You can also get a pilot's license at 14 years old in many parts of the US.
That said, do so with caution. Flying is still dangerous and accidents will often be fatal, license or no. Note the provisions about "no passengers allowed".
One reason these planes don't require licenses is that the risk of collateral damage is low enough to be comparable to a car. You can hurt yourself quite badly while not endangering others.
So have fun, but definitely read up on the risks before you play around with aviation on a lark.
I'm not sure about power licenses, but for gliders (sailplanes, not hang-gliders), you could solo at 14 via a student license that required instructor supervision. You could get a full license at 16.
Growing up my family was into gliding (sailplanes) and I counted down the days until I was 14 so I could solo. Looking back, especially w/ a 14 yr old kid of my own...I think my parents were crazy for letting me fly, but I'm really glad they did. I have a medical condition and so couldn't reasonably fly power planes. This was before the power "sport-license" that is a good compromise between access for hobbyists and a regular license.
The comment about risks if very true. These types of activities can have real risks. It is sobering seeing a friend have a fatal accident. (With gliding it is almost always trying to make it back to an airport, getting too low and having a stall/spin close to the ground).
> You can also get a pilot's license at 14 years old in many parts of the US.
FAA is federal in scope, so the rules are the same across the US.
You can get a student pilot certificate (allowing you to solo an aircraft) at 16 for airplanes/helicopters and 14 for gliders and balloons. 17 is the minimum age for a private pilot certificate and I believe 16 is the minimum age for a glider/balloon pilot.
