Pilot's License Anybody?

[THS]

Been kicking around the idea of taking flying lessons. Anybody here have one or currently in training? How many hours did it take?

Or to expand it further, now that you have your license, what do you use it for? How often do you fly?

My wife hasn't really told me that she forbids me to start lessons, but she thinks it is a fad and eventually I'll look back and ask myself "why did I waste $5000 getting my license???"

I know in my case, I have been waiting until I had enough time and money saved up that I could get it done in a summer. I know a couple of people that have started but ran short of cash, so they will basically need to start all over when they have the money. How much will I really spend trying to obtain a license?

 

[Bird]

I never got my pilot's license. When I was commander of the Helicopter Section in the police department, I was about ready to go take the written exam when I got transferred to another job. Both of my brothers had their licenses and each owned a small plane; one of the even sold airplanes for awhile, when they lived in Alaska. Neither had flown since moving back to Texas about 20 years ago. Even after you get your license, it's a very expensive hobby unless you have business reasons to fly. But it can be a lot of fun. When the brother was selling airplanes, I went with him once to Wichita, KS, where we picked up a new Cessna 152 and flew it to Anchorage in 4 days; just had a great time.

 

[Tdog]

THS, I got my license back in the dark ages, before I was married. I really enjoyed it. But then I got married, bought a house, had kids, less money, bought a horse or two for the kids, etc. Flying sorta fell by the wayside. Plus, my wife never really enjoyed flying that much.

I will say this - - if you want to get into it, be sure you DO have the time and $$. It takes practice to become competent. And, unless you get an instrument rating, you will be a pawn of the weather, not that you're not already one when flying anyway. I got stranded away from home a couple of times when I could have flown if I had an instrument rating.

I miss it, even though I haven't flown a plane in 30 years. Good luck.

 

[gordon21]

Plan on $8,000 by the time you get your private pilot ticket. Prices have gone up considerably. This will include instruction, basic headset, pilot supplies and all the other money spent along the way.

#1 thing to do: Join AOPA. They are a wealth of pilot info similar to TBN. About $60 per year gets you a membership, 2 magazines and discounts to attend Sun-N-Fun in Florida or Oshgosh. I have been to Sun-N-Fun 4 times. It is so cool, it is beyond describing. Even a non-interested spouse will like it.

 

[Av8r3400]

I got my license 18 years ago. I soloed on my 16th birthday and got my license on my 17th. I currently have a private, instrument, commercial, multi and multi-instrument ratings.

Currently I don't do much flying, but I am planning a strip on the new property when the house is done. I'd like to get into an ultralight again or possibly a "Cub" type two seater just for the pure joy of flying.

If you can spare the time and effort, go for it. Flying is a joy that cannot be described by words.

 

[v8dave]

Like some of the previous posters, I too got my Private Pilot's license early on. I was in my late teens and early 20s. I flew for sport and entertainment and then came the family and we couldn't afford to use flying for transportation. After the kids grew up, we could afford the cost of flying ourselves but chose to spend the time on other activities.

I'd venture to say if you don't solo in 10 hours or less, it's going to be an expensive education to get to the pilot's license. On the other hand, if you solo early on, you are one of the chosen few and you'll be hooked for life.

To continue flying, my advice would be to get your wife interested. You are going to spend so much time and money on this there has to be something in it for her also. Not very well known is the social aspect of flying. Join a local airman/woman group--not just a flying club. Carefully select the group, look for one that is truly a social club. Get to know those folks as friends and your wife will get involved. Once she makes friends in this group, she'll look forward to outings and events that require you to fly to them. Then you'll be able buy an aircraft. If you choose carefully, it'll cost you about $3,000 a year to own a commercially built AC sitting on the ground. $1,000/yr each for tie down, insurance, and annual inspection. Ultra lights beat these costs easily but are closer to a single user "sport" than family transportation. Your mileage may vary, there are exceptions on both sides.

If you get hooked by flying the expense won't matter, it becomes a time issue--do you really have the time to fly? It is truly an undescribable experience. The closest I have come to it in similar feelings is riding a motorcycle on an open (no traffic) mountain road.

Go give it a try.

 

[MotorSeven]

I took lessons in the early 80's when i didn't have much money and was too young to care. I was in to the solo cross country's(almost the end of the course) when it hit me: "How the heck am i going to keep flying...too much $$ in renting, can't afford a plane or a spot to park it or the maintenance..." Since i couldn't find rich girlfriend, i quit ! Like V8, i ride motorcycles, heck of alot cheaper...more dangerous, but cheaper. My wife has her commercial but also doesn't use it much(hmmm, still don't have much money ), but i hope some day to get a hold of a older S.T.O.L. and fly it off the farm....but it could be just a dream. I would back V8 - go out and take some initial beginner type rides with a good instructor, then sit back and decide if you are going to make it part of you life, if so go for it, but you will need $.

T-Dog, most of the time i read about a private going down, they were trying to fly in weather they shouldn't have...rated or not. It may be a good thing that you had the sense to stay put, and weren't rated.........
RD

 

[PineRidge]

Used to fly when I was younger. Was flying one real nasty night to KY to drop off some Ford Motor parts in a 172 that had the back seats removed with my former instructor. We flew into a storm and it was so dark we couldn't check for ice on the wings, we got bounced around so badly I'm surprised the wings stayed on the plane. He was rated for instruments but it was not a pleasurable flight to say the least, fact is he got ill when we landed in KY. Now that was a real vote of confidence.

Since then my motto has been, "I would rather be on the ground wishing that I was in the air, than in the air wishing that I was on the ground."

 

[THS]

My wife has already stated she probably would NOT be riding anywhere with me in the plane. She isn't a huge fan of flying. If she HAS to fly, she will. But driving seems safer to her.

I too have a motorcycle endorsement but had to sell my bike in '03 when I had back surgery. I've been riding motorcycles for 28 years. It's hard to give that up when it's something you enjoy so much. We actually went to a used bike place yesterday to look at a couple of different bikes, but the salesguy was as slimy as they come. I feel good enough lately that I can think about buying another one.

As far as flying planes, my co-worker has been riding my butt about getting up in the air quite a bit lately. He lives about 100' from the runway of the airport in his town, so it's pretty easy for him to fly. He's a member of the local club, so he can walk down to the hanger, pull the Cessna 172 out, record the hours, jump in and fly away. I think it only costs him like $50/hour to fly it. If I become a member of this club, I can train under a guy that only charges like $25/hour for his time plus the plane costs. But that airport is 40 minutes away from my house. If I train at my local airport, it's only about 10 minutes away, but it'll cost me about $110+ per hour to fly. And when I do get my license, the plane will cost $75/hour to rent by myself. The cost of fuel has caused them to add surcharges to the cost of training now.

I haven't given up the idea yet, but it's looking more and more like I might wait another year....

 

[Jimbrown]

I have had a commercial multi engine instrument license for 30 years. I flew airplanes and helicopters in the the military. My opinion is that a private pilot license is jsut about worthless. After you get it what do you do with it? fly around the state for a few times take some pictures of your house and get tired of renting low performance, old, aircraft. If you have no reason to have one and are not really rich it is a pure wast of time and money. If you have a burning desire to fly buy an ultra light fly it for a year and then get rid of it.