How to Get Started

Steve Beste, club president Have you ever had the thought, "Life would be more fun if I could only fly like the birds"? Spoiler alert: it is.

But how do you get there? If you're just starting out, Club 1 is the place to figure that out and find the local resources you'll need.

Let me introduce you to the path so many have walked before you.

  1. Sharpen your dream of how sport flying can fit into your life given your interests, your spouse, your family, your job, and your budget. As they sang in South Pacific, “You gotta have a dream / if you don't have a dream / how you gonna have a dream come true?” Start by clicking on the pictures below. Or read the stories on our Sharpen Your Dream page.

  2. Pick an aircraft type that interests you. The eight pictures below show your choices. Each kind lets you do different things. But each requires different skills, different training, different instructors, and certainly different costs. Click on each picture and see what suits you.

  3. Get a demo flight in the type(s) that interest you. This is SO important! Paradoxically, the only way to ground your dream is to leave the ground and actually go flying. Go to the Instructors page to find someone to give you a demo flight.

What You Can Fly
(Click on the pictures)
  Airplane Gyroplane Trike PPG
General Aviation (GA)
GA rules explained
General Aviation Airplane  
Each choice here is a different world as to:
  • The kind of flying you can do
  • The skills you'll need
  • The people you'll hang out with
  • License requirements
  • Instructors
  • Cost
Light Sport
Light Sport rules explained
Lignt Sport Airplane Light Sport Gyroplane Light Sport Trike  
Part 103
Part 103 rules explained
Part 103 Airplane Part 103 Gyroplane Part 103 Trike Powered Paraglider

Or email me or call me. I'm always happy to share the adventure.

Steve Beste,
President
Flying Club 1
703-321-9110
President@FlyingClub1.org