Details &
Information

Absolutely none. You will start from zero and I will teach you everything from the ground up. Many students take the controls for the first time on their very first lesson. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to learn.

It depends almost entirely on how often you fly. Students who fly 2–3 times per week typically finish in 4–6 months. Flying once a week can stretch that to 12+ months — and more gaps between lessons mean more relearning time, which increases cost. Consistency is the single biggest factor.

A discovery flight is a short introductory lesson — typically one hour — where you actually take the controls of a real aircraft. There is no commitment, no pressure, and no prior experience needed. It is the perfect way to find out if flying is for you before committing to full training.

Just yourself and a valid government-issued photo ID. Wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. Sunglasses are helpful on bright days. I will provide everything else you need for the first lesson — we will discuss logbooks, headsets, and apps after you decide to commit to training.

Not for your very first lesson — you can fly with an instructor without a medical. However, you will need at least a 3rd Class FAA Medical Certificate before you can solo. I recommend getting your medical early so there are no surprises. I can point you toward an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) in the Memphis area.

Yes — I am fully fluent in Slovak and happy to teach in Slovak for students who are more comfortable in their native language. Aviation has a lot of complex concepts and learning them in your first language can make a real difference in understanding and confidence.

A dry rate is the aircraft rental cost without fuel included. Fuel (avgas) is charged separately based on actual gallons burned — the Warrior burns approximately 8 gallons per hour. At the current field price of $5.50/gal that adds around $44/hr, but fuel prices do fluctuate. Your all-in cost per flight hour is aircraft dry rate + fuel + my instructor fee.

The airport offers discounted dry rates if you pre-purchase blocks of flight time — 25, 50, 75, or 100 hours. The more you commit to upfront, the lower your hourly rate. For a student working toward a Private Pilot or Instrument Rating, the 50 or 75 hour block often makes the most financial sense. Reach out and I can help you decide which option fits your training plan.

For ground study, the free Sporty's Study Buddy app is great for written test prep. For in-flight use, ForeFlight is the industry standard electronic flight bag. You will eventually want your own headset — a good starter option is the David Clark H10-13.4 (~$300) or the Rugged Air RA200 (~$70 for a budget option). I can help you make the right call based on your budget.

Two to three times per week is ideal, especially early in training. Flying less than once a week makes it very hard to build momentum — you spend a lot of lesson time relearning things from last time instead of moving forward. That said, real life happens and we can work around your schedule. Even one focused lesson per week will get you there eventually.

Absolutely. I am on the same path myself — working toward my ATP and a regional airline career. I have a real-world understanding of what the pipeline looks like from zero to the airlines and I can help you build a smart, efficient plan to get there: PPL → Instrument → Commercial → CFI → build hours → ATP. Let's map it out together.

That is completely normal and more common than you would think. My job is to make you feel comfortable and in control from the very first flight. We go at your pace — there is no rushing, no judgment, and no pressure. A discovery flight is a great low-stakes way to get comfortable before committing to full training.