Each Young Eagle Flight participant receives a free coupon to Sporty's Online Private Pilot Ground School. This course can qualify you to take the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam. In addition, two other online flight training providers have donated access to their courses that integrate with our flight simulators: Pilotinstitute.com and True Course Simulations.
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Let's talk about the options, timing and requirements: You must be 17 to get a private pilot's license (16 for a glider pilots license). You can solo at 16 (15 for a glider pilot student). You are also required to take the Private pilots written exam which can be taken prior to flight training, but once taken the results are good for two years. Flight training is best done in continuous, repetitive sessions. However, the weather in Northern Michigan in the fall and winter months makes regular training in those months difficult, so we recommend scheduling the start of your flight training in the spring of the year with a target completion of October of that year.

So that creates an optimum timeline that looks like this:
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- At age 15 or later study for your Private Pilot written
- At age 16 or later take the private pilot written
- Start your flight training in the spring of the year you turn 17
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These facilities are self study programs that are available to chapter members or Young Eagles Program participants.

Contact us YoungEagles@eaa234.org for further information