entire flight training process. It also answers what to look for in a flight school, how to mentally prepare for training, how to approach your studying, what to study and when, how to ensure you are not taken advantage of, and so much more!
Becoming A Pilot provides information in a factual, unbiased manner that sheds light on the most time and cost-efficient path you can take through flight training. You will become armed with the knowledge and tools to guide yourself down this exact path; nevertheless, how closely you decide to follow it is up to you.
Upon completing the book, you will know what to do and where to go to find the next step and will have received insight and perspective to develop the professional mentality you need to succeed, providing you the power to take control of your education, giving you the wherewithal to guide yourself instead of paying your instructor to tell you what's next.
What is the goal?
Becoming A Pilot aims to prevent you from looking back at the end of your flight training and wishing you had done it differently. Read the book and apply the principles, and you will have the knowledge and ability to complete flight school efficiently from the start.
Who will benefit from reading Becoming A Pilot?
Becoming A Pilot was written for those considering flight school and student pilots in the early stages of their training, specifically for those training under the FAA. Aspects of the book will still benefit those training under other aviation agencies as the overall mentality and guiding principles still apply. However, the specific details such as tests, testing procedures, references and resources, regulations, and other information listed within Becoming A Pilot may differ from the other governing agencies. Therefore, individual due diligence on the differences is required.
Your personal mentor.
Becoming A Pilot is written as though you sat across the table from James Kofford and are listening to a caring mentor as he delivers all the insights and guidance you need to navigate flight training as cheaply and quickly as possible. He sincerely has your best interest at heart and wants to set you up for the best chance of success by helping you learn how to help yourself.
What is the value of Becoming A Pilot?
The average cost for a flight instructor is roughly $50 per hour. It would take an experienced instructor approximately 3-5 hours to teach the same information in Becoming A Pilot. That means the face value of Becoming A Pilot is $150 to $250.
However, this does not include the money you will save if you apply the concepts taught, ranging from easily hundreds to thousands of dollars. Add that to the $150 to $250, and the value of this book increases drastically.
It's not over yet. The time you can save by applying the concepts taught will range from weeks to months or even a year or more. How much do you value your time?
Combine the value of the cost per hour for a flight instructor to teach you this information ($150 to $250), the money you can save by applying its concepts (hundreds to thousands), and the time you can save (Priceless).
168 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 12, 2023
32 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 11, 2023
Awesome book!
I just finished my Commercial Pilot Check Ride this week and then read this book.. Very good information! I wish I would have read this before my Private, Instrument, and Commercial! This book has very good advice on methods and order of studying that work. I used the same methods that are discussed here and learned a few more that I will use for my CFI/CFII ratings. There are two things I would add to this great book. 1) Sporty’s has some great online courses for prepping for the knowledge tests as well that I have used over the years, and 2) buy a GoPro camera and an audio adapter to record your training flights and rewatch them between lessons! When you are in the plane being overloaded with all these new things that your instructor is teaching, you will miss a lot of what is happening and being taught because of overload. Capturing it and rewatching it again when you aren’t overwhelmed is a good way to save money and time and come to each lesson better prepared. That helped me tremendously.
I just finished my Commercial Pilot Check Ride this week and then read this book.. Very good information! I wish I would have read this before my Private, Instrument, and Commercial! This book has very good advice on methods and order of studying that work. I used the same methods that are discussed here and learned a few more that I will use for my CFI/CFII ratings. There are two things I would add to this great book. 1) Sporty’s has some great online courses for prepping for the knowledge tests as well that I have used over the years, and 2) buy a GoPro camera and an audio adapter to record your training flights and rewatch them between lessons! When you are in the plane being overloaded with all these new things that your instructor is teaching, you will miss a lot of what is happening and being taught because of overload. Capturing it and rewatching it again when you aren’t overwhelmed is a good way to save money and time and come to each lesson better prepared. That helped me tremendously.
