Welcome to the L2F (“Learn to Fly”) Newsletter. We’re here to help you in your journey of becoming a pilot!

Last week we outlined the Sport license which is a great opportunity to fly - and this week we’re excited to tell you about the Recreational Pilot, and Private Pilot License. If you want to be a pro pilot someday the Private Pilot is the place to start!

Winter is hear and below you’ll also find an introduction to aircraft icing which is a serious topic that pilots need to know!

Let’s dive in!

The Major Types of Pilot’s Licenses (And Which One is for You) - Part 3

Of the major types of pilot’s licenses, which is the best? Well, depending on your aviation goals, your aspirations may range from recreational flying to making a career as a pilot.

The major pilot’s licenses include:

• Student

• Sport

• Recreational

• Private

RECREATIONAL PILOT LICENSE

The next step above a Sport license is the Recreational Pilot License, allowing pilots to fly larger single engine aircraft, such as the Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee. The recreational certificate is also relatively easy to obtain. 30 hours of flight time and a medical assessment deeming you fit to fly are required. 

Unfortunately, it comes with the same limitations as the sport license. Flight at night, above 10,000 feet, or into controlled airspace is only possible with an endorsement from an instructor.

Nonetheless, the Recreational Pilot License is an impressive step forward towards the most popular certificate: the Private Pilot License.

PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE

The Private Pilot License is the most popular certificate, and for good reason! It’s generally the sweet spot for pilots interested in flying larger planes with more people to more airports. Though it won’t get you a job as an airline pilot, the private license opens many options for pilots and is a major prerequisite for monetizing your flying abilities. The requirements are:

• Must be at least 17 years old

• Must receive a medical exam from a licensed AME

• Must have a total of 40 flight hours or more

Flight time requirements can be tricky. To obtain the 40 flight hours required for the private license, 20 must be in training  from an authorized instructor. 10 of them must be in solo 

flight training in the appropriate areas of operation—3 hours at night, 3 hours of instrument time, and 3 hours cross country. After completing the required training and logging all 40 hours, an application can be made! While 40 hours is the minimum requirement, most students find that it requires 50-60 hours to master things and be ready for a check ride.

A few limitations to the private license are essential to consider:

• Must obtain approval to fly in certain airspace

• May not operate as a pilot for hire

• May carry a maximum of 5 passengers

• Must fly in conditions suitable for visual flight*

That asterisk is there for a good reason. One of the many significant advantages of a private license is ratings. A common rating is the instrument.

Hence the name, the instrument rating allows private pilots to fly in conditions where instruments are used nearly exclusively for navigation. A multi-engine rating also exists, allowing the operation of larger aircraft beyond the single engines most pilots start with.

Obtaining ratings generally requires proof that, during a supervised checkride, a pilot can fly in the conditions/aircraft the rating permits and pass the appropriate tests. 

Stick with us for next week where we will outline the steps to becoming a pro pilot!

Staying Safe in the Cold: Ice, The Different Types, and Their Hazards

Winter is here, and with temperatures dropping below freezing, an invisible but dangerous hazard arises: Ice. Even on warm days, temperatures tend to drop approximately 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit per 1000 feet. It could be 40s on the ground, and freezing at just 4000 feet. However, knowledge of the risks of ice means you can determine when it’s safer to stay on the ground, and avoid icing when you’re in the air.

The 4 major types of icing are clear ice, rime, mixed, and frost.

Clear ice: By far the most dangerous type of icing is the nearly-invisible clear ice. As large water droplets splash on an aircraft’s wings, they spread evenly and freeze to form clear ice. As the name suggests, clear ice is clear, and you might not notice it quickly. A thorough inspection of control surfaces is vital. Thin layers of ice add weight to the wings and reshape control surfaces, disrupting airflow. 

Rime: Rime ice usually isn’t too hard to notice. It forms when small water droplets freeze before they have time to spread. They clump together into the milky-white rime, which surprisingly, is less of a threat than clear ice. Nonetheless, it adds excessive weight to the wing.

Mixed: Mixed ice is exactly what it sounds like, a dangerous mix of clear and rime

Frost: Just like the pesky ice that forms on your car’s windshield, frost is crystallized ice that forms due to sublimation when the temperature drops below freezing.

Now, how do you prevent icing? Prevention starts on the ground since leaving an aircraft exposed to the cold during frigid nights is a recipe for icing issues before you’ve even started the engine. While storing a plane in a hangar is best, wing covers can do as well. Also, if you’re storing your aircraft outside, keep it pointed towards the sunrise. Any accumulated snow, frost or ice must be removed manually, so get that broom out and start brushing!

Preventing icing in flight starts with the basics too: avoid icing conditions! To mitigate the risk of aircraft icing, aircraft are equipped with various anti-icing and de-icing systems, including heated surfaces, pneumatic boots, and fluids that can be applied to the aircraft's surfaces to prevent or remove ice accumulation. However, many small aircraft do not have advanced anti-icing and de-icing systems, making it important to identify conditions that will produce ice accumulation in flight and steering clear.

1. Temperature and Moisture: Icing typically occurs in clouds with supercooled water droplets. Supercooled water remains in liquid form below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) but can freeze upon contact with an aircraft surface.

2. Cloud Types: The presence of certain cloud types, such as cumulus and stratiform clouds, can be associated with icing conditions. In particular, cumulonimbus clouds pose a significant threat due to the presence of a wide range of temperature and moisture conditions.

3. Freezing Rain or Freezing Drizzle: Precipitation in the form of freezing rain or freezing drizzle can lead to ice accumulation on the aircraft. Supercooled droplets in freezing rain can freeze upon impact with the aircraft surfaces.

4. Altitude and Latitude: Icing is more likely to occur at higher altitudes where temperatures are colder. Additionally, aircraft flying in polar regions are more susceptible to icing conditions.

5. Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD): These are larger water droplets in clouds that remain in liquid form even at temperatures below freezing. When these droplets strike an aircraft surface, they can quickly freeze and form ice.

6. In-Cloud Icing vs. Clear Air Icing: In-cloud icing occurs when an aircraft is flying through visible moisture, such as clouds, while clear air icing can occur in the absence of visible moisture, usually at high altitudes. Both scenarios pose risks for icing, but they require different anti-icing or de-icing measures.

In cold conditions, pitot heat and carburetor heat prevent ice from clogging the pitot tubes or carburetor, which could lead to false airspeed readings or engine failure. We’ll get into that more next week!

Ensuring safety in conditions conducive to aircraft icing is key, as various factors such as temperature, moisture, cloud types, and freezing precipitation can lead to the hazardous accumulation of ice on aircraft surfaces. Pilots must be vigilant in recognizing these conditions to maintain safety. Prioritizing safety through proper training and technology is essential to prevent the adverse effects of icing, which can impact the performance and stability of an aircraft during flight.

The L2F Newsletter is crafted by seasoned pilots and experienced instructors, all with one common goal: to empower your dream of soaring high.

We're not just sharing information; we're sharing wisdom, insights, and the kind of guidance you can only get from those who are already living the dream you aspire to.

Buckle up, because with L2F, you're never alone on your flight training adventure!