When does Luke learn to fly?

We hear Luke say in A New Hope that he's "not a bad pilot" and he seemingly has no problems in grasping the working of the X-Wings. So where does Luke learn these skills? Has Lucas or the EU ever tried to explain this?

PtH

 

i think he gets some pixie dust one day while cleaning the moisture vaporators....


seriously though, i think most of his piloting experience was with t-16's and stuff like that. perhaps you could explain his being familiar with an x-wing by saying that he practiced a bit between dropping off the plans and the battle.

 

in the novelization of ANH (and in the data bank at the OS, I think) it says that Luke had a T-16 skyhopper, but he tore it up pretty bad once when flying through Beggar's Canyon.

 

He's playing with a model of his T-16 when talking to Threepio in ANH. He's been flying for a while. If I am not mistaken, you can take a peek at his T-16 in the background of the Lars garage.

 

there probaly arnt any age laws on tatooine, so im guessing he started flying around in that old speeder at about the same age as anakin was podracing.

 

Where does Luke learn to fly? He taught himself.

 

Right! Luke and Fixer and the gang would have Skyhopper races around Beggar's Canyon. Luke's a good mechanic, so he probably had the sweetest Skyhopper around!

 

He probably wasn't racing pods at eight like his dad, but I could imagine Luke taking up piloting T-16s at around 14-15 (just a guess).

 

yeah, shooting womp rats must have took lots of flight experience especially in a canyon.

 

He also had a good enough reputation for being a good pilot because Obi-Wan heard about it.

 

Obi wan dun need to hear bout his reputation. he's been watching him all the time.

 

(bad joke - never mind.)

 

If I am not mistaken, you can take a peek at his T-16 in the background of the Lars garage.

Yes, I never noticed this until recently.

 

He flew his T-16 in Beggar's Canyon.