I know quite a bit about planes based on studying them in middle school. I really wanted to be a pilot in the air force back then and read books and played Flight Simulator a lot. A couple of youtube videos rekindled my excitement and I am now enrolled in online ground school. Once I complete that I will take some instructor led flights at the local school and work on my hours. I should have a pilots license in the next 3-6 months I think. This stuff is really exciting for me and is a great break from college courses.
Good luck with this. I'm not happy to say it but I think I'd be too frightened to do it. I almost parachuted once but backed out a couple of days before the jump. I think I was more fearless when I was younger.
I have a healthy amount of fear about this. That is why I am studying right now. I tend to overstudy for things so I won't suffer from a lack of knowledge.
Learning to fly a plane is a waste of time. No wait, let me try again. It is a passion of yours that is still an awesome adventure even if it isn't anywhere near as interesting and useful to me as learning another language :wink: Just don't fly some obscure model from India. http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/42598-online-doctorate-worth-effort-anymore-print.html?pp=30
I took flying lessons couple of years before I turned 40. I was seriously thinking about doing it for a living but then I found out about how little most pilots get paid and all the furloughs that they have to deal with it. I would've loved to continue it as a hobby but it's a hobby I can't afford. Flying in small Cessna 152's and 172's are a lot different from flying in a large commercial plane, you feel everything. Most flight schools give free demo flights with an instructor. That's probably the first thing one should schedule just to see if they even enjoy flying.
Take what you get on this board with a grain of salt. . . With that being said, if you're young enough and willing to pay your dues, you'll be fine. Ground school is just the beginning of a very long road. Considering most places won't consider you competitive until you get 2,500 hours PIC (Pilot in Command). Which is easier said then done since most flight schools graduate pilots with 150 hours, after which, the void has to be filled on your own dime at by either rich mommy & daddy or by serving as a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) aka "fly for food." If you can stomach all that, you'll find a wonderful career that requires you to move around quite often for advancement opportunities. It can be wonderful life, so long as you are fully aware of what is in store and adjust accordingly. Good luck friend.
The Private SEL requires a minimum of 40 hours aircraft rental at about $110 to $130 an hour depending on the aircraft. $4400 to $5200 In addition, the flight instructor rate is about $40 an hour and one needs 20 hours of dual. $800. The checkride is about $400 for the examiner fee and rental of the aircraft about another $150. A third class flight exam is about $80 Books and ground school another $250. So if one can do it in the minimum time, it costs about $6000. However, the national average is around 55 to 65 hours so it is probably closer to $8000. Back in the 1980's I got all my ratings including flight instructor ratings for about $12,000. Prices sure have gone up! It is estimated to cost around $65,000 today and that doesn't include the ATP which is far more expensive. The ATP is now the entry level license to fly for a scheduled air carrier. www.allatps.com
ATP entry level? Wow, really? When I looked at this myself, before realizing that I don't see well enough for even a 3rd class physical, I think an ATP needed 1,500 hours of flight time but the basic commercial license needed just 250 hours of flight time and you could be hired as a co-pilot. Big difference there in time and expense!
The new requirement for an ATP is a result of the Buffalo, NY commuter airline crash a couple years ago. Legislation was enacted to increase the training and entry requirements to "enhance safety" in the airline industry.
It took me a year and a half to earn my private pilot's license. That was taking one lesson a week. It's not a fast process and you really don't learn the necessary skills overnight. I was honored to have my flight test given by Evelyn Bryan Johnson, who is in the Guinness Book of World's Records for being the female pilot with the most number of flying hours in the world. She was in her early 90s when she tested me and was just as spry as she could be. She finally passed away at age 102. Evelyn Bryan Johnson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I live next to a general aviation airfield. There are several really nice aircraft hangered there designed for rental by flyers with a sport pilot licence. I understand that the sport pilot licence is the easiest licence to obtain and maintain (except no licence reqd for ultralights)
I spent three years jumping from airplanes in the army and when I got to university I wanted to try civilian skydiving. So I called my dad. Not for permission, for money. My dad didn't see the point but then added a bit flippantly, "why don't you just fly the d--- plane?" So I checked out the details and had a summer break coming up and figured I could get most of the lessons for the private pilot license done. So the next week I called my dad and laid it all out. To my surprise he said "well I said I would cover it so I will. Go ahead". My reply: "Great! because I already took the first lesson!" I no longer fly as it got quite expensive and going from university to grad school meant I wasn't taking in a lot of money, but I will always have the experience. I like to believe that if I were in a small plane I could still fly it and maybe even land without killing myself, at least in an emergency situation. I hope your memories and experiences are as positive as mine.