Private Pilot Training

A private pilot license will allow you to fly larger aircraft with more passengers and at night time.

Our Sport Pilot is happy to assist you with adding private pilot privileges to your flight certificate or you can simply work straight towards a private pilot certificate.

Upgrading is simple process which requires additional instruction primarily in the areas of navigation and night flight. You may also skip the sport pilot step and simply work straight towards a private pilot certificate.

Flight Instructors

Our Sport Pilot flight school is committed to hiring only the most dedicated and experienced instructors.

Unlike most other flight schools, our instructors are experienced pilots and teachers, who instruct out of a passion for sharing their love of flight with others.

Tim Adelman

Tim started flying with his father in 1982. Two months before his 16th birthday, Tim started taking flying lessons. His goal was to solo before he got his driver’s license. On the morning of his 16th birthday he soled at Frederick Municipal Airport and then walked over to the MVA to get his driver’s license. During college Tim added his instrument rating and commercial rating. While in law school, he became a certificated flight instructor. He has been instructor for the past seven years and now focuses on light sport aircraft.

Bernie Busby

Bernie Busby comes to Chesapeake Sport Aircraft with over 40 years flight experience. His logbook shows instruction at Mitchelville, MD airport beginning in 1967. Bernie graduated from US Army Flight Training in June 1968 and served 2 combat tours in Southeast Asia. He retired from the Army Reserve as an airplane and helicopter pilot and is also a retired FAA inspector, He holds a CFI in single- and multi-engine airplanes, helicopters, gliders and is a CFII in airplanes and helicopters. He is an ATP typed in the Beech King-Air 350, Citation 650, Boeing BV-235 (civilian Chinook) and a few other helicopters. Bernie spends some of his free time as an aviation safety consultant and is an accredited IS-BAO auditor, a business aviation flight department accreditation. He has been a member of several aviation trade associations. He is also hold a Merchant Mariner’s certificate as a captain. Bernie and his wife, Gina live in Ocean View, DE.

David Frostbutter

Dave’s his first airplane ride was soon after birth. He spent many hours (maybe more upside down than right side up) as a passenger with his father. Needless to say he was smitten at an early age. He obtained his Private license in 1970, the commercial, instrument and CFI in 1976, the CFII in 2001 and has been an active flight instructor since 1976. Dave has worked as an Aerospace Engineer at The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory for 34 years and currently working in the R&D area with the FAA. He was a team member that developed the ADS-B technology which is now in the nation-wide implementation phase. Flying has been a life-long passion and looks forward to many more years in the air, sharing the experience with all who want a higher education.

Sport Pilot Training

Becoming a sport pilot is easy. Just give us a call and we will set you up with a $99 introductory flight as well as chance to purchase your pilot supply kit.

We will also assign a flight instructor to you who will be your one-on-one mentor to help you progress through the training syllabus.

The flight syllabus consists of both ground and flight training components. Ground school is typically done at home using an enjoyable book series by expert flight instructor and aviation humorist Rod Machado. Once you complete your ground schooling you will take a computerized multiple choice test designed by the FAA which covers the ground school material.

The flight syllabus begins with a series of lessons designed to teach you to operate the aircraft safely with ease and confidence. These lessons build towards your first solo flight, an exciting milestone in the pilot training curriculum. From there you will learn to navigate the aircraft to destinations beyond your normal practice area and brush up for your final exam.

The final exam, known as a checkride, will be administered by a friendly, yet thorough, local FAA designated examiner. He will simply chat with you on the ground to “feel-out” your comprehension of aviation subjects and then take a short flight with you ensure that you are a safe pilot. You need to be at least 17 years old to take this final test.

 

How much does it cost to become a Sport Pilot?

The FAA mandates that students have at least 20 hours of flight training prior to their final exam, however most students require a bit more time than this to fully master the concepts and skills required of a sport pilot. The cost of a full sport pilot course for a student who progresses through the course quickly is approximately $3,000. This includes both the cost of aircraft rental and hiring your instructor. This is tremendous savings when compared to the typical $8,000 -$10,000 required for a private pilot certificate at most local flight schools.

What most often dictates the time, and hence the money, required for a student to obtain a private pilot’s license is the student’s commitment to home study and preparation, and ability to fly on a regular basis.

Like going to college, earning a pilot’s license is an investment in yourself, one which can enhance both your personal and professional life. Like college, your initial investment will pay off with life-long benefits and enjoyment.