“I thought your platform would help me figure out how introduce the following idea to my husband,” began the email that appeared in my email box on April 15.
“I’m just beginning in my quest to find flying lessons to give to him as a gift. He’s a semi-retired software engineer (I’ve got to tell you, the guy’s brilliant). He loves airplanes and helicopters, has sat in as a guest in a few co-pilot’s seats, has taken a few helicopter flights, and has done some hang-gliding. I know that learning to fly would enhance his/our retirement, and perhaps even lead to a new career for him.
“So … I’d like him to get a few flight lessons (he took one or two a few years back). What should I look/ask for? Does anyone offer, say, four introductory lessons? Must he learn to fly a plane before he learns to fly a chopper? We live in Providence, R.I., and are near several small airports. Springtime’s-a-comin’! How do you recommend I/we get started?”
My reply to her query about learning to fly
I have to say, you are a dream. So many pilots and would-be pilots face an uphill battle with their spouse regarding flying or learning to do so. Bravo to you for taking such an active role in this.
Like many things in life, learning to fly is about relationships. Most likely you’ve cultivated relationships with doctors, lawyers, CPAs, financial planners, mechanics and others. The more trust you have, the more confident you feel when taking action on any recommendation they might make.
Learning to fly is no different. You’ll want your husband to learn from someone who matches your husband’s desires and goals. The professional aviation industry (the airlines) are in a bit of crisis mode when it comes to pilots. As soon as a pilot — who wants to be an airline pilot — meets the minimum hour criteria, they head off to the airline industry. As often happens, they leave the flight school they were instructing at, leaving students to fend for themselves. It isn’t personal, it is simply a lack of alignment between student and instructor.
So, I’d recommend finding an instructor who is NOT on their way to the airline industry. They are out there, but may take a little more time to find. Perhaps poking around some of those smaller airports around you will be helpful.
Learning to fly takes a good amount of time, energy and money (to be blunt). I wonder about your writing down a list of how you are willing to support him on this journey. That would make a world of difference to me if I were to consider launching on a path I’d never taken before.
Helicopter or plane first? It matters not. Whichever a pilot desires to fly is the one they should learn in.
I’m sure there are instructors that would offer four intro lessons, but I think the most important thing to work through is why he (and you) wants to learn to fly and find the instructor that matches that.
If, after a few flights, your husband feels that flying just isn’t all he thought it would be, a good instructor may be able to walk and talk him through the struggles…
I’ll keep thinking on this. But thank you for reaching out. I do hope you’ll keep me in the loop as this journey moves along.
This is where I’d love to hear your feedback. What else should this women (and her husband) think about when considering learning to fly? Comment below.
I’m 63, and got my private pilot ticket 6 yrs ago. I bought a nice 1980 Piper Warrior for $32,000, found a retired 747 captain CFI, and a 4 yr degree CFI from the local school to train the flying part. Did self study on the written using the official curriculum, and King Schools private pilot self study. 6 months and 100 hrs of flying later I had my ticket. I’m just over 500 hours now. I still tell my wife when looking at a small plane flying, “I can do that”.
The written content to a newby to Aviation is tough, (was for me) but a software engineer is used to that kind of challenge. When I had my oral and flight with the DPE, I didn’t think I had passed, and I was so keyed up afterward it took me a couple of days to relax. Passed first time.
Had about 20hours of instrument training, and then life intervened in my flying training plan.
So 100hr x 8gal/hr = 800 gals of fuel = about $4500 for fuel. I’m picky about maintenance of any vehicle, so my first two airplane annuals were expensive. Not to bad now. Insurance for a student pilot on a fixed gear is not prohibitive, and hangar rent depends on the airport.
I live near Seattle, and flying to Orcus Island for lunch with my wife or one of my friends is really fun.
Being a private pilot is one of the coolest things I ever did.
Fly at least (minimum) twice a week and 4 – 5 if the weather cooperates. Attend a ground school and do online practice tests in a particular category until mastered. Some of what is learned won’t make sense early, but eventually it will.
Get involved with an EAA chapter and/or your state pilot assn. I learned as an old guy and took 55 hours and about 8k. Totally worth it!!!
The worst mistake I made was flying (maybe) once a week because of poor weather….Treat it as a full-time job…fly every day and retain what you’ve learned. That’s especially important given her location….
There is no ‘best’ way to learn to fly. But one thing should be remembered, about half or more do not make the finish line and get their certificate. So first make sure he has the time and money to work on it (it will take about 75 air hours air and a couple of hundred ground hours and about $12k of rental and materials).
Then take an intro flight given by the school or instructor he will use. In that introduction the CFI will explain what’s next. Make sure to pick someone or school that wants to make flyers, not ones that are looking for students to make money (there is such a thing.) The person or school should clearly explain the ‘plan’ and how it will proceed from lesson to lesson (this includes both air and ground work.)
There will be easy days and hard days. There will be times when the muscle skills come easily and hard blocks where the skill just doesn’t seem to come. Do not stick with an instructor you do not like, is not clear, scares you, or seems to drag out the lessons just to make fees. Like an MD, you can always get other opinions. But DO NOT GET ARROGANT or buck authority. Even if you think you are smarter than your CFI, you are not. You are the student, the CFI is the expert….even after you get to your solo you are still about half-way there. The more you fly, the more solid your skill will get…Overkill the flying part before your checkride, it will be worth it.
All good advice but I would have her consider taking the ground school course with her husband and perhaps even start training herself. Since she will be in the right seat if he goes forward, any training she can gain will support him and they can really enhance their retirement together.
There is yet another really important piece to this introductory puzzle. Taking a private pilot ground school course is important early on. To earn an Airman Certificate (the correct term for a pilot’s license), the FAA requires candidates to complete specific ground training as well as a minimum number of hours of flight training. Ground training can come in many forms. Regardless of how it’s done, ground school is needed right out of the gate, and is an inexpensive way to learn more about aviation. It often helps students to determine if aviation is really their cup of tea. Reasons why it is important from the beginning is that it will provide the knowledge needed to make the most out of those expensive hours in the airplane, and it provides a vast array of knowledge that you do not learn during flight training.
Finding a ground school that is taught in an actual classroom environment is always the best way to learn as it affords the opportunity to ask questions and interact with other students. Classroom courses are increasingly more difficult to find these days, but there are some excellent opportunities available. WINGsReality EDU offers an excellent opportunity for pilots to learn in a live classroom environment, no matter where they are. Their classes are live streamed online from their campus in Orono Maine. Distance students and students in the classroom all participate together in a blended learning environment where all students are brought together into a common space and can interact and learn as one group. Your husband can complete ground school in a live classroom without ever leaving your home. Find them at WINGsRealityEDU.com.
The lady mentioned a number of small airports nearby. In addition to JS’s comment about asking around about CFIs, I would suggest visiting each flight school to look over their facilities, airplanes, how they handle scheduling, and talk to an instructor or two at each location. She is a dream, and I was fortunate to have a spouse who supported me when I learned to fly. Best wishes to them.
Since your husband has flown along with others a number of times, I would suggest talking to some of the pilots he has flown with to get their recommendations for flight schools and/or instructors. They will be in touch with the local market and are bound to know some instructors since they are required to do a flight review with an instructor at least once every two years. That should be a good starting point.