Whether you're looking at a career in aviation or want to satisfy a life long dream of being a pilot learning to fly is a rewarding experience. They say “flying is freedom” and there is a lot of truth to that. As a pilot you'll be able to fly nearly anywhere in the country, day or night. You can take family or friends flying for business or pleasure.

Nearly anyone can learn to fly. If you can drive a car, you can probably learn to fly a plane. It is commitment but it can be be made much easier with a good instructor. If you want to learn to fly, I can help you through the entire process, from your first flight to the day you pass your test and get your wings. If you're like me, you probably have a lot of questions about what's involved in learning to be a pilot. I'll try to answer some of the most common questions below. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. I love to talk about aviation and am glad to help anyone in their pursuit of flying.

Your introduction to flying starts with what we call a discovery flight. It's a 20-30 minute flight experience. YOU will get to fly the plane under my supervision. If you decide you want to learn to fly – and most people do – we'll scheduled flight lessons. Each lesson is about one and half to two hours including about one hour of flying time. First you'll learn the basics of controlling the plane through a series a maneuvers, Then you'll learn to take off and land the plane. When you're ready, I'll get out of the plane and you'll fly it all by yourself. You'll join an elite club. Less than 1 in a 100 people have ever flown a plane by themselves. It's a rush and a huge confidence boost. After that, everything will seem easy.

Once you've flown solo, we'll start working on flying to different airports, or cross-country trips as well call them. You'll experience various airports in Iowa, including busy airports such as the one in Des Moines. We'll also fly at night and learn the basics of flying in the clouds. After all of this, we'll start preparing for the FAA's pilot exam. You'll be required to show an examiner that you have mastered flying – both the knowledge and physical skills. After you pass your exam you'll be a pilot with a all the privileges that entails.