DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 UltraDork
1/5/14 2:08 p.m.

One thing I've always wanted to do is fly. Working on that via the military but time is not on my side (age). What do some of you recommend to start this process off? Ground school first of course then what?

Anti-stance
Anti-stance UltraDork
1/5/14 2:15 p.m.

I was doing a mixture of ground school and flying in 2 hour sessions at the flight school I was going to as a teenager. I was taking lessons in a Cessna 152. Most schools have a discovery flight to see if it's really what you want to do. I would spend around $100 a week doing the mixture of ground and flight school, it just depended on how much classroom to flight time there was.

I had to buy a headset, a lap book/pad thingy while flying, and the text books. It was probably about $200-$250 for that stuff back then.

Prices on all this stuff I know has gone way up.

Flynlow
Flynlow Reader
1/5/14 2:16 p.m.

I skipped the groundschool (well, sort of) and jumped straight into flying. Most local airports and FBO's will have a "Discovery Flight" for $100-150, which covers the aircraft and instructor for an hour or so. In my case, I clarified ahead of time that I already knew I was going for a PPL, and we treated it as the first hour of lessons.

Most of my ground school has been self-taught, I was recommended a couple of textbooks, and am studying out of the book while doing the hands-on lessons, and so far, so good. My instructor is great with resolving any questions.

Best advice I can recommend is get in the air. I waited ten years because I was always trying to plan it out, and always put off due to time or money constraints. After the first flights, I MADE time and cleared space in the budget for money .

Good luck!

Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic UltraDork
1/5/14 2:18 p.m.

Get a big pile of money.

mistanfo
mistanfo UltraDork
1/5/14 2:36 p.m.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: Get a big pile of money.

And then pile more on top of it. If you are friendly with someone that has the appropriate instructors license, you may be able to "rent" their time separately from the plane, especially if they are trying to gain hours. I have a co-worker that is trying to get enough hours to transition to a commercial pilots gig, if I want to get back into my license (I have just over half the hours required, but lack of funds got in the way), he'll instruct me for "free", I just have to pay for the airplane rental (still not cheap). He feels that it is much less than having to pay for his own hours, and it seems that an hour is an hour, wether he has a student, or is solo in the plane.

Appleseed
Appleseed UltimaDork
1/5/14 3:07 p.m.

Sport Pilot. In a nutshell: 20 hours training (minimum), only fly in day and VFR. Best part is your valid drivers license is your medical. Downside (sorta) is only one passenger and max takeoff weight of 1320 lbs.

Many, many homebuilt aircraft fall into this category.

Look here for more

Look here for even more

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.

Leonardo da Vinci

oldtin
oldtin UltraDork
1/5/14 3:41 p.m.

I'm just starting. I did some consulting work for a flight school so my out of pocket cost is just an ipad app and some texts (I waived my fee in lieu of plane and instructor rental). For this school they follow a pro pilot training model. So most early work is ground school and simulator work with various scenarios (it was a little disconcerting to learn that a commercial pilot's first time in an actual plan could be with passengers - almost all training takes place in a simulator). As for the training, the legal requirement of 40 hours is less than most states' drivers ed requirement. We all know how prepared most drivers are who have received the minimum training. Considering the extra axis and level of consequences I'm opting for training that is closer to what professionals receive (crash stats are 40:1 professional pilot crashes to general aviation pilot crashes)

Moosehead
Moosehead
1/5/14 6:01 p.m.

In reply to DirtyBird222:

Moosehead
Moosehead New Reader
1/5/14 6:03 p.m.

In reply to DirtyBird222:

I'd look into joining a flying club. They are typically cheaper than renting thru the local FBO. The club I'm in rents a trainer for $70/hr wet and club instructors are about $35/hr.

Anti-stance
Anti-stance UltraDork
1/5/14 6:07 p.m.

In reply to Moosehead:

Whoa, more info please!

Moosehead
Moosehead New Reader
1/5/14 7:21 p.m.

In reply to Anti-stance:

You have to pay monthly dues of $75, but if you fly more than 1hr a month you'll come out ahead compared to the local FBO's...at least where I live.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 UltraDork
1/6/14 10:09 a.m.

I'll have to look into the flying club. My objective right now to help kickstart the military training side is get as many hours as possible. I want to do that with actually learning though. I've been playing flight sims for a considerable amount of time but that is never the same thing.

Good thing is, even though I'm in the middle of nowhere there are a few small airports around and even a seaplane port.

Graefin10
Graefin10 SuperDork
1/6/14 10:58 a.m.
Appleseed wrote: Sport Pilot. In a nutshell: 20 hours training (minimum), only fly in day and VFR. Best part is your valid drivers license is your medical. Downside (sorta) is only one passenger and max takeoff weight of 1320 lbs.

Do you know how long this has been in effect? I stopped taking lessons in the early 90s with about 24 hrs. in. At the time all I heard is that you had to have 40 hrs., pass the written, pass the flight test, and pay for the liscense. My wife has passed the written and also has about 24 hrs. With some refresher time could be both get a Sport Liscense?

aircooled
aircooled UltimaDork
1/6/14 11:37 a.m.

It's been a few years they have had the sport license (at least 10?).

One of the reasons the created it was for older flier who could not pass a medical. My step father (very high time pilot) flew around an Aeronica Champ on a Sport License that last years of his life since he could no longer pass a medical after heart issues.

914Driver
914Driver MegaDork
1/6/14 4:36 p.m.

Four guys in the Soaring Club I belong to chipped in and bought a Piper Cub. One guy doesn't fly so the others are teaching him.

Joining a club is the cheapest way out. I fly gliders, $15 to get towed to 1,000 ft, $35 to get to 3,000; that includes an Instructor. Eight instructors in the club really diversify the training and the experience.

oldtin
oldtin UltraDork
1/6/14 4:57 p.m.

with the club/school I work with, they often run internet time blocks - 10hrs of cessna 172 time for $350. Diamond d-40 time isn't much more. They also offer a package deal - $3500 flat rate (plus $100 membership & $40/month) = ground school, plane, fuel, frasca simulator and instructor with a 12-month window for license (it's a really cheap in - the catch is being more or less a beta tester for a new training model). FWIW, most people take more time than the minimum to get their certificate.

Appleseed
Appleseed UltimaDork
1/6/14 5:10 p.m.

Just remember there is a catch-22 with Sport Pilot. You can't just "try out" for a regular 3rd class medical. If you fail it, there is no fall back to sport pilot. You're berked.

Example: I have type I diabetes. I shouldbe able to get a 3rd class medical as per FAA rules, but if an examiner gets a hair up his/her butt I'm screwed at least without a ton of litigation and appeals. I have a valid drivers license. I can fly sport pilot right now.

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