Learn to Fly

[Classic Finn]

My son age 15 has his heart set on becoming a professional pilot.. I talked to his school teachers today and that is his goal..

They have vocational interest tests and that is what his interests are ..just recently the school here has a program for 2 week job orientation and I got him a place at one of our small municipal Airports ... he,ll be graded on this assignment also... small jobs of cleaning and washing and whatever small things... but its a start..

Now Id like to ask the pilots here as to how this schooling starts taking place... what requirements are there and what steps he must take to go all the way up to Captain?

What can I tell him?... Ok its costly as can be what else? Ground School? Private Pilot and how many hours of all till he gets to his Dream?

Age 16 he can attend ground school... with parents concent.. Doctors physical is very good with him and his English is very good at age 15 already...

I know our own Airlines train all their own pilots..

Classic Finn

[taylorcraft078]

My son age 15 has his heart set on becoming a professional pilot.. I talked to his school teachers today and that is his goal..

They have vocational interest tests and that is what his interests are ..just recently the school here has a program for 2 week job orientation and I got him a place at one of our small municipal Airports ... he,ll be graded on this assignment also... small jobs of cleaning and washing and whatever small things... but its a start..

Now Id like to ask the pilots here as to how this schooling starts taking place... what requirements are there and what steps he must take to go all the way up to Captain?

What can I tell him?... Ok its costly as can be what else? Ground School? Private Pilot and how many hours of all till he gets to his Dream?

Age 16 he can attend ground school... with parents concent.. Doctors physical is very good with him and his English is very good at age 15 already...

I know our own Airlines train all their own pilots..

Classic Finn

He can actually start taking lessons at any time and logging the hours. I never did take ground school, I just read Rod Machados book, http://www.amazon.com/Rod-Machados-Priv ... 680&sr=8-2 got a signoff from my CFI to take the test and took it. As for costs figure that he is going to have 40+ hours of dual and a total of about 60 when he does his check ride. Last hour of dual I did was about $100 in a really ratty Cessna 150 at a rural airport. My plane has been torn apart for new fabric for way too long. No idea why I am looking at another project like building a trailer. Figure a few hundred more for study guides and test fees. That will get him to the point of a PP single engine land. The number that I have seen for the instrument rating is to double that. What I fly doesn't have an IFR panel. Actually it doesn't even have an electrical system or a radio....

More money for other signoffs - I think that tailwheel is a good one if you can find an instructor and a plane. I haven't looked up the commercial ticket requirements but it seems like it is something like 1000 hours. Most get it by either military time or by doing the flight instructor thing. He could also go for a glider ticket for less and solo at 14.

Best of luck to him. It is a hard way to make a living but if you love to fly then you have to fly. Over the years I have found that it is better to do a job you like than to go for a better paying job that you hate.

Dave
My ride is N36078 - 1941 Taylorcraft BC-12

[Classic Finn]

My son age 15 has his heart set on becoming a professional pilot.. I talked to his school teachers today and that is his goal..

They have vocational interest tests and that is what his interests are ..just recently the school here has a program for 2 week job orientation and I got him a place at one of our small municipal Airports ... he,ll be graded on this assignment also... small jobs of cleaning and washing and whatever small things... but its a start..

Now Id like to ask the pilots here as to how this schooling starts taking place... what requirements are there and what steps he must take to go all the way up to Captain?

What can I tell him?... Ok its costly as can be what else? Ground School? Private Pilot and how many hours of all till he gets to his Dream?

Age 16 he can attend ground school... with parents concent.. Doctors physical is very good with him and his English is very good at age 15 already...

I know our own Airlines train all their own pilots..

Classic Finn

He can actually start taking lessons at any time and logging the hours. I never did take ground school, I just read Rod Machados book, http://www.amazon.com/Rod-Machados-Priv ... 680&sr=8-2 got a signoff from my CFI to take the test and took it. As for costs figure that he is going to have 40+ hours of dual and a total of about 60 when he does his check ride. Last hour of dual I did was about $100 in a really ratty Cessna 150 at a rural airport. My plane has been torn apart for new fabric for way too long. No idea why I am looking at another project like building a trailer. Figure a few hundred more for study guides and test fees. That will get him to the point of a PP single engine land. The number that I have seen for the instrument rating is to double that. What I fly doesn't have an IFR panel. Actually it doesn't even have an electrical system or a radio....

More money for other signoffs - I think that tailwheel is a good one if you can find an instructor and a plane. I haven't looked up the commercial ticket requirements but it seems like it is something like 1000 hours. Most get it by either military time or by doing the flight instructor thing. He could also go for a glider ticket for less and solo at 14.

