By MR. BOOTS
After reading Jamail Larkins’ articles on the top reasons people quit flight training, while I thought the article was well-written, I disagree completely with his analysis.
I have been a pilot since about 1970 and a flight instructor for about 25 years. I only instruct because I enjoy doing so, rather than to build hours or a need for income.
For as long as I have flown, around 50% of all student starts quit either before obtaining their private pilot certificate or immediately after.
Most of them, when asked, would say that it got too expensive or they got too busy.
In fact, since we know when they usually quit, we also know what the true reason was: Fear!
Simple as that.
Flying small aircraft is dangerous, although that aspect is usually played down at all levels of aviation. Regardless of what we are told constantly, it is about the same danger as riding a motorcycle with similar experience levels. I have done both for over 50 years now.
With respect to the cost of obtaining a private pilot certificate today, yes it is expensive, but pretty much every honest CFI or flight school tells a new prospective student what the cost is on average to obtain their private pilot certificate when they start or even before that. They know going in what the approximate cost is. Today, in this area of the South, it is typically around $10,000 to $12,000.
We also tell them what the average time line is. Typically, again, around here because of weather concerns, it will be eight to 12 months total. So they know all that in advance.
Those two questions are invariably asked by nearly every prospective student and at every Discovery Flight.
Students typically quit at three points in their instruction, although today, the first two are far more prevalent.
The first is when learning stalls when taught by a poor instructor. If an instructor does not take the time on the ground to explain stalls before the flight, and gently demonstrate them and their easy recovery, it can be pretty frightening to a new student.
It becomes far more frightening if the instructor is the type who wants to show off their own ability, more than they are trying to instruct the student.
The second, and most prevalent, is right after their first or second solo flight when they realize how alone they really are up there. They are euphoric at first afterwards, but frightened while flying solo those first one or two times.
Younger people and female students are least frightened and least likely to quit soon after though, I have found.
The third previously was right after their solo long cross-country. It used to be 100 nautical miles on each of three legs and the magenta line had not been invented. They actually had to navigate via their sectional chart, VORs, airspeed, compass, and clock. That scared many out of flying, but today, with only a 50 mile requirement and a GPS telling them everything they think they need to know (which is not actually true) that is no longer a major quitting point.
So the first major reason they quit is just plain fear from stalls or that solo. Next, is poor quality instruction.
The way our system works today, most CFIs are only instructing in order to build hours to get a “real” flying job. They do not actually care one way or the other about the quality or results of their instruction and quit as soon as they possibly can once they find an actual flying job. With today’s shortage of pilots, that can occur pretty quickly.
The student is left going from one instructor to another and rarely finds one who cares very much about the outcome of the student.
Most older and experienced CFIs, such as myself, are very concerned about the legal liability problems of instruction, so limit the type and who we offer such instruction too.
The third and most insidious reason students quit is the extreme poor quality of most of the planes available for instruction today. The exact same planes that I flew in 1970 are still on the rental lines after being patched up dozens of times, and those are what are being used for most student instruction today.
A student who can afford the huge cost of learning to fly is more used to homes, autos, and everything else in their life that are in far better condition than the average beat-to-death rental aircraft used for instruction today.
It is such a disappointment that many want nothing more to do with aviation unless they are wealthy enough to buy a several hundred thousand dollar quality used airplane or million dollar plus new aircraft.
Those are the only students I fly with today, and almost all are working to obtain advanced ratings rather than their private pilot tickets.
The only exception to what I wrote above are the very high-quality aviation-based universities that do utilize quality instructors and high-quality aircraft or the very few extremely expensive flight academies that utilize professional instructors and well-maintained late model aircraft.
For those types of schools, the cost is $20,000 or more for a basic private pilot certificate and the drop-out rate is actually much lower than average.
They always discuss the true costs in advance and their students are usually more motivated to finish and go onto an aviation career.
Learning to fly is way too expensive, but that excuse is NOT the reason most students quite after starting. It may well be the reason that most never start though!
It is also a major reason that many pilots do quit later, after obtaining their private pilot certificates or other advanced certificates.
