Private Pilot License--Need Input fron GS

[mjhaverkamp]

I live in Southlake, where is the very best place near here to take lessons ? Who would you recommend as an instructor ? If I do it I want to be trained by the best, thanks for any advice.

[Jmh05]

My first lesson, I thought I'd never be a pilot. After a few hours, I realized that you could teach a monkey how to fly.

[Mojo68]

Get a couple of guys to go in with you and buy a c152 with mid time engine on it. Hire a good instructor and all of you get your ticket. Build hours and then sell it. With 3 guys in the plane, you share hangar rent, insurance, maintance, and any upgrades you want to make. The price of planes has come down in the last few years but have pretty well leveled off.

[JustinJ]

Took me around 60 hours and over a year to get my ppl. But that was with three different instructors (airline hires) and during college. This includes redbird sim time. I flew out of Lubbock and a Cherokee was around 120 bucks wet in block time. Now I fly out of monarch in McKinney. Brand new 172s for 160 an hour. Daily minimums are 2 hours on weekdays and 3 hrs on weekends if you keep it overnight. So if you left Friday and came back Sunday you would be charged for at least 8 hours.

[Yakfishin]

If anybody in the Houston area wanting to try a red bird sim I can get it pretty cheap

[flywise]

Lots of fun " learn to fly " videos on you tube
Also, if a person is thinking about learning to fly at some point it is a good idea to buy a training series of DVD's. I believe most will have real questions from the written test you will eventually take before you can solo. The questions seem hard at first but with a good DVD set they become easy as pie.
I believe I used private pilot from ASA but King Schools has great learning packages for all levels.

[flywise]

http://www.asa2fly.com

[deer farmer]

I got my PPL in about 18 hrs. I bought a single high performance/complex airplane and then flew 7 islands in the Bahamas. I also flew to N Ark to fish the White River Flying is great but not cheap. Partnership in airplanes can cost u a lot of $ when someone screws up and damages the engine or plane. So no Partners I do not fly alone anymore due to medical(u will understand while getting your lic) But I do fly with other pilots. And I sold the plane. So if u want to fly then go for it but understand one thing, Flying is not cheap but it is Great

[Wits_End]

Cheapest way to get it is to have all the money upfront and fly as much as you can as fast as you can. The motions and communication will become instinct much faster.

Fly 2-3 times/week - hour or so each flight,with cross countries longer
You will have to read and study about 2 hours for every hour you fly.

At this rate, it should take you about 2 months to get the license and cost you about $5K.

Its a great license to have, but unless its your only hobby or you have an unlimited budget, it quickly gets dropped. It's expensive to fly, those $100 hamburgers add up. Also, if you are renting the plane, its tought to find a place that will let you have it for a full weekend to go on any vacations.

Lastly, try to find an older, experienced pilot that just enjoys going up. He will likely train you for free and might have connections to get you free hours.

[Caprock]

I learned how to fly off a dirt road between a pasture and a cotton patch. I was flying way before I ever took a lesson, so my cost's won't be accurate for you. The flying part is the easy part, it is all the regulations that take forever to learn. I agree with the post's above that say don't stop until you have finished your instrument rating. I have used mine way more than I ever thought I would.

[lawdawg]

Took me 45 hrs. I bought my own airplane after I soloed with the flight schools. It was a Cherokee 180 and it was the best thing I could've done while earning my certificate. Sure I had to pay for fuel and insurance but I finished in less than a year. Our rental planes were 140 hr wet. 180/hr With the instructor. My plane payment was $250 a month. Insurance as a student was $1200 a year. When I finished and obtained my private pilot certificate the insurance dropped to $800/yr. After I built around 100 hrs in the bird it dropped to 600 a year. Hangar rent was around 125-150 a month. All that seems like a high cost but insted of renting and giving your money to an flight school, I owed my own plane and flew as much as I wanted to. Once you get the taste of flight you will hate driving anywhere. Good luck.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

1. Back in the day I paid about $70+ and hour. Traumahawks, 172's, Cardinal RG, and a Grob.
2. 15 to solo and around 50 to finish
3. Sporadic.
4. Paid block time
5. Over a year.
6. Have not flown is many years. Really enjoyed it when I had the time.


I say go for it!