Posted on 04/06/2010 8:04:14 AM PDT by Dan Nunn
I'm considering taking up recreational flying. I've done it before - about 4 years ago, I took a couple hours' worth of training before the snow fell, but at the time, I was working a traveling job where I could only take lessons on weekends, and winter approached.
I believe there are many pilots here on FR, both commercial and recreational. What experiences did you have in becoming what you are today? Was it harder than you expected? Did it take longer than you expected? Did it cost more than you wished it did, or was it affordable?
What do you use your license for? Most recreational pilots I know just fly around. Sure, that's fun, but it's like only getting a driver's license for a Sunday drive. I'd like to use the license to go on weekend getaways that would normally be out of reach for a car. What kind of costs or pitfalls would you incur by doing this?
So many questions, but my biggest: Are you glad you did?
The reason for “pilot error” he says, is inexperience and poor decisions.
Makes perfect sense. I appreciate your input!
Yep, and you can save money by taking the bus everywhere, too, instead of driving your own car or motorcycle.
I've been flying since 1974, and there's not a day in my life that I regret learning this skill. And it has nothing to do with just flying around on weekends, or pursuing a flying career.
Learning to fly is a life changing experience. It changes your perspective on the world, teaches self-discipline, makes you appreciate the laws of physics and the way the world works. But most of all, it helps you avoid getting trapped in a defeatist mindset engineered by those who aspire to be our masters.
Looking at the world from an altitude of a few thousand feet is an intimate experience. The rivers, towns, lakes, hills, mountains, and fields are just where you left them the last time you flew. You begin to realize that most of the issues that vex you are manmade, and nothing restores balance and sanity like leaving them below while you recharge your spirit.
And having personal, on-demand, aerial mobility is downright liberating. You can taste this rare freedom while being in absolute control of your immediate destiny. There's not much else in life that compares with this exercise in mixing freedom with personal responsibility, and I'm convinced it makes for the best kind of responsible people.
Of course, there are those who are either jealous of this freedom or think that flight should be the sole province of the elite. To them I say come taste it yourself. Take a few introductory flights for a couple hundred bucks and try it on and see how it fits. If you're not addicted by the end of the second or third lesson, then maybe it's not for you.
Sure, you can think about an aviation career or a way to get from A to B faster, but to me, these are distractions from the true value of being an aviator.
I am licensed but have not flown in years. First I had time but no money, then money but no time, then enough time and money but two kids and a wife depending on me to be there for them.
Possibly I will take it up again when my kids are self-sufficient. If so I will certainly get instrument rated. It is really magical to be able to beat the airline timetables when traveling to out-of-the-way places within a thousand miles or so.
I would also rather have a shared piece of a really capable plane, especially a turboprop, than own my own lesser aircraft outright.
Aviation ping.
I do not maintain this list. I copied it from Aeronaut’s profile page.
I’m taking the King Schools online ground school right now. I also accumulated some hours (30) several years ago, so I hope the time and cost for me to finish isn’t as great as a started student.
An angle I would have never even thought of. Thanks for your insight - aviation is truly a modern miracle.
ping
Actually, your license never lapses but your medical does. Depending on your age and license type, it has to be renewed every 6 months to 3 years unless you get the sport pilot type.
Some of the downsides of a sport pilot is you can only carry one passenger, cannot fly at night, and are limited to how far you can fly from the departure airport.
I definitley recommend at least becoming a private pilot. It took me about 3 months to obtain. I tried to fly 2-3 times per week during training.
All in all, I say go for it if you have the $$$
I could not agree more....but it ain’t cheap!!!
Thanks for the flight. I really enjoyed it.
I hate to break it to you, but 1 + 1 don't always equal 2. You may be looking for a four seater before too long!
Enjoy your flying. If you own your own airplane and can justify any business use, you can compete on short runs with commercial fares. You can't beat the convenience of scheduling your own departure and return plus you don't have to mess with the check-in hassle. Be careful though, claiming a private aircraft for business use is a red flag for the IRS.
You are very true - it wouldn’t be too long before the 2 seater would be insufficient (though do they sell baby seats for cockpits?) Though from some of the comments, I gleam that the Sport type of license could be upgraded after enough experience to carry more passengers...?
Great points about the IRS red flag. I’d have had no idea, but I hope my accountant would.
If you are not logging at least 5 take-offs and landings a month (each one on different days) you are an accident waiting to happen.
Also, I politely take exception with an above comment that one needs to fly daily to stay current. It's quite possible to maintain currency flying less frequently (I fly every month or so, on average.)
How to determine whether it's for you? Hmm, do you instinctively crane your neck to see each and every silver bird that flies overhead?
Do you always try to wangle a window seat when you fly commercial?
Will you watch a truly awful movie if it has airplanes?
Why not take the flight instruction up past a few solos? If you find yourself mentally "in the clouds" in between the flights, it could easily be for you.
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Private pilot ping! :)
Yep, and it's getting more expensive and complicated every day.
But it's STILL cheaper than therapy! ;-)
I enjoy Microsoft Flight Simulator X. For a tiny fraction of the cost, you can fly different airplanes, different places, in any kind of weather, day or night, winter or summer. Program your own weather, realism, failures, fly on zero avgas for as long as you want. Free tutorials, no cost crashes. Way better for the money than ‘real’ flying, from a retired pilot.
Do you always try to wangle a window seat when you fly commercial?
Will you watch a truly awful movie if it has airplanes?
Yes, yes and yes! I'm always trying to identify landmarks when I fly, I even try my darndest to get a GPS lock on my Blackberry in the sky when I'm flying commercial, so I can open up Google Maps and see where I am (using the cached map).
My favorite part of jetBlue is their TV channel that shows the plane's position.
I like the way you think. This could be a lot of fun!
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