Why learn to fly?

Welcome to Sporty’s Learn to Fly Month and congratulations on taking the first step on the path to learning to fly!

Spending some time to research your options will help you to become knowledgeable about the process and ensure that you receive the best flight training possible. In this series, we’ll cover some common questions and answers regarding this process to help you get started in the right direction.

Why Learn to Fly?

Learning to fly will unlock a world of possibilities and give you unparalleled freedom to see the world. It is a truly unique experience—one of the last great adventures in our modern life. It is challenging, rewarding and flat out fun!

Some people start flying to make a career out of it, eventually working as a professional pilot. There are numerous jobs in aviation besides just airline pilot. Career opportunities include business aviation pilot, flight instructing, cargo airlines, military flying, law enforcement and many more. Read more about becoming a professional pilot.

Flying is a convenient and cost-effective method of travel and a lot of fun!

For others, flying is a convenient and cost-effective method of personal or business travel. You can set your own schedule, use airports that airlines don’t serve and leave the hassles of security lines behind. For business use, airplanes allow you to do more in one day than you could do in a week traveling by airline. Flexibility, privacy, security and freedom are all great reasons to use a personal airplane for travel.

In the end, though, many pilots fly for pure enjoyment, taking local flights on nice days to soar above familiar locations and new and interesting places. You can take a friend and fly for lunch at another airport, tour local landmarks or attend fly-ins to meet other pilots and get involved in the aviation community. No matter where you’re headed, being up in the air is the greatest thrill of all.

Whether you want to fly for a living or just for fun, general aviation offers a safe, rewarding and efficient way to travel.

Read our entire Getting Started series for more answers and be sure to browse our helpful Learn to Fly checklist.

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John Zimmerman

Coming from an aviation family, John grew up in the back of small airplanes and learned to fly as a teenager. Ever since, he has been hooked on anything with wings and regularly flies a Citabria, a Pilatus PC-12, and a Cirrus SR22. He is an ATP and also holds ratings for multiengine, seaplanes, gliders, and helicopters. In addition to being Editor-in-Chief of Air Facts, John is the President of Sporty’s Pilot Shop, responsible for new product development and marketing.

Latest posts by John Zimmerman (see all)

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