May 14, 2025
This is a short book, but it’s action-packed! I’ve read a few other books on the same topic, but this is the only one I’ve read that’s detailed enough to be actionable. Now I finally feel like I have a good overview in my head of what it takes to become a pilot. I now also know how to make the process of becoming an airline pilot less expensive and more efficient, but I don’t plan to become an airline pilot anyway. Still, very interesting, and I appreciate the author’s detailed, strategic advice.
Notes
P. 23
Show up on time = 10-15 min early for ground instruction, up to an hour before flight lesson (need time to pre-flight and fuel the plane)
P.27
Bad instructor = late, leave things out of the instruction, drag things out so you have to keep paying them for lessons
P. 44
Completing the requirements for the checkride is #1 priority. Proficiency is #2. This minimizes the risk of having to reschedule the checkride.
P. 46-47
Private license requires 40 hours of flying time. No specific number of hours for instrument. 250 for commercial. (1500 for airline)
So if you need more than 40 hours to get your private, no worries. You need 250 for commercial anyway. But try to be efficient and learn as much as you can in your flight time for each license. If you finish the stuff for one, start learning stuff for the next. Specifically, the hours between getting your instrument rating and the 250 required for commercial, use them to learn skills for later licenses.
P. 52
First, complete private and instrument.
Then, priority 1 is commercial. If you get fully prepared for that before 240 hours are up, pause and do as much as you can to get ready for CFI and CFII if there’s time. Then, at 240, switch back to practicing for your commercial checkride so that’s all fresh for your checkride.
If you’re ready for CFI as well, you could take that checkride right after the commercial, even the same day. CFII right after that if you’re ready. This is the minimal cost approach because you get it all done in the required 250 hours.
If you still have hours left in your 250 after that, start working on multi-engine private, and do that from start to finish. You could skip directly to multi-engine commercial, but he recommends this approach because it will get you more multi-engine pilot in command time, which is better for your resume as an airline pilot, and it gives you a multi-engine start with looser requirements (private vs. commercial) so it’s a gentler learning process.
If you’re going this far, he recommends doing all single-engine check rides first, then the multi-engine ones. You can do CFI and CFII in either but single engine planes are cheaper to rent.
Note: you must have the commercial license before you can take checkrides for CFI or CFII. Don’t forget: priority 1 is passing the commercial!
P. 59
If you’ve done all that and still haven’t used 250 hours, build up your night, instrument, and cross-country time.
P. 60
Flying and studying support each other. Do them in tandem. Plan: “for every hour of flying, do two or more hours of studying.” Most people fall behind on the studying and that can cost weeks. Keep your studying at or a little ahead of your flying progress.
P. 97
Oversimplified: Part 61 is how to get licenses, part 91 is how to lose them.
P. 98
ACS and FAR part 61 list everything you need to learn and do to get your license.
P. 103
Make your own checklist of the requirements for all the licenses you plan to get. Then look for ways to combine multiple categories or requirements in one flight. Ex. One 3-hour cross-county flight at night using a hood could get you 3 hours of cross-country, 3 hours of night, and 3 hours of instrument time. If you do a lot of your instrument training at night, you can maximize your return on flight time toward meeting requirements.
P. 108
read the books in this order:
ACS Private Pilot
Part 61/141 checklists
POH/AFM
FAR/AIM
Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
Airplane Flying Handbook
Weight and Balance Handbook
Aviation Weather Handbook
Other references listed in ACS
Read them in order, cover to cover. Read with the assumption that you need to understand well enough to teach it eventually.
For POH/AFM, read cover to cover once, then start memorizing all the emergency procedures and limitations. You can mix memorizing these and FAR/AIM in with reading the other books.
For later licenses, get the ACS for that license, read it first, then go back through all these other books again. You’ll get more out of them every time, so don’t skip this. You want to be the best pilot you can be.
P. 114
Instrument rating: add Instrument Flying Handbook and Instrument Procedures Handbook after FAR/AIM.
P. 117
For CFI, you’ll need to make lesson plans for everything. This is the best possible review, so don’t skip or shortcut. You’ll need to t each a randomly selected lesson for your checkride so you need to know them all inside and out.
P. 119 for CFI, add Aviation Instructor’s Handbook right after FAR/AIM.
P. 124
Once you take a knowledge test, you have 24 months to complete the checkride. Otherwise, you’ll have to take the test again.
