5 year validityOn all experiences and vouchers
Free exchangesOn all voucher purchases
4.6 star ratingFrom 150k+ customer reviews
Meg Draffin
Ever dreamed of soaring high above the clouds? Or maybe you’ve even dreamed of hopping into the cockpit of your very own private plane? Flying high in the sky is one of the most incredible feelings – that’s why we’re here to give you the lowdown on learning to fly.
But let’s get something straight – you might be thinking that piloting your own aircraft is only for the rich and famous. The good news is that learning to fly as a hobby doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – it can actually be an affordable experience that’s well worth the cost.
Think about it – an investment in gaining a pilot licence lasts forever, and it’s a personal achievement that most other people will never accomplish. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about learning to fly as a hobby!
The first thing you should know is that there’s no simple or universal answer to whether learning to fly is difficult. When it comes to flying a plane, there’s a wealth of different variables to think about, including the environment, the weather and the type of plane.
Flight school can seem intimidating when you first start out – you might begin to realise just how big the concept of learning to fly is, how much you don’t know and the fact that there is a range of specific skills that you’re not yet versed in. At this stage, learning to fly can feel intimidating. But the good news is that pushing through can make a world of difference in how tricky this new skill seems.
When you near the end of your flight training and you start making solo flights, you’ll likely feel completely confident about the material you’ve learned and the skills you’ve mastered. While this level of learning to fly still requires acute attention, effort and concentration, you’ll probably feel competent and over the moon that you can fly a plane solo!
Just like anything, learning to fly can be difficult when you’re jumping into the deep end as a new learner. But just because the idea of soaring high above the clouds in a solo plane seems out of reach, it doesn’t mean it is.
If you’re ready to learn to fly, your first port of call should be finding a flight school near you. RedBalloon offers a wide range of flying lessons for you to kickstart your pilot hobby or career. From learning to fly planes to helicopter lessons, you can enjoy a hands-on experience in the cockpit with a co-pilot by your side.
During your lesson, you’ll likely go through initial flight training sessions in the air and on the ground. Afterwards, you’ll have to complete the required Recreational Pilot Certificate exams, continue your training and work towards your first solo flight!
While this varies for each student, the official number of instructional hours needed to gain your pilot licence is 25 hours and 5 hours of solo flying. All in all, a total of 30 hours is the recommended flying training time for your licence issue.
Your first flight lesson will generally be quite straightforward. The lesson will be spent getting familiar and up close and personal with the airplane, the checklist, and very basic flight manoeuvres. It’s likely your instructor will do a lot of demonstrations, including how to pre-flight the airplane, how to go through checklists, what each instrument in the avionics means and what they’re used for. You’ll also learn how to taxi and take off.
From turns to climbs and descents, the instructor will cover a lot in the first lesson – but don’t worry, it’s mainly aimed at getting you acquainted with the aircraft!
The cost of learning to fly varies on the aircraft and the flight school. For a 30-minute introductory flight on a plane, RedBalloon offers lessons ranging between $145 and $200. For the same lesson time to learn to fly a helicopter it will cost slightly more between $350-$600. If you’re looking to obtain more flying experience for a Pilot Certificate, our pilot training starter packages will have you in the air for multiple hours with prices ranging from $650 to $1500.
There’s a range of amazing, up-to-date academies and schools where you can get flying lessons, but the best way to dip your toes into the world of piloting is to give it a shot. RedBalloon boasts a great range of entry-level flying opportunities, from a 60-minute first flight introductory lesson to a lesson over the awe-worthy Hunter Valley.
RedBalloon is also home to 30-minute helicopter experiences, aerobatics flight training and microlight aircraft training. Whatever you’re after in a learning to fly experience, RedBalloon can take you there.