LM: Getting a (private) pilot license

pilotbraden said:

In reply to aircooled :

Air-cooled is right. Pick out the place to crash. I was taught as you drive to the airport pay attention to the terrain. Look for power lines, fields, deep ditches etc. When you line up on the runway for takeoff pick a spot for the crash.  If something goes wrong fly to that spot while trying to solve the problem. I took more than a few copilots by surprise when I asked them where are you going to crash after taking off? 

I learned this lesson when I showed up at the airport for touch-and-gos one day and saw the tail of a small plane (a Beechcraft, IIRC) sticking out of the holding pond of the mall across from the field. Not that he had a lot of good options, but that one seemed particularly poorly chosen.

pilotbraden said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Very true. if you're learning how to fly you should fly several times a week otherwise you're relearning every time you go up and it takes a lot longer to learn .

Unfortunately that pretty much kills it for me. With my current work schedule I'd barely make one flight a weekend possible so I'd either have to go for some immersion training where I'm nothing but flying for two weeks, or I'll have to postpone.

In reply to BoxheadTim :

Don't let me discourage you. Go a couple of times and see if it's something that you want to do. It is not impossible to do it flying once per week . I know of people who go do touch and goes for 30 minutes at lunchtime.

In reply to pilotbraden :

Well, I'm looking at how much time I currently have for my other hobbies. I haven't made it to the track the whole year and manage to drag one of my motorbikes out at a rate of less than once per month. Granted, some of the track stuff is motivational.

The time invested will remain high until I've got the certificate (assuming I'd be able to use the local private field, which isn't clear to me) because it's at least a two hour round trip to get to a rental plane. So realistically it's a half day endeavour at minimum, with flying a sailplane costing even more time as that's about 1.5h each way.

I do fly roughly once every ten days already, but unfortunately as a "back seat pilot" and apparently my employer isn't too happy if you try to expense plane rentals .

None of the above would generally keep me from flying completely, it's just a question if it makes sense to go the traditional route and burn up a lot more hours to get the cert vs trying to find a school that essentially does the whole thing as more of a full immersion type training.

But you're right, I should see if I can book myself on one of the "taster" flights that one of the local schools offer.

And TIL that even though I have a green card, I’d still need an OK from the TSA before any flight school would even take my money. That was a bit of a surprise and I guess one of the very few areas where an LPR doesn’t have the same rights as a US citizen. 

I remember seeing the author of this book on TV bemoaning how hard it has become to be a pilot.

In reply to nutherjrfan :

I have met Rod several times he was giving a talk at a pilot airplane operator safety meeting he was the lunchtime speaker. He is a truly funny character

So, bumping this up.

Background:  Always wanted to learn to fly, but don't come from a family of pilots, and don't have anyone close who is.  I took an intro flight back in Virginia.  Before I could move things along, I had a job change and bought a fixer upper house.  My time/money vanished accordingly.  Just sold the house and have some free time and money again.

I always hear the advice given of, "Try to find an instructor who does it for enjoyment/the love of flying rather than just someone who's building time towards their airline ticket".  My question is...great advice, but how to do so, especially from someone who's super-green?  How do you sort the wheat from the chaff?  Starting out, I can't tell who makes a good instructor and who's a blowhard.  Going to the flight schools results in "here's our pamphlet" or "go to our website", and advice given on how to get through the funnel to an ATP quickest. 

Just wanted to see if we could continue the conversation a little bit and see if there's any good next steps.  I am in the Lehigh Valley near Allentown, PA, if that helps.

Thanks, GRM!

In reply to Flynlow :

Go hang out at Van Sandt airport in northern Bucks county. Grass field, glider specialists, down home kinda place. I am not flight elegible, but the pilots I know that are grass roots types go there.

If you get a younger instructor,  they are probably building time. If they are older, they are probably in it for enjoyment. Not an absolute,  but most younger pilots don't get in the game simply to instruct. 

In reply to Flynlow :

Don’t go to a flight school because of a good web site or pamphlet. 

Younger guys may not be the best either, most of them are working towards their 1000 hour and the call from the airlines. ( it may be less now)

Some older guy with a well kept older plane might be right but take a flight or two first,  yeh you’ll have to pay for it. 

When I showed up at flight school I had exactly zero experience with anything like an airplane. But I read every word and then memorized it.  Didn’t know what any of it meant but I could quote cheaper and verse.  

I sat up every night  until lights out  then went into the Head ( bathroom) where they kept a light on 24/7 and studied until I knew the next days lesson backwards and forwards. sometimes 3-4:00 in the morning  

the assigned instructor would grill me hoping to trip me up but I really knew the words. I just didn’t understand what they meant.  Off we’d go and he’d quickly run through the days drills . I couldn’t follow most of them because the words and my actions didn’t follow. He failed me  and I’d got my drop out ride. 

This guy was a 2 tour Marine and he grilled me backwards and forwards but I had everything stone cold. 

A few minutes into the flight he told me to take over and since The first time I’d ever flown and airplane was this morning and had no idea of what I was doing about 3 minutes later he said I’ve got it!  

Took over and headed back to bases swearing like only a squid or Jarhead can. He called me to attention and started listing all my shortcomings.  Finally looking me straight in the eye as only a         pi. sed  off Jarhead can  asked me how many hours I had  

Those  who are accepted to flight training have plenty with most having at least a private already some instrument and even an occasional commercial.  

My “9 minutes sir “ , this morning. Shut him up cold.  How come I knew everything so well then? I explained I had studied all night to memorize it until 3:00 AM 

In the end we climbed back in andbwe took off with me following with my hands and feet feeling exactly what he was doing. Carefullly explaining-what and why he was doing.  

With his help I passed not only that flight but all of basic flight training. 

Went on to qualify  in type, get carrier rated and squadron qualified  

All because a tough Marine took pity on a diligent newbie 

In reply to Flynlow :

Join the EAA and attend the local meetings. Many of the older guys are retired military or airline pilots  you should be able to find a good instructor through them.

pilotbraden said:

In reply to Flynlow :

Join the EAA and attend the local meetings. Many of the older guys are retired military or airline pilots  you should be able to find a good instructor through them.

Thanks for the advice, pilotbraden.  Closing the loop for others who may stumble upon this thread in a few years, I found the following links helpful:

https://www.eaa.org/eaa/learn-to-fly/pilot-training-steps

https://iacra.faa.gov/IACRA/HelpAndInfo.aspx?id=6

And am planning to attend my local EAA chapter meeting in a couple weeks.  Need to get through the GRM challenge and a few events in October, then it's time to start some flying.