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Sport Pilot or Private Pilot
Which Is Right For You?
There are six basic levels of pilot's license beginning with the Sport Pilot and building to the Airline Transport Pilot required for airline captains. Most every general aviation pilot begins with either the Sport Pilot or the Private Pilot license so we'll take a minute here to look at the differences betweeen the two to help you decide which path is right for you. There is a Recreational Pilot license between the Sport and Private levels which may be attractive if you would like to do the Sport Pilot license but don't have access to Light Sport Aircraft. However, the combination of requirements and privileges for that license make it unattractive to most pilots
The price difference between Sport and Private licenses is large and the choice comes down to what type of flying you want to do. Looking at a basic overview of differences will quickly help you focus on one or the other and then you can look at a more detailed comparison in the tables.
- Sport Pilots fly only for leisure, in daylight hours, and may fly only "Light Sport Aircraft." These are two-seaters which travel under 138 mph. (Click here to find out more.) Their training typically costs around $4,500.
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Private pilots can fly larger aircraft, may fly on business trips (but not as paid pilots), can fly at night, and can carry as many passengers as their plane will hold. Their training typically costs around $9,000 at Atlanta Sport Flight and some other schools in Atlanta quote approximately $12,000. A Private Pilot can later earn the privilege to fly through clouds but this "rating" typically costs an additional $9,000. The Private Pilot license is typically the first step for pilots who desire to fly professionally.
Now that you have a rough idea of the differences, here is some detail:
REQUIREMENTS
| REQUIREMENT |
SPORT |
PRIVATE |
| Age to Solo |
16 yrs. |
16 yrs. |
| Age for License |
17 yrs. |
17 yrs. |
| Minimum Total Flight Time |
20 hours |
40 hours |
| Typical Total Flight Time |
27 hours |
66 hours |
Flight Time with Instructor
(called "Dual" flight time) |
15 hours |
20 hours |
| Solo Flight Time |
5 hours |
10 hours |
| Cross-country Flight Time, Dual |
2 hours |
3 hours |
| Cross-country Flight Time, Solo |
1 flight >75 mi.
to 2 destinations |
5 hours
1 flt. >150 mi.
to 3 destinations |
| Night Flight Time |
None |
3 hours |
| Instrument Time (Training to flying in clouds) |
None |
3 hours |
| Written Exam |
40questions
2 hours
70% min. score |
60 questions
2 1/2 hours
70% min. score |
| Oral Exam & Flight Test (called a "Practical Exam") |
Yes |
Yes |
| Medical |
Drivers License |
3rd Class Medical Exam |
The requirements, especially for the Private Pilot, are more complicated than presented in this graph. If you want to go "straight to the horse's mouth" and get even more detail, here are links to the Federal Aviation Regulations:
Here is a more detailed look at what you can do with each license:
PRIVILEGES
| PRIVILEGE |
SPORT PILOT |
PRIVATE PILOT |
| Aircraft |
Light Sport Aircraft only |
Most any aircraft
with aircraft-specific training |
| Paying Aircraft Expenses |
Must pay at least half |
Same as Sport Pilot |
| Flying for compensation |
No |
No |
In furtherance
of a business |
No |
Yes, but cannot be paid
to pilot the aircraft |
Carrying Passengers
for Charity |
No |
Yes |
| Number of Passengers |
1 |
No limit |
| Night |
No |
Yes |
| Weather |
Visual reference to surface
and 3 mi. visibility. |
Same, but may fly in clouds
after additional training. |
| Distance |
No limits |
Same as Sport Pilot |
| Airspace |
Additional training required
for "controlled" airspace
(included in all training
at Atlanta Sport Flight) |
No limits |
| Altitude |
Not over 10,000'
above sea level |
No limits |
| Fly Outside U.S.A. |
No |
Yes |
Again, there is a more detailed list in the Federal Aviation Regulations.
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