Originally Posted by
Kameman
I think I've decided on holding off on looking much deeper into going "career" with flying until I've taking the first actual steps of getting my PPL.
I keep reading around the forum that people are getting their PPLs for on average $10k. I think that if I can get it for about that price (preferably cheaper) I may just go ahead with it.
How does it work with getting instruction from a flight club rather than a flight school? I went to Plus One and Golden Wings (San Diego, CA) and all they had was a list of instructors. What about the groundwork, etc that I was told at the flight school i visited?
I've been browsing through pages of threads and havent been able to find out how flight clubs really work =P. I also put in a request for more info from them, but they havent gotten back to me yet...!
Flight clubs are a more dynamic and less structured environment. You will have to arrange your own ground training. For ground training you have three options:
1) Try to do it with your instructor or possibly another instructor who has the time. This can be tough with freelance instructors because they tend to be busy and often are not accustomed to doing a structured ground program.
2) Find a formal ground course...one of the local community colleges used to do that, the one in kearny mesa I think.
3) Use a self-study course with a workbook. You can buy these at any pilot shop, and they are legal to satisfy the requirement. You would want to make sure your instructor is OK with that, and he will probably want to see the workbook completed. This is a good option if you are an engineer, or technically oriented and have good study habits. Your CFI will review things with you and fill in any gaps.
In addition to ground training that is intended to enhance your knowledge, you will have to take an FAA written test...you will need to prep for this seperately, either with a weekend "cram course" or self-study with a book containing the exam questions.
Plus One is good in that it has 100+ airplanes, so you can pretty much always find a 152 or 172, even if yours breaks at the last minute. There are also a lot of instructors...you would need to exercise some care iin picking one I have a friend who still teaches there, he doesn't do privates any more, but I'll ask him for a couple of names.
Also AFAC is there at Gibbs...it's a small former military flight club that spun off on it's own. The members are all active or ex- military or government types, so the airplanes are treated with respect and maintained well. Also they tend to be on time returning airplanes, or communicate if there's a delay. Last I heard, ANYBODY could join the club as a student pilot...they feel that if they can teach you the right way from day one, that you will fit in with them. They have only high-wing cessnas, and good rates.
I actually have a young relative who wants to start training also...it's possible that I might end up doing groundschool for him. What would your timeline be?