Best of luck to him. It is a hard way to make a living but if you love to fly then you have to fly. Over the years I have found that it is better to do a job you like than to go for a better paying job that you hate.

Dave
My ride is N36078 - 1941 Taylorcraft BC-12

Hi Dave and its nice to hear from you...He has to serve military by the time he,s 18 so I instructed him to go to our Airforce Training Program that certainly will assist in his future as a pilot..

He sure does love to travel and his love is for planes... I guess he takes after his father in some way ... even though I work onboard ships.

He is very good in Geography as well..He is learning all the Airport Codes Domestically and Internationally also.. at present..

Classic Finn

[taylorcraft078]

Finn,

I didn't even look at where you live. Typical American - everybody lives here. The hours and costs that I gave are for the US. From what I understand of the rest of the world multiply the costs by some number greater than 2. A lot of the world actually comes here to get flight training because of the cost.

Best of luck to him. Let him know that the military isn't such a bad choice for a lot of people. Ours is volunteer and I consider that 3 year tour to be one of the smarter things that I have done.

Dave

[AlaskaJack]

Guess I'll chime in here..... Have been flying (not lately) here in Alaska since '66. The original plan was to learn enough to be "safe" and get my own little puddle jumper..... Well... I ended up (starting in '67) flying commercially and have racked up somewhere around 14,000 +/- hours flying up here.... everything from Supercubs to DeHavilland Twin Otters.... Floats, wheels and skis. What a wonderful experience it has been! Ended up with my own little airline... 7 Cessna 207's, one Cessna 206 and two Cessna 172's. Sold everything back in '02 and am now into teardrops and just general BS! My hat is off to those of you learning to fly! .... there is nothing quite like it! Just always pay attention to DETAILS and if it "don't feel right.... don't do it!"

[asianflava]

My best advice is for him to join the military. That is the fastest and cheapest way to gain turbine hours, have the government pay for his training. My roomate in college was an Air Science student (pilot) it took many hours and a couple internships before getting hired on, it took several years afterwards until he got his Captain's stripes.

At our school, they wanted you to go thru their program from start to finish. Even if you had your ticket and ratings, they wanted you to learn it their way. We knew of one guy who had more multi hours than his instructor.

[Classic Finn]

My best advice is for him to join the military. That is the fastest and cheapest way to gain turbine hours, have the government pay for his training. My roomate in college was an Air Science student (pilot) it took many hours and a couple internships before getting hired on, it took several years afterwards until he got his Captain's stripes.

At our school, they wanted you to go thru their program from start to finish. Even if you had your ticket and ratings, they wanted you to learn it their way. We knew of one guy who had more multi hours than his instructor.

Asianflava He has to go to the Military here in any case as its mandatory but I suggested that he go Air Force since they do teach flying the equipment there..

Weve also heard that they teach International Flyers in Florida was it or California cant remember which.....

But we hope he sticks with his plans and dreams as he is an ambitious young man and good in school so if thats what he wants to do we are behind him in this..

I was teasing him that maybe he,ll fall in love and such and find a girl of his dreams so that might put his mind elsewhere but he stated that he wants his life in order 1st...But ok...

He may even come and tell you in oerson on the forum here about it yet.

Regards
Classic Finn

[asianflava]

We had many international students at school. We had a couple guys from Holland which made me wonder if all the Dutch were weird. Had a couple guys from Iceland, Saudi, Australia, etc. I went to the FL campus.

[Roly Nelson]

Heikki, as a pilot, I can agree with your son about the love of flying. I suggest that you have him go over to an airport and have him go for an introductory flight. They will let him take over the controls so he can see how responsive they are and see if he really likes it. Some of the first timers I have taken up, actually threw up all over my neck. I never do any violent movements, just slow and easy, but the puke came out anyway. I also get air-sick if I do too many stalls or am under the hood for any length of time, practicing with instruments only, (with an instructor aboard, of course).

You sure are a neat Dad, if you are willing to shell out the bucks for his flight traininrg. I had to trade carpentry work with my instructor to pay for mine. I still love to fly, always have, but it's just too expensive nowadays. Remember that his first solo flight is the second most exciting thing that he will ever do.

Roly, always straight and level but rarely low and slow.

[SkipperSue]

I took lessons years ago. Got to solo the Cessna 150 and quit a little after that. Got about 23 hours logged. One day I would like to get back at it.