WBBulldogs

More specifically San Diego vs Colorado Springs for flight training. About to move back to US after being deployed in Guam for a couple years and I'm wanting to start my PPL. I have a couple places that I can move to. My main question is the difference in the flight training due to the geographic location. Is one better over the other? I can get cheaper flight training in CO for sure but I know that's not the only thing I should look for.

I guess I just want to know any Cons or Pros of either place coming from more experienced pilots. Maybe you guys can give me some insight on what might be the better place to move?

threeighteen

Colorado will be a better place overall, you'll actually have to learn about runway performance and density altitude. Also generally cheaper to live and learn to fly.

The only con I can think of is that getting your instrument rating might be better to do in CA, since most of the actual IMC here comes hand in hand with icing.

rickair7777

CO will be cheaper.

SOCAL will offer a wide range of operating environments within ASEL range...coastal, mountain, desert, IMC. You can get high density alt in the desert or at Big Bear. The only thing you won't get much of is ice, but ASEL trainers can't fly in ice anyway.

The biggest factor favoring SOCAL is the high traffic density and ATC coordination required. If you are going to be a professional pilot, may as well jump right into the class B.

Also the cost advantage in CO will be offset by weather no-fly days, so your training might drag out longer. Springs is often turbulent as hell, I imagine that would be either no-fly for ASEL or sucky...hard to maintain PTS standards in a rotor cloud.

DALFA

You're probably going to save about 30-40% by training in Colorado. Plus if you move to Colorado Springs you're right in Class C airspace and just north you have Denver's class B airspace...so there is no real advantage about dealing with more traffic out in California. Traffic is good, but if there's too much right off the bat for you to understand what's going on then it can actually hinder your training.

If you end up in the Springs you can generally rent a plane for about $100 per hour (C172) and maybe $30-$35 for an instructor. Most places in California (unless you do it in the middle of nowhere) will cost you $120-$130 for the plane and $40+ for an instructor.

Also, up in the south Denver area you can rent a Piper for $83 or a 172 for $88 and pay an instructor $30-$35 per hour. Not sure if you are flexible on where you want to move to.

Overall Colorado is a really good place to train. You learn more and Denver gets 300+ days of sunshine per year. Don't let the "bad weather" myths out there scare you into doing training in California.

rickair7777

This is way off. I'm sure you can find places that charge that much in the bay area, or boutique schools but typical SOCAL prices are not that high.

My club, which is in the middle of a major metro area, charges $70-80 (wet) for a typical 172. Instructor rates vary, as low as $30 for freelance.


Sunshine is good. Windshear and turbulence not so much.


I've flown a lot in the DEN/COS area...the wx is usually annoying (one extreme or the other) to those of us flying airliners. It can't be that fun on many days in an ASEL.



Maybe it comes down to skiing vs surfing. Me, I could go either way on that but surfing's cheaper...