Sport Pilot
One of the better ways of realizing the dream of flying is to become involved as a sport pilot, flying smaller, fixed wing aircraft or even the flying kites or powered parachutes. Depending on your level of athletic ability as well as your budget, weight-shift tricycles are another option. Deciding on which type of aircraft you want to fly is the first step in getting a license from the FAA.

Look around for a qualified instructor and you will want to make sure they are certified by the FAA to teach sport pilot training. Once you have selected the instructor you will need sport pilot lessons. You will take ground and flight lessons as well as knowledge tests and once completed will have endorsements from the FAA and the instructor authorizing you to take the sport pilot exam. Passing that, you will be issued your sport pilot license allowing you to fly in the type of aircraft in which you took your flight test.

The FAA will also require passage of a certain level of medical exam required for the type of pilot license you are attempting to gain. Once you have your license and all certifications, you can start having fun as a sport pilot in ultra-light aircraft, including some experimental type of aircraft. There are kits available for people to build their own aircraft and when thinking of owning your own, there are considerations.

The size of the aircraft, where you pan to store it, how portable is the aircraft, where are you going to fly, among others. These are important questions to ask yourself before taking lessons as the answers can help determine the type of craft you will learn to fly.

If you end up with a weight-shift tricycle, taking lessons in a light sport aircraft will not qualify you for that type license. Additionally, not everyone is cut out to lay on a sheet of canvas and steer a flying object be shifting their weight.

Small single engine planes with a stall speed of 51 miles per hour and a maximum sustained speed of 138 miles per hour, with fixed landing gear may qualify as a sport plane provided they meet a few other stipulations as dictated by the FAA.