Renting an Airplane Isn't Always Easy. Here's Why.

Renting an Airplane Isn’t Always Easy. Here’s Why.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, November 08, 2022 at 03:23 PM ET

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A renter studying POH before flight. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Renting an airplane is a rigorous process, far more complex than car rental, requiring a thorough review of pilot certificates, medicals, logbooks, and an open-book ground test, followed by a comprehensive checkout flight.
The extensive requirements are primarily set by FBO insurance carriers, covering knowledge of aircraft systems, local airspace, and FARs, with additional assessments for specific privileges like night flying, complex aircraft, or long-distance trips.
Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs) evaluate pilot competency in both ground knowledge and flight maneuvers, reserving the right to deny rental privileges for unsafe or sloppy procedures to ensure safety and manage FBO liability.
Student pilot solo endorsements are not transferable between FBOs, meaning a new CFI will require re-validation of all necessary skills and knowledge, which often involves repeating previous lessons.

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To rent a car in the United States you have to be at least 25 years old, have a valid credit card, and hold a valid driver’s license. After a few minutes of paperwork, and you’re out the door. Renting an airplane is nowhere near that quick or easy—aircraft rental involves a logbook review, an open-book test to be reviewed with a CFI, and a checkout flight of (usually) at least one hour.

Most FBOs have a story about a customer who wanted to rent an airplane but left in frustration because they thought the rental requirements were excessive and they were being milked for money, or the CFI was angling for more time. Please believe me when I tell you that the rental checkout is usually not a money grab—the requirements for rental checkout are usually set forth by the FBO’s insurance carrier.