​So you got your private pilot! Now what?

Posted by Katie A. on Apr 29th 2022

Congratulations on passing your private pilot checkride! Now you officially have a license to learn. Whether you are building time for the next rating or using your PPL to have some fun, you are now among the somewhat small group of individuals who can do what we do. Here are some suggestions for how to use that new license!

You can now fly whenever you want (providing the weather is VFR), whomever you want, and wherever you want! The pilot community jokes about the $100 hamburger and now you can partake in that club as well. Out here in California, we have some of the best airports with great places to eat at the airport! Harris Ranch in northern California has their own landing strip. It’s a great place for a burger or a steak and almost no commute from the airport to the restaurant!

It is obvious that flying is faster than driving most places. With your private, it opens you up to a whole bunch of new airports! They no longer have to be serviced by commercial aircraft to get to them. For example, from San Diego to Borrego Springs is about a 2-hour drive. This includes some windy roads that can be dangerous at night, especially during the few rainy days a year here in southern California. Did you know that from Montgomery Field (KMYF) to Borrego Springs’s airport is about a 30 min flight? Way faster and easier to fly over the mountain-pass rather than driving through it! Why would you drive when you can fly?

A lot of pilots get their rating because they wanted to fly for fun. Other pilots get their rating as a stepping stone to other ratings! Building cross country time is key for progressing to the other ratings. Private pilots should fly as much as possible to gain the required time for their advanced ratings. You will also be building experience, which will make you a better pilot in the future. Private pilots can split time with other pilots and share the cost. Sure, you only get to fly one way to the destination - but at least you only have to pay half the price of the rental or gas! Flying with other people will help increase your confidence level as well as your piloting skills. Flying opens up a whole new world and it is up to you where you want to go exploring!