Who is Mr. Boots? Boots notes that is his full legal name. “I was born and grew up in Hollywood, California, which usually is enough of an explanation,” he says. “I obtained my private pilot certificate in 1968, my instrument, commercial and multiengine about three years later, and then my CFI, CFII, and multiengine CFI. I also obtained my A&P certificate with an IA. Most of my flying was at the Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) in Southern California, and I owned a Cardinal RG for about 10 years. I’ve flown in many parts of the world, including Central America, Africa, and Europe, but never actually flew or wrenched for a living. I was on the Rare Bear racing team when we were winning at Reno. I am still active as a flight instructor and live in Knoxville, Tennessee.”
Just chiming in to +1 the point about the old wrecks used for training.
The people who can afford to fly recreationally will be driving up in late-model Teslas and BMWs: gleaming paint, excellent fit and finish, quiet and comfortable interiors. We take them out to the flight line and show them the training airplane and the honest thought in their head – loudly in their head – is: “Is this thing safe?” And even if they go along with it, two more questions begin to bother them: first, “would I ever take any of my friends, or my family, up in this thing?” and, second, “maybe this is really an activity for the kind of people who like to maintain antique cars, not really for people who dream about flying and traveling by air like me…”
There was a time when new airplanes were manufactured at dramatically lower real costs than today. With modern productivity and automation we ought to be able to do a lot better, delivering modern, sophisticated airplanes at a reasonable cost. I’ve seen lots of assertions to the effect that we can’t because FAA/inflation/small market etc., etc., but I’ve never seen anyone actually do the work to figure out what the problem really is. I’d love to see it.
There are interesting opinions and viewpoints in this article. Thank you for your thoughts.
The “Who is Mr. Boots” bio at the end of the article was fun to read.
All the comments, opinions, proposals to this string are interesting. My own experience learning to fly in 1971 was similar to Capt Mooney’s – PP checkride at 34 hours, but it took 9 years even with VA help to accumulate enough flight time + ratings to get my first flying job at age 35. Too old for the airlines at that time but it lead to a great career flying corporate. The reason I didn’t quit was because I WANTED TO FLY.
In my opinion the whole cost thing gets a little (or a lot) overblown .
Many critics of the costs of aircraft purchase have a sports car (driven only on sunny days) worth more than a good reliable aircraft , others may have a boat , motor home or such , and spend more on a vacation than the cost of a PPL .
All of these ideas are valid reasons that explain why so few people learn to fly. I received my private pilots license in May of 1964 in 36 hours for the total cost of about $700 dollars! I went on after college to get my instrument and commercial pilots license and CFI certificates in 3 months for the total cost of about $2000.dollars The cost of learning to fly today is absurd! I think it’s the ridiculous cost that keeps most young people from getting into aviation.
How about that…….Mr Boots really hit the nail on the head…..and the first reply has a lot of good ideas ….
Our problems are so clear all we need is someone with the experience to fix the problems
I have been an instructor since 1971…….ATP/CFI/A&P/IA……And a former FAA inspector. I also have been awarded an FAA Master Pilot Award…All my accidents and off airport landings were maintnenance related…..!
FAA is a big part of the problem as they drag their feet and get very little done because no one wants to make a decision and be responsible……
The LSA is the best idea FAA has come up with, but the 1320 LB weight class decision was political and needs to be changed allowing our small legacy aircraft to be used….
Being inside the FAA I learned how corrupt Washington is…..
Maybe Trump will do something about that ?…..but he has his hands full right now…
So thanks Mr Boots for your accurate article on our problems and If President Trump would appoint me acting FAA Administrator for 6 months I can put a big dent in the FAA and fix many of the problems…..holding our aviation system back for years….
Thanks………and let’s MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN IN AVIATION …..!!!
Well-written, thoughtful piece, Tylor. I am not a pilot but have friends who are and chat with them frequently regarding the high volume of wrecks and fatalities chronicled on this news service daily. You stated: “Unfortunately, the number of private pilots (according to the FAA) is now slightly more than half of the number of citizens rated as private pilots back in 1990, and the trend continues to decline.” In my opinion, that’s a positive trend. Why? Presumably there is some reduction in the cowboy idiot factor contributing to those wrecks, but still not enough to diminish the endless stream of pictures of GA airplanes lying in some field as crumpled caskets. The reasons typically fall into ‘fuel (mis)management’ either buying much less fuel than advised for a trip and an emergency alternate landing airport; failure to switch between tanks; flying VFR into bad WX or darkness, and a plethora of other numbskull behavior that takes their lives, leaves grieving families behind, and raises the insurance rates for everyone else. Even high-quality CFI training can’t train an enthusiastic idiot from climbing into the cockpit and acting like it’s Miller Time with the guys at the local watering hole. “Hold my beer. I bet I can make it to Cleveland on fumes.” RIP.
