Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: midnight Target on February 28, 2004, 02:15:29 PM
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Always wanted to learn, was wondering how you get started. Are ultra-lights a less expensive alternative? How much does it cost?
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Easy to get started, just go to your local airport and check out the flight schools, and take an inductory ride. Getting a good instructor or one that your happy flying with might be a little more difficult, but shouldn't be to tough.
I'm guessing it's about $5k or so these days to get your ppl???
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Funny you should mention it: I just got back from Quonset Airport, did this program where they get people interested in flying. I went up with a guy and he let me fly around for about a half hour (no liscense required). He gave me pointers on how to get my civilian's recreation liscense.
I believe it'll run you about $4000 to get your rec. liscense, and more to get higher liscenses.
He was a 1/10th owner of a light aircraft. He paid $4000 to get in on the share, and now pays $100 a month for 2 hours of time, which is acquirable. He can also buy by the hours at $40 each. It was very cool, and I'm giving serious thought to going for my rec. liscense.
Good luck!
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Don't spend your time on Ultra-Lights. Once you gain the skill and knowledge required for an actual rating you can 'step down' to them if you want, but they're a VERY dangerous place to start and nothing you learn from them is going to help you move up.
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MT - http://www.beapilot.com will answer a lot of questions for you. Cost wise, figure between 5k and 8k depending on what type of plane you're in and how often you fly.
More often is better as you will have a higher level of retention between flights.
Originally posted by hawker238
I'm giving serious thought to going for my rec. liscense.
Hawk, why rec instead of private?
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http://www.learntofly.com/
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If you can find it I recommend "Flying Airplanes: The first hundred hours" by Peter Garrison. I can't recommend it enough for someone just starting out.
The most important thing is to find an instructor you can click with. So don't stick with just one if they turn out to be an ultra melon.
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Originally posted by Otto
Don't spend your time on Ultra-Lights. Once you gain the skill and knowledge required for an actual rating you can 'step down' to them if you want, but they're a VERY dangerous place to start and nothing you learn from them is going to help you move up.
Disagree. I have flown both, Ultralights are way easier and faster to learn in, and if you respect their limitations (mainly wind) they are as safe as anything in the air.
Given the choice between the two, I would fly ultralights any day, but then, I wouldn't be trying to cross-country one either. Ultralights are like taking your motocross bike out for the day.
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Jig: I meant private, not sure why I kept saying rec.
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$5000-$7000 here (Boeing Flight club) by the time you do your solo (on avg.)
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Originally posted by Kieran
Disagree. I have flown both, Ultralights are way easier and faster to learn in, and if you respect their limitations (mainly wind) they are as safe as anything in the air.
Kieran,
You are so right. 'Wind' is the issue with UL's. I'm not trying to say that they are unsafe by design. But, too many people involved with UL's don't get the training they need to understand this and ignore the limitations it imposes. The consequents are usually tragic.
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this summer the FAA is coming out with a new "sport plane" license, you need your auto drivers lic and about 20 hrs, you will be restricted to flying a "sport" plane (not sure of all the specs but 2 pass, low weight, 130 max mph top speed, limited range, etc)
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I am due to go solo for my ppl on Monday. I spent 5000 on account and still have some cash left. It cost about 200 an hour for the instructor and plane once you figure in the briefing time and rounding up times for the plane.
I have 20 hours. In Canada it will take me another 20 hours minimum to get my full licence. But I will be able to do many of them without the instructor so it is only 115 an hour then.
I train in a Cessna 172 which is more expensive than if you can train in a Cessna 150.
Don't forget ground school and supplies will cost you 3 or 4 hundred as well.
I fly an ultralight and it definetly helped me. But mine is a trike and they are about as different from a 3 axis plane as you can get. If I was flying a stick and rudder ultralight then I am sure you would have no problem moving up to a Cessna after.
So figure 8 - 10 thousand for the full license when all is said and done. If you can fly daily you could probably learn faster but you still need at least 15 hour before you solo so the cost does not drop as much as you would think.
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Go hang out at the airport you would like to fly from. Start spreading the word you want to learn to fly with everyone you come in contact with at the airport, except the flight school. Tell them you are looking for an instructor who would possibly have his own plane, and loves to instruct. Everyone will point you to someone they know who does this. I did this, and not only found a great instructor, but the guy had 2 planes, a 150 aerobat for teaching, and a 177 for his advanced students, and he rented them at a fair price WET. Great time, and it was not as expensive as the flight school. In fact it was about half the cost. Plus, when the instructor is going somewhere, and you are his student, he might ask you to go along for company. You learn a lot really fast if you're always in an airplane. Good luck. :)
Thorns
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A sailplane certificate is another possible option if not the better of the two. Its cheaper, takes about 10 hours of solo time off your powered plane certificate, you'll develop better approaches for landing, and you wont freak out to bad when your engine decides to fail and you have to dead stick in some field.
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Originally posted by Otto
Kieran,
You are so right. 'Wind' is the issue with UL's. I'm not trying to say that they are unsafe by design. But, too many people involved with UL's don't get the training they need to understand this and ignore the limitations it imposes. The consequents are usually tragic.
Agreed. Anything in the air will kill you quick if you disrespect for even a second.
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Originally posted by Wolf14
A sailplane certificate is another possible option if not the better of the two. Its cheaper, takes about 10 hours of solo time off your powered plane certificate, you'll develop better approaches for landing, and you wont freak out to bad when your engine decides to fail and you have to dead stick in some field.
Unless the FAA has changed something recently in the FARs, getting a PPL-G doesn't reduce any time for getting a power rating. It does give you the skill to fly prior to taking that 1st power lesson, but you have all the same requirements as someone walking in off the street. In Europe (and maybe in Canada) glider time does count towards a power rating.
Now, someone with a power rating can transition to add the glider rating very easily. Transition takes only 3 hrs, 3 dual flights and 10 solo flights to take a check ride. BTW, for those with a PPL already, adding the glider rating can take the place of a bi-annual review just like adding any rating.
Personally, I think the FAA is behind the times for the way they refuse to allow glider time to count towards a power rating...but they are unlikely to ever change.
I started out in glider simply from a cost concern. I would guess that today it would take about $1500-$2000 total to get a certificate. Since I fly for fun and not transportation, soaring is the most economical way to have fun in a plane. With my local club, a tow to 2k is $20. I have my own ship, so I rarely take a club ship, but the cost of a club ship is $7/hr. Note that clubs vary from place to place, and there are some commercial glider ops that are very expensive. You will get the best deal from a private club where you join with a initial membership fee and pay monthly dues (ours are $30/mo)
Usually, the only limiting factor for me staying up is my bladder and butt (glider seats are not very comfortable)...my longest flight to date has been 3hrs, but most are in the 1hr range. Obviously, the longer you stay up, the cheaper the total hourly cost since the tow is a fixed cost.
To me soaring adds skills to flying that most power pilots don't regularly consider...staying in the air using nature alone, dead stick every landing, and flying in tight formation behind another aircraft.
Look at http://www.ssa.org for the link to "Where to Fly" to find a glider operation near you.
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Wow this is some great info i have been snooping lately for an instructor, when i move to Vermont i will seriously try to get my PPL. I just didnt realize it was so costly to fly. My grandfather was a pilot and tought my mom how to fly and my dad was in the airforce so i guess i have the flying bug. :)
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Here's a few research sites for finding an instructor...
General info
http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/
Instructor database
http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/startfly/
General airport info (FBOs and such)
http://www.airnav.com
Let me know if I can help answer an questions for you.
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wow these links really simplified the insturctor search thanks a bundle!