That said, however, you do have to be at least 16 years old before you can solo an airplane (14 years old for operation of a balloon or glider), and 17 before you can be issued a pilot certificate. Therefore, it may not be particularly efficient from the standpoint of cost and flight hours to begin lessons too early.

You can certainly fly a plane at age 11 in 2026, but you cannot fly solo or hold a pilot's license. Under FAA (US) and most international regulations, there is no minimum age to take flight lessons with a certified flight instructor (CFI). Many flight schools offer "Discovery Flights" for children as young as 8 or 10, where the child can actually handle the controls under the strict supervision of the instructor once the plane is at a safe altitude. However, the legal "milestones" for a student pilot are strict: you must be at least 14 years old to fly a glider or balloon solo, and at least 16 years old to fly a powered airplane (like a Cessna 172) solo. To earn a Private Pilot License for a powered aircraft, you must be at least 17 years old. For an 11-year-old enthusiast, the "pro-tip" is to start logging hours now; while they won't count toward the license until the student is older, the experience and "stick-and-rudder" skills gained early on are invaluable for a future career in aviation.