Learning to fly requires flight training which in many respects is like getting your driver’s license. But instead of a driver’s ed teacher in a car, you’ll be taught by a certified flight instructor in an airplane.

The first thing to do is find a flight school. There are many hundreds of schools in the United States. Visit the ones which are closest to you. Most schools offer an introductory flight. Take them up on it to find out what it’s like to be at the controls of an aircraft, to visually inspect the aircraft before flight, to take off, to actually fly, to land, to park, and to shut down.

You then need to choose an instructor. While some schools will assign an instructor to you, others may introduce you to several and let you decide. In either case, find an instructor whose teaching style is compatible to your learning style. If, after a couple of lessons, you feel things just might be better with a different instructor, don’t be afraid to switch. It’s perfectly alright to switch to an instructor whose style is more aligned with yours.

You will also need to know (or at this point, at least have an idea) what type of pilot certificate you want to earn. You have three choices: private, recreational, or sport.

The private pilot certificate has the fewest limitations of the three and with additional training can be upgraded to include more advanced capabilities such as flying in bad weather, flying an airplane with two or more engines, or flying professionally.

The recreational pilot certificate is more limited but a great way to earn your wings if you’ll be flying close to your home airport during the daytime with no more than one passenger. It requires less effort and money to earn than the private pilot certificate. (Most people, however, eventually go on to earn their private certificate anyway.) Once you have your recreational pilot certificate, you can easily upgrade to a private pilot with additional training and experience.

Your last choice is the sport pilot certificate. Introduced in 2004, it is fairly new and not every school will have the light sport aircraft available that is necessary for this certificate. The sport pilot certificate is for the person who wants to start with the basics of flying. Sport pilots can only fly a special limited class of aircraft known as light sport aircraft (LSA). They are smaller, lighter, less-complex, one- or two-seat airplanes. Sport pilots are not required to have a medical certificate. With additional training and a medical certificate, sport pilots can easily upgrade to a higher level of certificate.

You should also start thinking what type of aircraft you want to fly. Your choice will depend on how you intend to use it. If your plans are to fly locally for fun, you’ll probably want to train in a smaller, slower, more fuel-efficient airplane. If your plans are business trips and family vacations, you might want to train in a sleek, roomy, four-seat airplane.

Apply for your student pilot certificate which is similar to the learner’s permit you received when you were learning how to drive a car. Talk to your flight instructor early in your training about getting a student pilot certificate.

Talk to other pilots. If there is one thing pilots like to do when they’re not flying, it’s talking about flying. It really is true. Other pilots will always be willing to answer your questions or give advice.