Flight School: Age Limits for Flying

Lane Wallace

Monday, November 22, 2010 at 10:53 PM ET

Verified

Scott Leigh

Key Takeaways:

Learning to fly is not limited by chronological age; readiness depends on individual mental and physical abilities, not a specific "too young" or "too old" benchmark.
Key determinants for flight training success include motivation, comprehension, judgment, decision-making skills, physical capability, and the discipline to follow procedures and rules.
While younger individuals might demonstrate fearlessness and older individuals may have more life experience, the crucial factor for any student is their attitude, mental acuity, and physical ability, which a CFI helps assess.

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Donna F. Wilt, Ph.D., is an ATP, a Master CFI and an associate professor of aviation at Hampton University. She says:

“The FAA states that an applicant for a student-pilot certificate must be at least 14 years old for the operation of a glider or balloon and 16 years old for other categories of aircraft. Many of us have heard of teenagers who soloed an airplane on their 16th birthday. These teenagers probably started flying years before they were eligible for a student-pilot certificate.