What Is a Discovery Flight, and Do Those Hours Count?

A discovery flight is usually the first time someone sits in the left seat of a real airplane. A common question comes right after landing: does that hour count toward a pilot certificate? It can. The regulations say how.

What a discovery flight is

At Matta Aviation Services, a discovery flight is about 60 minutes with a certificated flight instructor. It includes a ground briefing, a walk-around preflight inspection, takeoff, flight, landing, and a debrief. You actually take the controls at altitude. No experience is needed, you must be 16 or older, and it costs $235. There is no commitment to keep training. See our Discovery Flight page for details.

Can you log it? 14 CFR 61.51

Part 61 requires that you document and record training and aeronautical experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate or rating (14 CFR 61.51(a)(1)). The rules that matter for a first flight:

• Training time. You may log training time when you receive training from an authorized instructor in an aircraft (14 CFR 61.51(h)(1)). Part 61 defines flight training as training, other than ground training, received from an authorized instructor in flight in an aircraft (14 CFR 61.1).
• The instructor’s endorsement. The training time must be logged in a logbook and endorsed in a legible manner by the authorized instructor. The entry must include a description of the training given, the length of the lesson, and the instructor’s signature, certificate number, and certificate expiration date or recent experience end date (14 CFR 61.51(h)(2)).
• What goes in each entry. The date, total flight time, departure and arrival locations, aircraft type and identification, the type of training (flight training received from an authorized instructor), and conditions of flight, such as day or night (14 CFR 61.51(b)).

Logged pilot time may be used to apply for a certificate or rating under Part 61 (14 CFR 61.51(c)(1)). Bring a logbook, and ask your instructor to sign the entry.

How it relates to 61.109

For a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine rating, you 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 training in the areas of operation listed in 61.107(b)(1) (14 CFR 61.109(a)). A properly logged and endorsed discovery flight is flight training from an authorized instructor, so it counts toward those totals. 61.109(a) also lists specific required training, such as 3 hours of cross-country, 3 hours of night, 3 hours of instrument-reference flight training, and 3 hours of checkride preparation within the preceding 2 calendar months (14 CFR 61.109(a)(1)–(4)). A first flight generally won’t satisfy those specific line items.

Those are minimums. Your actual hours depend on how often you fly and how quickly you meet the standard.

What to expect on your first flight

1. Briefing. Meet your instructor, learn the airplane, and ask questions.
2. Preflight inspection. Walk the airplane and see how a pilot checks it before every flight.
3. Takeoff and flight. Your instructor handles the critical moments, and you fly at altitude.
4. Debrief. Review the flight and get straight answers about the path ahead.

Our training aircraft are maintained and inspected in-house by an A&P with Inspection Authorization. See our aircraft maintenance services.

From discovery flight to private pilot

The private pilot requirements in Part 61, in order:

• Eligibility. Be at least 17 years of age for an airplane rating, and be able to read, speak, write, and understand English (14 CFR 61.103(a), (c)).
• Knowledge. Get an instructor endorsement and pass the knowledge test on the areas listed in 61.105(b) (14 CFR 61.103(d)–(e); 61.105).
• Flight proficiency. Train in the areas of operation in 61.107 (14 CFR 61.107).
• Aeronautical experience. Meet the 61.109 minimums above.

At MAS, training runs at Freeman Field (3JC) in Junction City. The usual path is a discovery flight, then lessons plus ground school, then checkride day. Learn more on our Learn to Fly in Kansas page.

Frequently Asked Questions