Any private pilots here?

[rnmcd]

I am looking into getting my private pilots license and was wondering if anyone had any advice?

Is there flight simulation software that might help me get some practice in?

thanks.

 

[Cattlegod]

a couple guys at the house i live in are getting theirs this summer.

it is expensive, about 5000 when you are all said and done.

i think it takes about 40 hours of fly time, 100 bucks an hour, then you have all the extra fees and other things.

 

[Beau]

My little bro is getting his next week, and it didn't cost him a penny. He works at a private airport, and gets his lessons for free. But yes, they are a little spendy -- and they only get more expensive as you move up the scale toward commercial pilot.

 

[OutHouse]

Iam in flight school now have a whopping 6 hours now.

Here is a thread i started when i took my discovery flight, some good info in there

thread

 

[notfred]

It'll cot you a couple grand to pay for your lessons. 40 hours is the absolute minimum before you can solo. You're going to have to pay for at least 40 hours of aircraft rental and pay the instructor.

Ms flight simulator has been a pretty good flight sim for a long time, it's fairly realistic.

You also have to take a written test before you can get your license.

 

[rudder]

I think some of the software maybe helpful later on when you practice flying by instruments. But for now all your flying should be base don what you see outside the cockpit.

My advice would also be to save up your money best that you can before you start. I have seen too many people try to learn to fly and can only afford to fly once or twice a month. It is doable, but you will save tons of money if you can cram it in over a shorter time period. Having the money available helps. I have had both types of students that would span their lessons over long periods and some that got their license in 45 days. With the first group, much of the time on the next lesson has to be spent reviewing the previous lessons so it progressed much slower.

 

[rnmcd]

Thanks for the information!

What are the requirements for keeping a private pilots license up to date? Do you have to put in a certain amount of hours to stay "current"?

 

[Moonbeam]

Yes very private, a sort of mystery trip.

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Yes very private, a sort of mystery trip.

hahaha !!! sort of a "fly me to the moon" experience ?

 

[NogginBoink]

Screw the cost.

If you love flying, you'll find a way to come up with the money. It took me 9 mos. to get my license (I was in no hurry) and spread the cost out across that time. It's amazing how your priorities change.

No simulator comes close to actually leaving the earth and heading for the sky. Yes, you might be able to practice some techinical skills with sims, but you'll always yearn for the real thing. (And if you want the best sim, my vote is for X-Plane.)

I highly encourage you to pursue this, if this is a dream of yours. You'll never regret it doing it. But one day many years from now you may find yourself on your back porch in your rocking chair looking up at the sky and thinking, "I wish I'd done that."

Go to www.beapilot.com and get yerself a coupon for a cheap discovery flight.

Visit as many flight schools in your area as you can. Ask for an intro flight at each school. Your goal here is to find an instructor you think you'll like. Buy a local "Sectional chart," or better, ask if they have any expired ones that they'll give you for free. See all those maroon and blue circles? Those are all airports that you can fly to. I'll bet you didn't know that 80% of the airpports near you existed. And most of 'em probably have flight schools at the field.

Many (most?) flight schools look like... well, they're mostly dumps. Don't let that deter you. There's very little profit here, and flight schools fight to stay in business. Torn carpeting and ratty furniture is easy to overlook if the planes are well maintained. Ask the instructors and other students about their thoughts on the school, and how the planes are maintained.

Above all: Just get started! Walk into the nearest flight school and say, "I wanna learn to fly an airplane!" You'll probably be in the air in less than an hour with an instructor eager to introduce you to flying.

It's a great hobby.

-Noggin

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: rnmcd
Thanks for the information!

What are the requirements for keeping a private pilots license up to date? Do you have to put in a certain amount of hours to stay "current"?

Every 24 months you take a flight review with a cfi. If you want to carry passengers you have to make 3 take off and landings within 90 days. Thats the minimum. Its always best to fly as much as you need to maintain proficiency.

 

[StattlichPassat]

I've been considering becoming a private pilot, but only going mainstream enough to work for NetJets and get in some Gulfstream V. action or something. Nevertheless, I have thought about getting my license for years upon years now, but as a college student, I just don't have that kind of money right now. I won't have another job until next summer at the earliest, so maybe I can start thinking about it then. I think it would be great fun and a worthwhile hobby. I'm hoping to become a network/system administrator as a career, but could do flying on the side, on the weekends, as a part time job or simply as a hobby.

VERY happy to hear that you can get your license in 45 days!! :Q I would definitly be gung-ho enough about it to do it in this amount of time or less. I've always been told it was 3 months, and glad to hear it's about $5k when all said and done with. That's what I've heard as well.