P. 127
For test prep, he recommends Sheppard Air most and ASA second.
For each section, go through the questions with only the correct answers once. Then go through them again in the same order with all the answers, and try to get the correct answers. Then go through it again with the questions and answers in random order. Once you’ve done this for all the sections, take practice tests. He won’t endorse students until they can show 90%+ on three practice tests.
P. 134
You choose your Designated Pilot Examiner for your check ride and pay them directly. If your flight school recommends one, they probably have a high pass rate, so go with that. Get the easiest one you can find. You’ll need to pay them at the start of the check ride because people who failed were refusing to pay.
P. 135
Answer the DPE’s questions and don’t volunteer any extra stuff. If you say something that’s wrong, they’ll start digging there to see how deep your incorrectness goes.
P. 141
Summary of the steps to acquire each license:
1. Read the ACS/PTS - list everything you’ll need to know, read, and do
2. Create the part 61/141 checklists for reach license and use them to track your progress. Do them all up front so you can optimize your learning to check off the most things soonest.
3. Read all the books and references listed in the ACS/PTS - and read with the intent to understand well enough to teach someone else
4. Read and memorize the POH/AFM - start with emergency procedures, then limitations (can be done anytime)
5. Study the FAR/AIM references from the ACS and memorize the refs
6. Take the knowledge test
7. Use your checklists to track your progress, complete required tasks, and make sure you’ve got everything before your checkride
8. Take your check ride - answer only what’s asked.
9. Congratulations, you’re a pilot!
(Same process for each license)
Notes
P. 23
Show up on time = 10-15 min early for ground instruction, up to an hour before flight lesson (need time to pre-flight and fuel the plane)
P.27
Bad instructor = late, leave things out of the instruction, drag things out so you have to keep paying them for lessons
P. 44
Completing the requirements for the checkride is #1 priority. Proficiency is #2. This minimizes the risk of having to reschedule the checkride.
P. 46-47
Private license requires 40 hours of flying time. No specific number of hours for instrument. 250 for commercial. (1500 for airline)
So if you need more than 40 hours to get your private, no worries. You need 250 for commercial anyway. But try to be efficient and learn as much as you can in your flight time for each license. If you finish the stuff for one, start learning stuff for the next. Specifically, the hours between getting your instrument rating and the 250 required for commercial, use them to learn skills for later licenses.
P. 52
First, complete private and instrument.
Then, priority 1 is commercial. If you get fully prepared for that before 240 hours are up, pause and do as much as you can to get ready for CFI and CFII if there’s time. Then, at 240, switch back to practicing for your commercial checkride so that’s all fresh for your checkride.
If you’re ready for CFI as well, you could take that checkride right after the commercial, even the same day. CFII right after that if you’re ready. This is the minimal cost approach because you get it all done in the required 250 hours.
If you still have hours left in your 250 after that, start working on multi-engine private, and do that from start to finish. You could skip directly to multi-engine commercial, but he recommends this approach because it will get you more multi-engine pilot in command time, which is better for your resume as an airline pilot, and it gives you a multi-engine start with looser requirements (private vs. commercial) so it’s a gentler learning process.
If you’re going this far, he recommends doing all single-engine check rides first, then the multi-engine ones. You can do CFI and CFII in either but single engine planes are cheaper to rent.
Note: you must have the commercial license before you can take checkrides for CFI or CFII. Don’t forget: priority 1 is passing the commercial!
P. 59
If you’ve done all that and still haven’t used 250 hours, build up your night, instrument, and cross-country time.
P. 60
Flying and studying support each other. Do them in tandem. Plan: “for every hour of flying, do two or more hours of studying.” Most people fall behind on the studying and that can cost weeks. Keep your studying at or a little ahead of your flying progress.
P. 97
Oversimplified: Part 61 is how to get licenses, part 91 is how to lose them.
P. 98
ACS and FAR part 61 list everything you need to learn and do to get your license.
