deftone

I agree, its not a route I would take myself, just putting it out there.

evamodel00

Again, thanks for the responses guys. My goal is to get my CPL in the long run. What makes me nervous is losing time. I don't want to look back years from now wishing I had done more to pursue my goals.

Anyways, saving it is .

Tweetdrvr

My credit union will let me borrow against a CD on deposit for 1% over the interest rate. I have borrowed money from myself a few times. Save your cash, then put into a CD, then borrow against the CD. At end of the loan, I still have the CD, the paltry interest the bank gave me at today's interest rates. The only caveat is don't pay it off early because of front loaded interest. I have bought a car this way and so did my mother. No credit check, no questionnaires, and the car has a clean title from the date of purchase.

MarioG1

Check out the civil air patrol, jump through a few hoops for the first couple months, then use a fully IFR certified 172 for about $60 an hour, CAP instructors $0. At the least split time with another member to get your 50 x-country.

evamodel00

Do you think I'd be able to fly for the CAP? I'd love to get into helping my community out with aviation...

Yoda2

I was young and had no job and no money, yet I was determined to learn to fly, and receive my certificate. I "killed two birds with one stone" by finding employment at a flight school. After receiving my private certificate, I added up all the receipts. The grand total was less than $500. Actually that is not entirely true; the examiner was an additional $75...

Flyhayes

Those must be 1971 dollars.... around here an examiner will set you back $450.

Std Deviation

This can be accomplished DURING your instrument training. I've saved many a student money doing it this way. You're logging PIC and dual and that meets the requirement. Even doing air work a savvy CFII will get you to an airport that meets the XC definition. Once you can shoot approaches I'm nearly always going to require you to file and fly an approach at an airport that meets the XC requirement (a landing is not required). That's real world IFR training - not shooting the same VOR approach 7 times at the home airport. I want to know that you can interpret and fly any approach, not memorize one.

Get a few lessons under your belt and then go practice (hold for example) with an instrument rated safety pilot. You don't have to spend the entire time with a CFII.

Skip the G1000 and all the bells and whistles. Go find a six pack 172. Maybe join a flying club. If you work hard at it (and employ some of the simulator tips suggested here) It's possible to be around that (likely more but pretty close). As for the loan, that's another argument and a personal decision.

N9373M

May as well get the the COMM X-Cty requirements at the same time too. IIRC, 250 nm from origin with 3 landings(?) This long flight develops the instrument scan and single pilot cockpit management (charts, etc).

evamodel00

Thanks again for the advice guys. I actually just joined the Civil Air Patrol, a squad in Albany with 15 or so pilots. I was hooked after the first meeting. It seems like a great volunteer opportunity and the work you do once you are a pilot for them is pretty much exactly what I want to do. I will have basic EMS training among some other things but there are a few CFIs within the program who I am going to try and get with. The minimums to fly practically for the CAP is the same as a commercial rating hours I believe, but I believe you can still fly with CFIs in their aircraft at a good dry rate. Plus, since they fly 182s I can supplement my complex rating I just got with a HP rating right? =D.

I was more or less just really frustrated with the road block I hear most people hit. They spend the money getting their PPL and then never do anything with it (I haven't even flown the traffic pattern in 2 weeks because I've been saving for my instrument/CPL book kit , the only 172 around here is expensive, $150/hr wet, damn engine upgrade). I don't want to end up like that, I want to keep going. So I started a new fantasy account and put $100.00 each week into it. Hopefully that may suffice.