PALOMAR AVIATION FAQ
What is the Cirrus Aircraft?
The Cirrus has been the world’s bestselling General Aviation (GA) aircraft since 2003. It surpassed both Piper and Cessna and they currently sell more Cirrus Aircraft than all other GA aircraft combined. The Cirrus is made from composite materials and features an aircraft recovery system for safety. The recovery system is knows as the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and is a parachute that ejects from the top of the aircraft in the event of an extreme emergency. CAPS allows the aircraft to float back to earth, providing an additional level of safety for the occupants and has been attributed to saving many lives.
What are the benefits of learning to fly a Cirrus Aircraft?
The Cirrus aircraft tends to feature more technologically advanced avionics than traditional training. Palomar Aviation offers the Cirrus G6 aircraft that includes the Garmin Perspective + avionics system. In addition, the Cirrus is renowned for the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), which is an integrated whole-aircraft parachute system designed to protect occupants in the event of an emergency. Finally, all Cirrus Aircraft are high-performance aircraft and students receive a high-performance endorsement which enable them to gain experience with more powerful engines and complex systems.
How old do you need to be to start flying lessons?
In the United States, you will need to be at least 16 years old to fly solo and at least 17 years old go obtain a private pilot certificate. However, there is no minimum age for starting flight training itself. A young person can begin learning to fly under the supervision of a certified flight instructor before reaching the eligible age to solo a plane or obtain a license. Palomar Aviation has helped many young aviators pursue their dream of learning to fly and preparing to solo at age 16 and earn their license at age 17.
What is a Discovery Flight?
A Discovery Flight, also referred to as an Introductory Flight, is a short flight experience offered by Palomar Aviation to individuals who are interested in learning to fly. It provides an opportunity for a prospective student to experience the thrill of flying from the pilot's seat under the safe guidance of a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). A Discovery Flight typically consists of about an hour of flight time along with an additional hour of Instructor Time to review the process of getting a license and begin the journey of flight training.