To be eligible for a student pilot certificate, an applicant must:

(a) Be at least 16 years of age for other than the operation of a glider or balloon.
(b) Be at least 14 years of age for the operation of a glider or balloon.
(c) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If the applicant is unable to meet one of these requirements due to medical reasons, then the Administrator may place such operating limitations on that applicant's pilot certificate as are necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft.

Application:

An application for a student pilot certificate is made on a form and in a manner provided by the Administrator and is submitted to:
(a) A designated aviation medical examiner if applying for an FAA medical certificate 
(b) An examiner; or
(c) A Flight Standards District Office.

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If being a professional pilot is in your future Del Sol Aviation can help you meet future needs for commercial pilots while staying in Albuquerque to fly . The following is an article from AOPA.

The term "pilot shortage" has been tossed about, on and off, for decades. Throughout the airline industry's ups and downs, pilot shortages have been mostly mythical. This time, however, it is real.

First, understand that the Uniteds, Deltas, Continentals, Jet Blues, and Southwests of the U.S. flag carrier industry are not hurting much. Droves of regional-jet captains and former military pilots are clamoring for a shot at the good pay and lifestyle of a Boeing or Airbus driver. True, the days of the $350,000 Boeing 747 captain working 12 days per month appear to be over. Yet a potential $150,000 salary is still attractive--if you're willing to stay with the airline (or the airline lasts) for 15 to 20 years.

Even so, the nation read stories in the press this summer with headlines such as, "Pilot Shortage Causing Problems for United Airlines" and "Pilot Shortage Cuts NWA Flights." It wasn't so much that there were no qualified pilots to hire from the available pool, but more that the airlines simply got caught with their pants down. Staffing plans went awry.

Overseas, though, the story is quite different. Here are some recent headlines from around the world.
"Chinese Airlines in Dogfight for Scarce Pilots."
"Scandinavian Airline System Reduced Flights Because of a Shortage of Pilots."
"Air India Express Temporarily Suspends Flights."

Of course, the situation overseas is having some impact on the availability of seasoned U.S. pilots. Today there is a tremendous need for piloting talent on the lower rungs of the aviation career ladder: flying regional jets. The proof of that need is in the hiring criteria.

Not long ago, companies like American Eagle and Air Wisconsin were looking for pilots who had acquired a minimum of 1,500 hours of total flight time and 500 hours of multiengine experience. And those airlines were pretty picky, too. Eagle states that it now requires 1,000 and 100, and Air Wisconsin posts 500/100. In reality, though, pilots who are coming through affiliated colleges and academies are finding jobs with a lot less than advertised hiring minimums.

Republic Airways, which operates Chautauqua, Republic Airlines, and Shuttle America for carriers like Delta, Continental, and United, typifies the dilemma facing the regional air carriers. Its staffing crunch is caused by the major airlines hiring pilots off the street for the first time in a long while. According to company spokesman Warren Wilkerson, "The entire industry is facing pilot shortages. This is something new that we've experienced. We're adjusting our hiring and training programs to keep pace with the higher demand."

So, where do we go from here? There are two major issues that the industry needs to address. First, training costs need to be funded in a way that spreads the burden. Second, the entry-level pay must become more attractive.

Training can cost anywhere from about $40,000 or so up to $150,000 depending on where it is obtained. Imagine exiting a flight training program with $75,000 in debt and locking in that first job as an RJ first officer at $1,400 per month take-home pay. And even then, there is no guarantee that a job will be waiting at the end of training.

The industry pundits will state that there is no shortage of low-time airline pilot wannabes with a fresh commercial pilot certificate and 250 hours. They will say that there is a shortage of "qualified" pilots with thousands of hours. Do we need to change the system?

The military services prove that a zero-hour individual can be trained to fly a supersonic jet in well less than a thousand hours. Historically, airlines like Lufthansa and Japan Airlines have demonstrated that exceptional young talent can be recruited and trained to fly passenger jets in fewer than 500 hours of flight time through an ab initio program. Mesa Airlines' Pilot Development Program in Farmington, New Mexico, has for several decades put pilots into airliners with fewer than 300 hours of total time.

What's the secret? Airline-style training from the beginning. Every hour is oriented to airline procedures, systems, callouts, and discipline. The objective of such programs is not to qualify students to become flight instructors in Cessna Skyhawks, but to develop professional flight crew for airlines. After training is completed, there is a realistic expectation that the student will immediately transfer to the big flying machinery.

A glimpse of the future could be on the horizon. Australian airline Qantas is setting up an independent pilot training business with a goal of training 3,000 new pilots for the carrier as well as other airlines. Boeing's Alteon training division appears to be gearing up to address the need as well. Alteon is testing a system that could reduce training time by half; it is eyeing heavy utilization of advanced simulators as a key component in its program. Of course, the FAA may need to come up with a revised certification standard that emphasizes quality versus quantity.

Kit Darby, the president of Atlanta-based career-advising firm Air, Inc., speculates that someday the U.S. airlines may need to pony up for basic as well as advanced training to attract new pilots. This notion is not new. In the 1960s, United Airlines recruited private pilots with 350 hours and paid for a commercial pilot certificate upgrade.

Del Sol Aviation is prepaired to help you attain that commercial flying job with a highly sought after degree in aviation while staying here to do your flying. Del Sol Aviation is associated with Utah Valley State College. UVSC enrolls over 24,000 students and is ranked among the top five comprehensive public four-year colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report. The UVSC Global Aviation Degree Center, with over 1,500 students enrolled, is the third largest aviation program in the United States and has received national awards from the University Continuing Education Association for innovative quality curriculum and student support.