Guess it's time to re-install MS Flight Sim Pro 2000 again...

 

[rnmcd]

Does a pilot-in-training have to do all their flight hours at one flight instruction center?

I was considering getting some flight experience with a fixed based operation that has a small plane then going to another place with a larger plane.

Is switching centers frowned upon?

Thanks.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: rnmcd
Does a pilot-in-training have to do all their flight hours at one flight instruction center?

I was considering getting some flight experience with a fixed based operation that has a small plane then going to another place with a larger plane.

Is switching centers frowned upon?

Thanks.

No, you don't have to stay with the same instructor. It might be easier, though...different instructors will have different teaching styles.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: rnmcd
Does a pilot-in-training have to do all their flight hours at one flight instruction center?

I was considering getting some flight experience with a fixed based operation that has a small plane then going to another place with a larger plane.

Is switching centers frowned upon?

Thanks.

i believe you need to stay with the same instructor. if for some reason you do change schools because you moved your new instructor will have to review everything you have learned. Remember before you take any of the test you have to be endorsed by your instructor.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: rnmcd
Does a pilot-in-training have to do all their flight hours at one flight instruction center?

I was considering getting some flight experience with a fixed based operation that has a small plane then going to another place with a larger plane.

Is switching centers frowned upon?

Thanks.

exactly what citrix said. For example of you do a cross country trip as a student, the instructor has to sign you off for each indivual flight. An instructor would be an idiot to sign you off unless he has spent several hours with you reviewing maneuvers. This would delay your progress.

There is no requirement to keep a certain instructor or flight school. With some instructors you may just have a bad relationship with. You are the boss. If you do not like an instructors style or attitude you should can him (or her) and find another. It is your money.

 

[KeithP]

40 hours is the absolute minimum before you can solo

No. You need a minimum of 40 hours of flight time to get your license. After 10-15 hours of dual instruction you will be able to fly solo. Looking at my old log book, I went solo after 14.5 hours of dual instruction.

Also be advised that a new "Sport Pilot" License has been proposed by the FAA. Check it out here. While there are more restrictions than a standard private pilot certificate it will be much easier to get.

-Keith

 

[johnjohn320]

I don't, but my dad and sister both do, I've been flying since I was born. I guess I don't have much to offer other than a hearty "good luck". The world of pilots is sort of in trouble right now, if you go to most fly-ins, it will be 95% people above age 50. Young people aren't getting into flying like they used to, it's almost dying away.

 

[OutHouse]

Yea i agree, i went to a fly-in last weekend and the mass majority of the pilots were over the hill. I believe the reason is the cost of owning a plane. It is very expensive, not only the cost of the plane but all the other stuff, like insurance (my instructor said they pay 800 a month for thier new cessna 172!) then the mainteinence that has to be done on the plane, hanger and ramp fees, gas...

I make a pretty good living but there is no way i can go out and buy a plane right now, maybe after my house is paid off i will consider it. All though last week i did get some mail in from Cessna proposing that if i bought one of their new planes ($160,000.00) they would pay the 4K for my flight instruction. Should i post that in hot deals?

 

[rnmcd]

I have heard it is difficult to find an available plane to rent after a person gets their certificate...the flight instruction centers tell me that it is "no problem" to rent a plane but some of these places have only 2 or 3 planes and they surely wouldn't want to rent them because that would cut into their flight training business. I think they are just feeding me a line.

What have your experiences been like?

Thanks.

 

[skyking]

I am a commercial pilot and flight instructor. The most important tidbits of advice I can offer are:
Get all the money together first. One of the biggest holdups is not having the money or time set aside to get the license in a short period of time. Plan on getting through in 4 months or less. If you stretch it out, you will waste a large amount of money and time reviewing what you have forgotten. It is easy to double the cost by learning on the "payment plan".
Set aside $4000. If you can't do that, what are you going to do after you get the license? Come in here and post about it? You need to fly quite frequently to maintain proficiency. I have flown for 17 years, and I have watched my proficency bounce around like the stock market, depending on how much time( = $$$$) I have to spend.

believe you need to stay with the same instructor. if for some reason you do change schools because you moved your new instructor will have to review everything you have learned. Remember before you take any of the test you have to be endorsed by your instructor.

It is not uncommon to change instructors or schools, because of convenience, or just a lack of good chemistry. It is not a waste of time to change, if the instructor you are currently with is not working for you. Sticking with a mediocre instructor is a major waste, and the cause of many student failures.
Good luck, and happy flying!!