Are You Ever Too Old to Learn to Fly?

[File photo: Adobestock]

Q: I'm 83 years old and in good health. Is it too late for me to learn to fly? I took some lessons many years ago in a Cessna 150.

A: No, it isn't too late.

Although there is a minimum age limit for solo flight (14 years old for gliders and balloons, and 16 for powered aircraft) the FAA has no maximum age limit. If you are healthy enough to drive a car, you can qualify for the sport pilot certificate. If you can pass a third class medical exam, you can get your private pilot certificate.

As long as you can follow directions, remember the procedures and rules about air space, make good decisions, and learn how to control an aircraft, you can fly. Go ahead and do it! Take some lessons and enjoy yourself.

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Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.