Obtaining a private pilot's license?

Question

I'm 17... I've always loved planes and flying but when I was 15 I became dead set on actually obtaining my private pilot's license. Well now, I'm finally starting to accumulate a bit of money and I'd like to get started with lessons this spring... so I have a lot of questions lol.

What questions should I ask when I visit flight schools? What should I look for when I'm there as far as signs of well maintained aircraft, good instructors, etc.

How much does it USUALLY wind up costing? How much did it cost for you? I know it can cost anywhere between 5K and 10K.. and that's a pretty big range right there. Are there any ways to reduce the price? Do aero clubs have good deals? I want the best education though, I don't want the 'become a pilot in a month' kind of school lol. Are there any jobs that I can do at the airport in exchange for free or reduced price lessons?

Do you have to do solo night flights?

Is it correct that you need 10 hours of solo flight?

At what point do you do your solo flight?

I've watched a lot of videos of people taking flight lessons. Some things seem pretty complicated. Of course I'm up for the challenge, I'm just wondering if it will all make a lot more sense when I'm actually doing it?

The radio communications... to an outsider it barely makes any sense... again, once I get there it will make more sense and it will be easy to do right?

I know that spin recovery training is only required when becoming a certified instructor.. but it must be useful to learn right? How dangerous is spin training and is it worth requesting it?

How long does it usually take to obtain your private pilot's license? Are once a week lessons good enough? I don't know if I could afford more than that, I'm paying for it myself.

Would it be recommended to have all the money before I start or just pay as I go???

I'm a girl.. will people still respect me and take me seriously or is there a lot of sexism involved with this sort of thing?

How many cross country flights are you required to do? How many of them are solo? I live relatively close to Logan airport in Boston.. though this is not where I would be taking lessons (I don't even know if they have a flight school there?) I'm probably looking at the East Coast Aero Club.. But for my cross country flights.. would Logan Airport ever be one of the stops or would I just be going to private airports? IF an international airport were one of the stops.. how does one deal with THAT much traffic? You can screw up in a car with few repercussions.. but everything with air travel is so perfectly timed..

I'm fascinated with aviation.. though I don't know if I want to go into it as a career (I may want to be an aerospace engineer... or an artist.. I know.. vastly different).. but this is an expensive hobby. Is there any way I could make money off of it somehow? Also.. when I think of an aviation career.. I think airline pilot.. though.. I know there are many other types of aviation jobs. Could someone possibly highlight those for me? Ones that hopefully pay well lol. I'd be interested in being a private jet pilot.. possibly... I don't really know about a freighter pilot though. For the record.. I am VERY interested in NASA and similar start up companies like SpaceX.. that's why I say aerospace engineering.. but are there any aviation jobs that those sorts of places have??

I would really appreciate any answers at all about this! Thank you!

Answer 1

(1) How to choose a flight school:

http://www.aopa.org/letsgoflying/ready/choose/howto.html

http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/training/pilot_schools/

http://www.flytheline.com/choosing_a_flight_school.html



(2) The minimum required flight time is what most flight schools base their course cost on. Under Part 141 training regulations this is 35 hours. Under Part 61 regulations it is 40 hours. Under either program, the national AVERAGE is 65 hours, therefore in big round numbers you should plan on spending about $10,000.



(3) Flight training requires a methodical step-by-step approach and you learn it a small bite at a time. You cannot be expected to make sense of it all after only a few lessons, but a patient instructor will explain how each small step fits into the bigger picture. To a beginner with no previous exposure to aviation, it IS overwhelming, but the average person can make sense of it with time, experience and proper training. Don't sweat it, you'll learn quicker than you think. Your questions indicate that you will probably do very well.



(4) There is no set time for a first solo. You solo when your instructor feels you are ready. 10-15 hours is average, but some students require more or less time.



(5) Solo night flight is not required for a PPL.



(6) One of the hardest things to master is radio communications, but the basics are easy to learn. All it requires is a lot of practice. There are many worthwhile guides and computer-based programs that are highly recommended and allow you to practice on your own.



(7) It's best to have most, if not all the money saved in advance. Any interruptions in training for financial reasons can cause you to back-slide and require more training, meaning it is more expensive. The best way to train is to fly as often as possible. 2-3 times a week is a good balance, but every day usually results in the fastest progress and least expenditure of money.



(8) At the rate of a one-hour lesson per week, expect it to take about a year. If you fly every day, 1 month is easily achievable if you're reasonably sharp. 3 times a week, maybe 3-4 months. It depends on the student, the instructor, the weather and the availability of the aircraft.