Bachelor degrees:

Bachelor of Science in Aviation Science with a Professional Pilot emphasis
Bachelor of Science in Aviation Science with an Administration emphasis

A bachelor degree provides aviation students with strong skills and management training in the aviation field and is a requirement for the highest paying jobs in aviation. For more information contact Del Sol Aviation or for a link to UVSC
http://www.uvsc.edu/avsc/

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Are you frustrated by not being able to find the time to learn to fly as a private pilot?  Have you worked a Private Pilot training to just beyond solo, or maybe you finished most of your training but need to polish up one last time before that check ride?  Looking for a way to compact your time and maximize your energy toward finishing a Private, Instrument, or Commercial  FAA certificate?
This is the place for you!  Del Sol Aviation's Flight School offers it's legendary 14-Day Private Pilot course, 6- and 10-Day Private Pilot Finish Up Course, 10-Day Instrument Course, and the 10-Day Commercial Course.
Want more information?  Click the links below to learn more about this exciting opportunity to live your dream of flight!  All accelerated programs require a 10% down payment prior to start, to enable scheduling of planes and instructors. A sample of of two week Private Pilot Course is as follows:


Eligibility requirements for private pilots:

(a) Be at least 17 years of age.
(b) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If the applicant is unable to meet one of these requirements due to medical reasons, then the Administrator may place such operating limitations on that applicant's pilot certificate as are necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft.

Aeronautical knowledge:

(a) General. A person who is applying for a private pilot certificate must receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course on the aeronautical knowledge.
(b) Aeronautical knowledge areas:
     (1) Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that relate to private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;
     (2) Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;
     (3) Use of the applicable portions of the "Aeronautical Information Manual" and FAA advisory circulars;
     (4) Use of aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems;
     (5) Radio communication procedures;
    (6) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;
     (7) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence;
     (8) Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance;
     (9) Weight and balance computations;
     (10) Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems;
    (11) Stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques for the airplane and glider category ratings;
     (12) Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and
     (13) Preflight action that includes --
         (i) How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements; and
         (ii) How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered.

Aeronautical experience:

(a) For an airplane single-engine rating.  A person who applies for a private pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating must log at least 40 hours of flight time that includes at least 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor and 10 hours of solo flight. The training must include at least --
     (1) 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a single-engine airplane;
     (2) 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes --
         (i) One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance; and
         (ii) 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern)
     (3) 3 hours of flight training in a single-engine airplane on the control and maneuvering of an airplane solely by reference to instruments, including straight and level flight, constant airspeed climbs and descents, turns to a heading, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, radio communications, and the use of navigation systems/facilities and radar services appropriate to instrument flight;
     (4) 3 hours of flight training in preparation for the practical test in a single-engine airplane, which must have been performed within 60 days preceding the date of the test; and
     (5) 10 hours of solo flight time in a single-engine airplane, consisting of at least --
         (i) 5 hours of solo cross-country time;
         (ii) One solo cross-country flight of at least 150 nautical miles total distance, with full-stop landings at a minimum of three points, and one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations; and
         (iii) Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.

Applicability and eligibility requirements:

Eligibility requirements:

To be eligible for a commercial pilot certificate, a person must:
     (a) Be at least 18 years of age;
     (b) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If the applicant is unable to meet one of these requirements due to medical reasons, then the Administrator may place such operating limitations on that applicant's pilot certificate as are necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft.
     (c) Pass the required knowledge test on the aeronautical knowledge;
     (d) Pass the required practical test on the areas of operation.
     (e) Hold at least a private pilot certificate

Aeronautical experience:

A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating must log at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:
(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes.
(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least --
     (i) 50 hours in airplanes; and
     (ii) 50 hours in cross-country flight of which at least 10 hours must be in airplanes.
(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation that includes at least --
     (i) 10 hours of instrument training of which at least 5 hours must be in a single-engine airplane;
    (ii) 10 hours of training in an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller, or is turbine-powered, or for an applicant seeking a single-engine seaplane rating, 10 hours of training in a seaplane that has flaps and a controllable pitch propeller;
    (iii) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a single-engine airplane in day VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
    (iv) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a single-engine airplane in night VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 100 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
    (v) 3 hours in a single-engine airplane in preparation for the practical test within the 60-day period preceding the date of the test.
(4) 10 hours of solo flight in a single-engine airplane on the areas of operation, which includes at least --
     (i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles total distance, with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the original departure point. However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of at least 150 nautical miles; and
     (ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.

Eligibility requirements for flight instructors:
(a) Be at least 18 years of age;
(b) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If the applicant is unable to meet one of these requirements due to medical reasons, then the Administrator may place such operating limitations on that applicant's flight instructor certificate as are necessary;
(c) Hold either a commercial pilot certificate or airline transport pilot certificate with:
     (1) An aircraft category and class rating that is appropriate to the flight instructor rating sought; and
    (2) An instrument rating, or privileges on that person's pilot certificate that are appropriate to the flight instructor rating sought, if applying for--
         (i) A flight instructor certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating;
         (ii) A flight instructor certificate with an airplane category and multiengine class rating;
         (iii) A flight instructor certificate with an instrument rating.

Are you frustrated by not being able to find the time to learn to fly as a private pilot? Have you worked a Private Pilot training to just beyond solo, or maybe you finished most of your training but need to polish up one last time before that check ride? Looking for a way to compact your time and maximize your energy toward finishing a Private, Instrument, or Commercial FAA certificate?

This is the place for you! Del Sol Aviation's Flight School offers it's legendary 14-Day Private Pilot course, 6- and 10-Day Private Pilot Finish Up Course, 10-Day Instrument Course, and the 10-Day Commercial Course.

Want more information? Click the links below to learn more about this exciting opportunity to live your dream of flight! All accelerated programs require a 10% down payment prior to start, to enable scheduling of planes and instructors. A sample of of two week Private Pilot Course is as follows: