You don't have to know how to fly an airplane by instruments alone, either, until you want to get an instrument rating. As an example of a lower barrier to ent

You don't have to know how to fly an airplane by instruments alone, either, until you want to get an instrument rating. As an example of a lower barrier to entry, the (relatively) new Sport Pilot certificate allows for the operation of smaller, lighter aircraft with training and testing requirements that are not dissimilar to those for getting a driver's license. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_certification_in_the_United_States#Sport_pilot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_certification_in_the_Unit...