So I’m considering taking flying lessons. Been doing some reading on it, some initial looking around, etc. But I know there are some pilots here, and I’d appreciate any input.
Because of my schedule, I’ll almost certainly be taking lessons under Part 61. Should I insist on a school that also has a Part 141 cirriculum, or doesn’t it matter for my purposes?
Some flight schools emphasize home-study for the ground school portion. Now, I became an expert on bankruptcy law through home study, but I wouldn’t try brain surgery that way. Where does ground school fit on that continuum? Is it viable if I intend to be a good pilot?
What questions should I ask of a potential school? Of a potential trainer?
If I intend to mostly fly larger aircraft (Beech Bonanza and similar), should I move to those before I get my license, or license first then transition to things like high power, retractable gear, etc.?
And for those who live in the metro area, are there advantages/disadvantages of New Jersey or Long Island (I think Westchester won’t work for me).
I have almost finished my private pilot’s license. I started 5 years ago but have been slow to complete it. One thing that surprised me when I started is that it is not nearly as formal as you might expect.
Basically, it is just a one-on-one relationship with a flight instructor that you like and trust even if it is part of a flight school. What I mean is that you just select a flight school or flying club that has the planes that you like and the type of training that you want and take it from there. There is usually no commitment for hours or anything else.
I just called around to several flight schools in the Boston area and simply selected the largest and the one with the newest planes before my first lesson. They set me up with an instructor and we just worked things out from there. He was responsible for my training from there. I would just book time whenever he and suitable plane were available. I payed the flight school for the time and they paid him (flight instructors do not make much; most do it as a hobby).
Flying time cost about $95 an hour ($75 for the plane and $20 for the instructor). They also sold me a complete kit of books, flight log, and other supplies that are really what constitutes ground school for about $120 IIRC.
There was no formal ground school. My flight instructor told me what books to buy and what to study before each lesson. I am very self-motivated but I got the feeling that this was typical. On two occasions, we had one-on-one ground school training but most of the time, we just met and flew.
In short, all you really have to do is pick a flight school, take a first lesson, decide if you like your instructor (if not, pick a new one) , buy the books, read them, and work out your training with your instructor.
I took the FAR part 141 route because it is ten times more structured than the part 61. 141 adheres to a very structured learning environment where you learn quickly - in my opinion - and garner more respect for the plane you will be flying.
How much time do you have to spend on learning?? You may like Part 61 more as it allows more weekend training schedules and such. I had all the time in the world to learn so I adhered to the 141. I have a private pilot certificate and I love it. I don’t really want the commercial cert. so I’m quite happy with this.
I have a BeechKing Air 90 Turboprop that I bought used more than 7 years ago. I live in CT and routinely go Burlington VT fto see family and friends…
Do not start with complex airplanes - playing with the prop is not something you want to be doing while working on stick/rudder coordination.
Once take-off, landing, navigation become routine, you may want to take on the extra workload of the complex, but don’t start there.
Find a compatible instructor, (not one of the dweebs hanging around trying to garner enough hours to get a REAL job, but someone who actually enjoys flight training) and discuss the 61/141 decision - as long as you know the stuff, it really doesn’t matter how you came to know it.
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Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A 141 school is more structured and has to follow a strict syllabus. A 61 school will be mainly just you and your CFI. More flexible scheduling, and more one on one contact.
I got my private at a 141 school. I don’t feel it offered any advantage over a 61 school. I wasted a lot of time sitting in class while the instructor helped other people who had more trouble with the material than I did. The regs require less time to get your ratings at a 141 school than a 61, but don’t count on it. If you are going to take 60 hours to perform at the private pilot level, the fact that you could have legally done it in 35 means nothing.
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I think home study is a great idea. I would make sure your CFI makes it clear exactly what you are supposed to know, and is willing to help you on things you don’t understand. My ground school classes overall have been poor, and I learned more by studying on my own and getting my CFI to help me on the more difficult parts.
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Ask him/her if they enjoy teaching or are just doing it to build time for a better job. Ask how many students they’ve had. Ask if you can talk with some of their previous students. Make sure the billing method is clear. Some CFIs charge for ground, some don’t. Some charge by the hobbs time, while others charge you for every minute you have them at the airport.
