isell188

I am 42 yrs old, and i will be starting flying lessons to get my private pilot's license this spring. My goal really isn't to change careers, but to be able to fly without spending tons of money. I was wondering what my chances are, and the steps to take if i want to be able to fly and build up hours and experience without shelling out a lot of money. Are there part time flying jobs on the weekends where i can basically fly for free, I woudn't even need to be paid, i just want to be able to fly and learn.

thanks,

Cubdriver

You have a great orientation to it and sure, there are lots of ways to fly for free without going pro. Although I went pro last year after being laid off at my engineering job, I have not paid for anything since obtaining my CFI in the middle of 2008. Not an hour. I fly skydivers, teach a little bit, tow gliders, act as safety pilot, and give BFRs (biannual flight reviews) to keep in the air outside of my professional work.

1. Get your private certficate, you will have to pay for all of it.
2. Get your instrument rating. Pay for most of it, but split some of the training flight hours with another student.
3. Get your tailwheel rating. You may or may not have to pay for this.
4. Get your commercial certificate. You will have to pay for this.
5. Get your flight instructor certificate. This is the last thing you will likely have to pay fully to obtain. (Number 6 is optional.)
6. Get your flight instructor instrument add-on. You will have to pay again, but not a lot.

Then try and find jobs teaching part time, flying skydivers, towing banners, lots of things out there to do. None of them costs money, although none of them pays very much besides the free flight time.

isell188

Thanks for the response. I am also trying to get my PPL as quickly and cost effectivly as possible. I had asked a local FBO if it made sense to purchase a ground school course (on DVD or web based) to study for the written portion of the test, this way i could do that now while the weather is still bad, and then take the test, and hopefully pass, and then in the late spring or early summer start the flying portion. they said i should do both at the same time, and that i should have 20hrs into the flying portion before i take the written part.

Cubdriver

If you are asking do I concur with that, I do, but it is not a hard and fast rule. The reason they want you to mix the flight and self-study is simply that it will cost you less in terms of both flight time and ground based review if you do them concurrently. The principle is called "recency", and they know it is better to learn some facts and then apply them rather than separate the two parts of the learning process. Getting and using a self-study system is a good idea. But don't rush through it prior to doing any flying, because you are going to need to study as you go anyway for best results.

isell188

thanks for the advice. The FBO also has a few private pilot packages which include: 40 hours of flight time and 35 hours of dual instruction with a Certified Flight Instructor

They have a program in a Cirrus SR20 that is 7,000 and cheaper ones in a 172 but that is only about 1,000 cheaper. the person there said that if i planned on flying in the future a glass panel cirrus, then i should learn in one. i wasn't sure if i should learn "old school" in a 172 or a plane without a glass panel.

I am hoping to start in May taking 2 or 3 lessons a week, but i wasn't sure how long it would take. do you think i could finish by august?

Rama

Learn to fly the steam gauges. You can transition to glass later. Most GA planes are round dials. If you learn on glass it will be difficult to fly to the round dials in imc.
Don't worry about flying the Cirrus until you have more experience. A lot of people with more money than experience have bit themselves in that airplane.

Cubdriver

That sounds like a good price on the SR20, but I am with Rama on this one for a number of reasons besides the valid ones mentioned.

1. I see that way too much heads-down time happens with glass panel primary students.
2. Glass panel makes a lot of things too easy and makes you dependent on them. Private pilot is a thinking pilot, not a computer programmer. That can come later.
3. It is getting better and some instructors are better than others, but simulating equipment failures in a glass panel is harder to do well.
4. Glass panel systems are unfortunately still not perfect during upset maneuvers. They do a lot of strange things like "x" out and say things that are not true. Students are preoccupied with unusual attitudes as it is, they don't need failures on top of that.
5. Instructors tend to fool with them too much when they should be teaching.
6. Cross countries are far too easy with a moving map. I want to see real pilotage going on.


And so on. I love glass panel airplanes, but I am on the side that primary trainers still need to be "old school" until the private ticket is obtained.

isell188

thanks for the advice. As far as an online or DVD based ground school, would one be better over the other (sporty's or King)? I know Jeppesen also puts out a set of 3 DVD's that works in conjunction with their book.

I live outside Philadelphia, so if you know of any good flight schools, that would help also.

Cubdriver

Not to deflect a good question, but try the google search window at the upper left for the dvd topic. Thousand of questions have been addressed. Don't know about Philly...

rickair7777

You'll get some good advice here.

But regarding this comment, times are tough for professional pilots right now and you will not make any friends among professionals by offering to do commercial flying for free. This is one of the worst sins you can commit in aviation.

There are a variety of things you can do part-time or on weekends. Your prospects will be greatly enhanced once you accumulate 500-1000 hours total time. My suggestion would be to get IR, COMM, and CFI ratings, then work as a CFI. When you have some more time doors will open, just remember to network around your airfield.