Child age at the time of unaccompanied travel Children ages 15-17 are permitted to travel as a standard passenger, Go to footer note, provided they can present a valid ID to security personnel. If parents or guardians prefer, they can also travel as an unaccompanied minor.

At the age of 16, you can absolutely "fly yourself" in the sense that you are legally eligible to fly an aircraft solo, but you cannot yet hold a full Private Pilot Certificate (PPL). According to FAA regulations (and similar rules in the UK and Canada), 16 is the minimum age to receive a Student Pilot Certificate and perform a solo flight in a powered airplane, provided you have received the necessary training and endorsements from a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). This is a major milestone in a pilot's training where they take off, fly a circuit, and land without anyone else in the cockpit. However, at 16, you are strictly prohibited from carrying passengers; you can only fly alone or with your instructor. To earn your full Private Pilot License and take friends or family for a flight, you must wait until you turn 17. For gliders and balloons, the age requirements are even lower: you can solo at age 14 and earn a full private certificate at age 16. So, while a 16-year-old cannot "take the family on vacation" as the pilot, they can certainly be the sole manipulator of the controls of a Cessna or Piper as part of their structured flight training.