You actually can pilot a plane without a license after some instruction and passing a medical exam. The main thing getting a license changes is the ability to fly others.
You can fly a category of airplanes called ultra-light and you don't need a pilot's license. You can take a single passenger. It is based on airplane weight and horse power. Different countries have different standards.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultralight_aviation
As a student pilot in the US you can fly without a passenger but also with other restrictions like your flight instructor has to give you an endorsement to fly and most won't give you an unrestricted endorsement. It is really there to get you a certificate and not as a way to bypass it. All other require a certificate (technically it is not a license but rather a pilot certificate).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_certification_in_the_Uni...
In the US, they could be referring to getting signed off to solo by an instructor. It is very restrictive and not something you should plan on long term.
gbacon|5 years ago
idanman|5 years ago
As a student pilot in the US you can fly without a passenger but also with other restrictions like your flight instructor has to give you an endorsement to fly and most won't give you an unrestricted endorsement. It is really there to get you a certificate and not as a way to bypass it. All other require a certificate (technically it is not a license but rather a pilot certificate). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_certification_in_the_Uni...
travisjungroth|5 years ago