Fear is a self-preservation mechanism in most living creatures which instinctively act to save their lives from mortal danger. Unfortunately, too few fearsome wannabe pilots fail to react to their fears and stay away from the GA hobby. How about bowling or ham radio or model aircraft flying? Much safer better options for personal recreation. One man’s opinion…
Regards/J
Thank-you Bootsie, for all that you have contributed to private aviation over your long flying career. Unfortunately, the number of private pilots (according to the FAA) is now slightly more than half of the number of citizens rated as private pilots back in 1990, and the trend continues to decline.
While your assertion about people giving into fear is surely legitimate to some degree, for me the major drag on spending time in the air is the collective costs. When I first joined the Navy Flying Club back in the 1980s, you could learn to fly for slightly more than learning to scuba dive.
It would be immensely helpful if more was written on the real costs associated with flying today, and perhaps such honest discussions would spur the aviation community to develop more affordable ways to learn to fly, as well as to buy and maintain a privately owned aircraft.
1. The cost of lessons are too high.
2. The cost of an airplane is too high.
3. The cost of maintenance is too high.
4. The cost of insurance is too high.
5. Hangar rents are higher than the mortgage payment for my first house.
Even when some give-away program provides an underwritten form of initial flight training, the student quickly discovers that they will never, ever be able to own and operate their own airplane in today’s market. Contrast this to the early days of aviation, where our grandfathers could buy a used Jenny (Curtis JN) for what they saved from bagging groceries at the local grocery store and there were a lot of people around the local airfield who provided initial training for little or no money. While we cannot return to those days, there surely are some ways to make flying more affordable again.
1. It is in our national interest to have a large cadre of citizens trained in aviation. Our flying clubs and the Civil Air Patrol used to be great places where citizens could learn to fly. Flying clubs have been crippled by costs and the Civil Air Patrol is run more like a clique (where only a few people in each squadron get to do all of the flying, and no flight instruction is given, other than in a few gliders). This clique behavior could be altered with the stroke of Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth’s pen. The service branch related flying clubs could be charged (and partly funded) to provide low-cost primary flight instruction to active duty, retirees and dependents. The Civil Air Patrol must be directed to re-include flight training as part of its core mission. Every adult volunteer and every Cadet who wants to learn to fly, should be afforded the opportunity to gain at least a primary and instrument rating through their service with our Civil Air Patrol.
Back prior to WWII, the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) produced 27.000 pilots between 1938 and 1941. In addition to the Army training pilots, the CTPT operated at over a thousand colleges and at about 1,400 private flight schools across the country. We will need hundreds of thousands of pilots when the war with China begins.
2. The Air National Guard in each state should have an auxiliary that operates small aircraft and small air tankers for quick response to fires. The AT 108 is a perfect example of a small tanker that could be quickly dispatched and directed to fires when they first break-out with satellite data. Our citizens should be able to join volunteer aerial fire squadrons and learn to fly while serving as part of air tanker squadrons that are manned by a mix of full and part time personnel (much like our volunteer fire departments).
3. The FAA must stop dragging their feet on expansion of the Light Sport Aircraft category. LSA’s should be at least 200 horsepower and be capable of at least 200 knots. By broadening the LSA category, a lot more citizens will be able to fly. A way around the hangar price gouging at American airports, would be for the LSA category to have a lot more models built that can fold the wings and be trailerable.
4. Another way to make flying more affordable is for the FAA to categorize all small airfields as, multiple use facilities. Some airports already host drag racing, auto cross racing, fairs and other non-aviation events to help offset the cost of operating the airport. Add these additional uses to returning to the practice of building hangar-homes on the airfield’s perimeter, so the cost of the residence and the hangar can be combined, and the cost of owning and maintaining a private airplane would be substantially reduced, (provided that the cost of the hangar home could be kept affordable).