http://www.stlukeseye.com/eyeq/Monovision.asp
Monovision is having one eye adjusted for distance vision, and the other for near vision (by either surgery or corrective lenses.) It is an option for people who are short sighted and find their near vision failing as they age.
I guess it is an alternative to bifocals.
Yes, it’s an alternative to bifocals.
Anyone considering having LASIK with the monovision option should undergo a trial of it using contacts or glasses to induce this effect prior to surgery. Not everyone can adapt to it, but while contacts can be removed, LASIK is forever. The older you are, the longer/harder it is to adjust. Also, men have more trouble adjusting to it than woman.
Which is not to say that it’s a bad thing - I know a number of people, including men, who have opted for this and are very happy with results and untroubled by side effects. Just be fully informed before you do anything permanent to your eyes.
Recreational Pilot licenses haven’t been successful in the US, in fact I understand there are only a few hundred of them around. Mainly it’s been used as a way to carry passengers legally earlier than the normal private pilot license allows, and those who get it normally keep going and get their private licenses anyway. Sport Pilot is easier to get and the restrictions on the type of flying you can do don’t really limit all that many pilots - compared to a Private Pilot, it means flying Light Sport Aircraft only (larger than an ultralight, smaller than most private aircraft), daytime only, VFR only, and a valid driver’s license. Medical is basically on the honor system. AOPA is a good place to start researching it.
Sport Pilot instructors are easy to find, since anyone with a Certified Flight Instructor license is already certified for it. The problem is finding a flight school that both has an LSA and has insurance for using it commercially - that last part has been the killer so far. The insurance companies have been reluctant to get into unknown territory.
To your OP, yes, if you want to do it, do it. It doesn’t have to be that expensive or that time-consuming, but you do have to budget for it. The total cost in money and time depends on how frequently you can fly - if you can devote full time to it, you can actually get a private license in a couple of weeks. The longer you go between flights, the rustier you’ll get and the more catch-up you’ll have to do, so it will take more hours. There’s a lot of ground study required, but you can do that with books and DVD’s as effectively as in a formal ground school, and at less cost.
Look for a grand total of $6-10K and 6-12 months if you have other things to do in your life - but that’s less than you’d pay for a decent used car, and your license is good forever. Cost per year is about what a serious golf habit costs. After that, cost is on a per-hour basis if you, like most people, will be renting aircraft. Figure on $100/hr typically including fuel; I pay $78 for an IFR Skyhawk (and it would be $60 for a 150 if I could fit into one), but that’s unusual; most other FBO’s would charge $105 for the same Skyhawk.
Just getting over that first hump, getting started, is the hardest part. If you have a flying friend, you might casually mention you’re thinking of doing it, and I guarantee you’ll get all the help you need. If an airport near you is having an open house, or if you see a training operation there, if you just drop in and mention you’re considering it, then they’ll take care of you from there. There’s a real sense of community and mutual helpfulness among pilots, part of making it fun even when you’re not flying, and newcomers are always welcome.
Aside from the already-mentioned limitations of the recreational license (short distance, only one passenger, etc.), consider this - the main difference between training for a recreational license and training for a private license is that you learn less. Less about the things that will keep you safe when you fly.
Don’t skimp on the training. Even if you think you’ll only need the privileges that a recreational certificate would afford, you’ll need every bit of knowledge and skill that training for a private certificate will afford you.
In answer to the OP, getting my private certificate cost me about $6,000, spread over 2 years. That includes flying time, instructor time, and all of my equipment.
I do still fly, and I’ve been glad about my decision to go for the license since the day of my first lesson.
Go for it!
Another option if you don’t want to or can’t get an FAA medical is a glider license - motorgliders fall into the glider category and are pretty much just small airplanes with long wings. Handling is a little different than airplanes, but not much. Performance is a little different too, so you need to consider what you want out of flying. I tell my buddies that a motorglider is a half-assed airplane and a half-assed glider, but I’ve met several (rich) guys who own motorgliders because they can’t get a medical but are still in good enough condition to fly. I love motorgliders, but they’re definitely a compromise aircraft.
BTW, this is what motorgliders look like:
Super Ximango
TG-7
Diamond
I’d say consider giving gliders a try if you’re looking to fly something that is purely recreational that you can spend a little less money on. A glider license is a ticket to fly gliders, self-launch sailplanes and motorgliders (with the proper training and endorsements). Flying big fast airplanes at work is fun, but what I really love is flying gliders whenever I get a chance (which is not often enough!).
To address your OP, I’m definitely happy with the decision to start flying, but the cost to me was pretty much nothing because my employer covered nearly all of it. I did pay for a class add-on (single-engine to my commercial airplane ticket) and the glider category add.
These days I don’t get to fly civil aircraft except on special occasions (like when somebody else wants me to take them flying). Cost ranges from $65-100 for the planes I rent: a C-150 on the low end and an aerobatic Decathlon on the high end. My glider rentals range from $5/hour at my club to $30-50 per hour at a commercial operation, plus a tow which averages $10 with the club and $25 commercial. If money is an issue but you don’t mind putting in a little extra non-flying work (i.e. pushing gliders, maintaining towplane, fixing hangar, mowing, etc.), a glider club might be the way to go. These days I get maybe 20-30 hours of civil flying in a year, but unfortunately only a handful of those are in gliders.
One cool thing is that wherever you go in the US, if you have a pilot certificate (and medical, if applicable), you can get checked out fairly quickly on whatever plane or glider is available within the constraints of the local FBO’s insurance requirements and rental policy.
It was a big confidence boost for Mrs. C when she soloed and then got her private ticket. My folks, who are in their mid-50s, have started flight lessons, my mom in airplanes and the old man in gliders. They’re never going to do it professionally (as far as I know) but they love it. I definitely think it’s worth it - Good luck!