(9) Sexism isn't dead, but it is nothing at all like it used to be. If you get a bad attitude from an instructor, which is rare - switch instructors. If you get a bad attitude from fellow students, simply ignore them.



(10) Spin training is worthwhile and it is not dangerous. However, many flight schools won't teach it and these days most instructors never teach enough of it to be really proficient at it themselves. I would recommend taking an "upset recovery" course wherever it is offered, even if that is after receiving your PPL.



(11) You are required to do at least 1 solo cross-country flights. The regulations for Part 161 certification are as follows:



* For a Single Engine Airplane Rating, you must log at least 40 hours which consists of at least-



A. Dual: 20 hours of flight training with an instructor on the Private Pilot areas of operation that includes:



a. 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a single engine airplane;



b. 3 hours of night flight training in a single engine airplane, that includes at least-



c. 1 cross-country flight of over 100 nm. total distance;



d. 10 takeoffs and 10 landings with each involving a flight in the traffic pattern.



e. 3 hours of flight training by reference to instruments in a single engine airplane



f. 3 hours of flight training in a single engine airplane within the preceding 60 days prior to the practical test.



B. Solo: 10 hours of solo flying in a single engine airplane on the Private Pilot areas of operation, that includes:



a. 5 hours of solo cross-country flying;



b. 1 solo cross-country flight of at least 150 nm. total distance with 3 points and one segment of at least 50 nm. between takeoff and landings; and



c. 3 takeoffs and landings at a controlled airport.



(12) As a student pilot you cannot land at the primary airport in Class B airspace. In plain English, that means you cannot land at Logan airport (or any major airport) unless an instructor is with you. It is unlikely the instructor would ever take you there until you are in commercial pilot training. You should be proficient enough at communication to do so, however.



(13) There are many different flying careers besides airline flying. However, if you wish to shoot for the likes of NASA, you'll require a post-graduate degree in engineering or another hard science, and flight time as a military pilot in supersonic aircraft. That's like shooting for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team - the competition is incredible fierce.

Answer 2

Flight training consists of approxamatly 40 hours. Tewnty dual with the instructor and twenty solo. When you are ready to solo depends on your instructor. Unless money is not an issue, you should stick to training in the least expensive rental. This will usually be a trycicle gear two seater. The aircraft of the type you listed is a very expensive style "Glassair". You would be looking at a piper cherokee to even get close to it when training. More than likely it would be a high wing Cessna 152/172 or a high wing high "t" tail Piper tomahawk. If you start your flight, choose one aircraft and stick with it until you get your Private pilots license. Swithching off airplanes is dangerous and dumb. You need first to get your flight medical card before you can even take "ground school", Then it's a matter of money and time in the aircraft with the instructor. You can check around at different airports to see what they have available for instructors and aircraft. Your being a girl has nothing to do with anything related to flight. There is only knowledge to be gained from flight training. If you are serious about flight training, I would suggest that you go to a flight school. This gets you enough training and time in an aircraft to get you started in a commercial position with a smaller airline flying smaller planes. if you just want to get your privat pilots license, I would go to get your training in some place that is far less congested than the around the large cities airports on the east coast. This would make it far less difficult. The nasa plane you have listed is closest to a Cirrus or Glassair. A Piper Warrior is a low wing plane, but is made of aluminum, not composites. Your best bet on being an aerospace engineer is to go to MIT if your grades are good enough and since you are close to there. The jobs are there once you have the degree. Actually engineers are a high demand profession. You can get an engineering degree at most colleges, but choosing one like the School of mines and technology in Rapid City, South Dakota may be far cheaper than MIT but is not as prestigious. In the end you have to decide what you exactly want to do with your life. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Answer 3

one question at a time please.



a few notes:



the very best thing to do is visit these folks and go for a flight. they can provide far better answers than this ridiculous forum can.



you don't do anything (including solo flight and big airports) until you're ready to. you do everything dual (including cross-country flights) before you do it solo.



they'll steer you to planes at the top of the list: tomahawk, 172, etc. while you're learning to fly you don't want to add difficulty by changing airplane types. pick one and stick to it. the vast majority of my flight time is in piper cherokee 140 with a few hours in cessna 152, plus an hour each in cessna 172sp, cessna 180 and piper seneca.



you pay as you go.



your gender is irrelevant. so drop that now, please.