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Start small. When you first start, you will probably have trouble keeping tabs on everything in a simple airplane. Once you get the feel and things start becoming automatic, add in the extra abilities you want. A pilot certificate is often called a “License to Learn”. Get comfortable with one thing before moving on to the next.
Things I think are very important:
Fly as often as possible. I would consider twice a week to be the bare minumum. Every day would be preferable. The more often you fly, the less you will forget from lesson to lesson.
Review each flight in your head. Go over mentally what you messed up on, and think of ways to correct it. Develop flow patterns in your mind of what you are supposed to do in the air. You ever see airshow pilots on the ground before a flight? They are walking around on the ground, arms out, pretending to be flying, going over the routine in their head. I used to do the same thing in my apartment, practicing flight in the pattern, making power adjustments, radio calls, etc. My roommate was highly amused. Now he begs for airplane rides.
If your CFI isn’t doing it for you, get another one. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Now, don’t dump them over some small thing, but make sure you don’t waste time and get frustrated on someone who isn’t doing you any good.
DON’T QUIT! You will get frustrated. You will reach a point where you think you are never ever going to get a maneuver down right. DO NOT QUIT. You WILL get it right. Get your ass back in the plane and practice until it clicks. It will click, trust me.
Buy a copy of “Stick and Rudder” and “Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators”
Ask questions. There are no stupid questions in aviation.
Get a decent headset. Airplanes are very loud, and the noise will wear on you and make learning more difficult. I spent $550 on a top of the line ANR headset about 3 months ago, and I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner.
Have enough money in reserve to keep flying. Flying your ass off for three weeks and then taking a month off to save more money will only cost you more in the long run.
These are all things I wish I had been told. Hopefully it will help you. Welcome to the club!
::Sigh:: Late to the party, as usual. I don’t have much to add after everything else, having just passed my checkride at the end of October.
I went Part 61, but the ground instructor was a friend so he let me sit in on his classes. What Joey G said about the difference between Part 61/141; it doesn’t mean a lot unless you know you want a commercial ticket.
Beech Bonanzi aren’t really considered “larger” aircraft, but they are “complex,” which means you’d need an endorsement to legally act as pilot-in-command. Probably best to stick with 152/172 or Archer/Cherokee first.
Lastly, make sure you and your CFI are a good match. I don’t mean a you-like-going-out-for-the-same-kind-of-beers match, but a match with respect to his/her teaching style and your learning style. I found one who wasn’t trying to build time and was very knowledgable about the planes and techniques, not just teaching what I needed to pass the checkrides. Of course, I had to go through quite a few to find him.
That’s all I can think of for now, let us know how it goes!
One important factor re: Beechcraft Bonanzas. Insurance. The more complex the aircraft, the more expensive insurance will be – and the greater the number of hours that will be required before the insurance company will sell you insurance at all. A used aircraft may be relatively inexpensive. I was looking at a used helicopter last year, and I could easily have afforded the purchase price. But the insurance was a killer!
Personally, I like structured ground school. I took ground school at a local community college a couple of nights per week. I liked it because other people would ask questions I had not considered asking. Unfortunately they don’t offer helicopter commercial courses at community colleges; hence, I still hold a private ticket. It seems that whenever I try to study at home there are too many distractions. I could pay $30/hour for ground school sessions with an instructor, but there would be no one else asking questions I didn’t know needed asking. Since you have experience with self-study and have been successful with it, that is a good option for you. Since you’re going for a fixed-wing rating, you can probably find a classroom ground school very easily if you want to go that way.
Good luck! Flying is the most enjoyable activity there is!
I’ve done both - I had formal ground school for my Private, and did self study for my Commercial. I’m now doing self study for my Instrument rating. I think it depends on how self-motivated you are. My preference is for formal ground school, but I can get by doing it myself.
I’m familiar with some of the flight schools near you Manhattan, so I may be of some assistance. Send me email.
A Part 141 school will likely have very professional and competant instructors. Which isn’t to say there aren’t professional, competant instructors who don’t work for Part 141 schools. There are many, many of them. You just may have to go through several instructors before you find a decent one. Then again, you might have to do that at a Part 141 school. But I’d say you’re less likely to have to go through that. Whereever you go, don’t be afraid to fire your instructor.
I’ve never studied bankruptcy law, but I’d say home studying for your written private pilot exam falls far below that in difficulty. I think the Jeppesen text book I used was around 250 pages.