Aero Club Milano

Wish-2-Fly FAQ

Here you can find the answers to the most common questions asked by persons wishing to fly.

This page is updated frequently according to new questions posed: insert it into your bookmarks!

How would I be sure I can fly?
Somewhere in the world there is someone like you having recently received his license. Albeit average pilots age is 32, everybody from aged over 16 can learn to fly an airplane. Pilots of all ages, from the every Country, happily fly light aircraft.
What is required to become a pilot?
Two basic requirements are needed to be a pilot: being over 16 and to be in good health. Furthermore, according to JAR-FCL, knowledge of the English language (international idiom of aviation) is needed at the time of the final exam for all professional licenses, while private license pilots can use idiom local to the Country issuing the license (Italian in our case). English may be studied while attending flight training. Under-18 must be authorized by parents. Exam may be passed only after reaching 17 years of age.
Medical fitness is certified by an authorized physician before beginning training and periodically depending on age. Margins are wide: spectacles or contact lenses, for instance, are accepted.
Is it difficult to become a pilot?
As anything in life, flying is learnt step by step. It is a fascinating experience and not very difficult: anybody wishing to invest some time and money can do it.
Pilot training is split into two parts: ground- and flight training. In the former air law, navigation, meteorology, radio procedures and principles of flight are studied. Flight training teaches actual airplane management: under advice of a qualified flight instructor you will learn how to take off, navigate from one airport to another and land. Millions of people have learned to fly this way: as you will be ready for the exam you will feel confident to be a safe and competent pilot.
What particular quality must I have?
Nothing special. Most important quality is personal motivation to become a pilot. As soon as you decide to do it noone can stop you.
What is the best place to learn how to fly?
Several flight school operate in Italy using standardized and ENAC-certified methods.
Obviously we consider Aero Club Milano is the absolute best...
How are courses organized?
Ground courses are held in classrooms with the aid of texts, audio-visuals and manuals taught by certified instructors. Flight training is performed in airplanes with dual-controls and teaching is done by certificated flight instructors with long-standing experience. All instructors are periodically checked by the Aviation Authority to guarantee that training is compliant to standards, safe and effective.
What is the first step to do?
Obviously, the first step is deciding, and often it's the most difficult one. Before taking the final decision we suggest you take an intro flight on a small aircraft: as soon as you have seen the world from above, on the controls with an expert pilot besides you, you will understand if piloting is the right thing for you. Aero Club Milano is at your disposal for such joyrides, cheaply and without any obligation for you.
What will my first flight be like?
Your assigned instructor will introduce you the airplane you will be flying throughout the training program; you'll learn to recognize the instruments, controls, equipments and what to look at while in flight. After briefing you your instructor will take off: once airborne, under careful instructor supervision, you will take control. Then you'll understand how different flying is from whatever you have experienced before: as soon as you get to the ground, you'll be very eager to fly again!
What exams will I have to take?
At the end of the training program you must pass a theoretical and a practical exam. The first one is a quiz test similar to that used for a driving license, whose questions are based on subjects you studied during ground school and their practical application in flight. The second part of the exam is a cross-country flight during which the examiner (a qualified instructor) will check your ability to fly the plane safely and effectively. At that time you will be perfectly prepared and your instructor will have taught you all aspects of flying an airplane and managing any problem.
How much?
Training costs may vary. Cost of fuel, insurance, taxes, and maintenance make up the operating cost of the plane you fly. Furthermore, your natural disposition to flight and how often you fly have direct impact on the total expense. Average cost is around 11.000= €, but investment is worth the money. Finally, Aero Club Milano offers financing and rateization options for the whole tuition period.
Is flying safe?
Yes. General aviation airplanes are built according to strict rules and specifications, and are constantly checked and maintained by perfectly trained, certified personnel, in specially equipped facilities, to be sure they are structurally and mechanically safe and fit. Anyone operating in aviation is aware of the absolute need for safety: SAFETY is the most important word of the aviation dictionary. As an airplane pilot, you are able to check most safety factors on your own; your instructor will teach you with particular care about all flight safety aspects. A well-built and carefully maintained airplane is the safest vehicle on the world.
What if the engine stops?
An aviation engine is a precious piece of technology and engineering, designed and built to run in any condition. In the highly unlikely case your engine should stop in flight, the airplane won't fall like a rock: the airplane flies thanks to wings, thus it will gently glide to the ground. You'll only apply what your instructor taught and showed you during training: find a safe landing spot and softly land the plane.
Are there insurances against flight risks?
Any airplane is obliged by law to be insured against civil responsibility and third-party damages on the ground. Moreover, Aero Club Milano (the operator of the plane you're flying) is insured as an air vector and applies liability values much higher than required by law in such cases. You may also subscribe a personal insurance against any risk through aviation divisions of major insurance companies worldwide.
As soon as I become a pilot, do I need to buy an aircraft?
Absolutely not! Obviously, owning a plane allows maximum freedom of use and satisfaction, but this is not necessary at all: most pilots do not own one but are members of clubs or associations joining resources of many individuals to buy and operate airplanes on behalf of members, thus sharing costs and paying for the plane by the hour.
Aero Club Milano operates a wide fleet of airplanes whose number, characteristics and availability are such to satisfy any need without owning a single one: actually, every Club's member is owning the whole fleet at once!
What happens after getting my license?
You won't be the same person as before: you will access a new world of personal freedom and experience. Your trips won't be measured in Km any longer, but in hours: you'll understand what it means to plan flights on you own, flying high over crowds, traffic, discomfort of the usual means of transport. You will find ever newer satisfaction and appreciation recognizing how your piloting skill will constantly grow. You will increase your self-esteem and become part of the so far unrealized dream of mankind: flying.
What should I do to keep my license valid?
Just fly. Any flight license loses its validity whenever a prescribed minimum flight activity is not performed. Minimum flight time (12h for a Private License) depends on license type and ratings held (IR, multi-engine, etc.). Flight hours may be done on any aircraft the pilot is rated on, independently of ownership or operator. Moreover, medical fitness must be checked periodically depending on age and license type: Aero Club Milano helps members in all related activities such as flying, medical checks on site, and bureaucracy.