Bucket List: Learn to fly a plane on Long Island

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to command an aircraft, Long Island presents a treasure trove of opportunities to make that dream take flight.

 One option is Farmingdale Aviation’s Introductory Flight program.

Owner Sinem Kara said that novices will take flight in their first lesson: “We book you for three hours. . . . One-and-a-half hours is ground, where you’ll learn about the plane,” she said. “You’ll do some ground lessons about the area, our airspace, how we get in and out of the airport because we are close to the big boys — JFK, LaGuardia and Islip. So you have to know the rules to get in and out of this airspace. After that, you fly.”

Regina Poodoon, 22, of Jamaica, Queens, started taking flying lessons in January. Although she is a flight attendant, Poodoon said she felt a little scared during her first lesson.

“The aircraft that you learn to fly in is much different from, of course, a commercial aircraft,” she said. “So I was nervous and to my surprise, it was a very calm day and it was beautiful. I was able to see a lot more than I ever had sitting in my jump seat of the takeoff and landing process.”

To get started, all that’s required of a new student is U.S. citizenship and closed-toe shoes. “If you are not an American citizen, you have to get TSA [Transportation Security Administration] approval. If you are an American citizen, we just need your passport or birth certificate and driver’s license or state ID. With that, technically speaking, you can start today,” Kara said.

The other requirement, Kara said, is that, “Flip-flops are not allowed on the flight.” The Federal Aviation Administration bans open-toe shoes because pilots need to be able to manage the pedal, like a car, Kara said.

The FAA requires students to complete at least 40 hours of logged flight time to qualify for a private pilot’s license. This flight time includes both time with an instructor (dual time), and time flying by yourself (solo time).

As for Poodoon, she hopes to see her flight aspirations all the way through. “My ultimate goal is to just change departments within the company I’m currently employed at and work as a pilot,” she said.