StudentPilot.com is a modern, plain-English guide to learning to fly. We cover every step of U.S. flight training, from your first discovery flight and student pilot certificate through the private pilot license, FAA medical, written exam, and checkride, and the gear that actually helps you get there.
Who is behind StudentPilot
Neil S. Glazer, Commercial Pilot (Multi-Engine and Instrument), Founder of PilotMall.com. Neil is a commercial pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings and the founder of PilotMall.com, one of the largest pilot supply retailers in the United States. Through PilotMall he has spent years working with thousands of pilots, from first-lesson students to airline captains, which informs both the training guidance and the gear recommendations on this site.
Additional contributors and certificated flight instructors (CFIs) review and write specific guides; each article shows its author and, where applicable, its reviewer.
Our editorial standards
- Written by qualified pilots. Our guides are authored by rated pilots and aviation specialists, not anonymous content mills.
- CFI-reviewed where it matters most. Instruction-specific content (checkride, ACS tasks, maneuvers, and medical topics) is reviewed by a certificated flight instructor for accuracy.
- Primary sources. We cite the FAA directly (14 CFR, the Airman Certification Standards, and FAA medical guidance) and link to faa.gov so you can verify.
- Kept current. Aviation rules change. Every guide carries a last-updated date, and we re-check time-sensitive topics quarterly.
- Not a substitute for instruction. Everything here is educational. Always train with and follow the guidance of your certificated flight instructor.
Our relationship with PilotMall.com
StudentPilot.com is owned by PilotMall.com. When we recommend gear, we link to PilotMall, and those purchases support this free resource. Our recommendations are editorial: we suggest the products we believe genuinely help student pilots, chosen for quality and value.