P. 103
Make your own checklist of the requirements for all the licenses you plan to get. Then look for ways to combine multiple categories or requirements in one flight. Ex. One 3-hour cross-county flight at night using a hood could get you 3 hours of cross-country, 3 hours of night, and 3 hours of instrument time. If you do a lot of your instrument training at night, you can maximize your return on flight time toward meeting requirements.
P. 108
read the books in this order:
ACS Private Pilot
Part 61/141 checklists
POH/AFM
FAR/AIM
Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
Airplane Flying Handbook
Weight and Balance Handbook
Aviation Weather Handbook
Other references listed in ACS
Read them in order, cover to cover. Read with the assumption that you need to understand well enough to teach it eventually.
For POH/AFM, read cover to cover once, then start memorizing all the emergency procedures and limitations. You can mix memorizing these and FAR/AIM in with reading the other books.
For later licenses, get the ACS for that license, read it first, then go back through all these other books again. You’ll get more out of them every time, so don’t skip this. You want to be the best pilot you can be.
P. 114
Instrument rating: add Instrument Flying Handbook and Instrument Procedures Handbook after FAR/AIM.
P. 117
For CFI, you’ll need to make lesson plans for everything. This is the best possible review, so don’t skip or shortcut. You’ll need to t each a randomly selected lesson for your checkride so you need to know them all inside and out.
P. 119 for CFI, add Aviation Instructor’s Handbook right after FAR/AIM.
P. 124
Once you take a knowledge test, you have 24 months to complete the checkride. Otherwise, you’ll have to take the test again.
P. 127
For test prep, he recommends Sheppard Air most and ASA second.
For each section, go through the questions with only the correct answers once. Then go through them again in the same order with all the answers, and try to get the correct answers. Then go through it again with the questions and answers in random order. Once you’ve done this for all the sections, take practice tests. He won’t endorse students until they can show 90%+ on three practice tests.
P. 134
You choose your Designated Pilot Examiner for your check ride and pay them directly. If your flight school recommends one, they probably have a high pass rate, so go with that. Get the easiest one you can find. You’ll need to pay them at the start of the check ride because people who failed were refusing to pay.
P. 135
Answer the DPE’s questions and don’t volunteer any extra stuff. If you say something that’s wrong, they’ll start digging there to see how deep your incorrectness goes.
P. 141
Summary of the steps to acquire each license:
1. Read the ACS/PTS - list everything you’ll need to know, read, and do
2. Create the part 61/141 checklists for reach license and use them to track your progress. Do them all up front so you can optimize your learning to check off the most things soonest.
3. Read all the books and references listed in the ACS/PTS - and read with the intent to understand well enough to teach someone else
4. Read and memorize the POH/AFM - start with emergency procedures, then limitations (can be done anytime)
5. Study the FAR/AIM references from the ACS and memorize the refs
6. Take the knowledge test
7. Use your checklists to track your progress, complete required tasks, and make sure you’ve got everything before your checkride
8. Take your check ride - answer only what’s asked.
9. Congratulations, you’re a pilot!
(Same process for each license)
February 13, 2023
an excellent overview of the flight training process and how to efficiently navigate it!
I am just beginning my journey to become a pilot. This book was recommended by one of my friends who flies. It is a quick read and provides excellent advice on how to streamline your training. It is geared towards getting licensed to fly for a living but makes great sense for anyone, no matter how far you want to go in your flying career.
The advice in this book lays out a great order to follow when going through training. He focuses on getting trained and avoiding the fluff along the way. He does recommend going back after you obtain your licenses to gain more knowledge but his approach is only focus on the necessary information up front and it will save you time and money.
Well worth the read.
I am just beginning my journey to become a pilot. This book was recommended by one of my friends who flies. It is a quick read and provides excellent advice on how to streamline your training. It is geared towards getting licensed to fly for a living but makes great sense for anyone, no matter how far you want to go in your flying career.
The advice in this book lays out a great order to follow when going through training. He focuses on getting trained and avoiding the fluff along the way. He does recommend going back after you obtain your licenses to gain more knowledge but his approach is only focus on the necessary information up front and it will save you time and money.
Well worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews