Visit Your Local "Lear to Fly Here!"

"It's no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase ""As pretty as an airport"" appear" Douglas Adams

This week our family took a little picnic to our local airport. They have a nice grass area right on the flight line, including picnic tables and a plaque dedicated to the establishment of the airport board and the airport itself. I have hung out at this spot many times, just watching the traffic. But this was the first time my wife and son came with me. It was a hot day for us in the mountains, almost 88 degrees! Whew! The wind was 10-12 out of the south, or so the wind sock indicated. They are rebuilding the approach end of Rwy 28 so most of the traffic was using the shorter Rwy 19. At just over 4000' there was a sign at the terminal urging all pilots to calculate their altitude density carefully. I understand what that is but I couldn't calculate it, and I can't wait to learn how.

I love that the sign has an exclamation point on it. As if it wasn't exciting enough!

The picnic was an excuse to visit my local "Learn to Fly Here!" operation. I've been there before with friends who were gracious enough to take me up, but I'd never been there as a serious student prospect. I met the owner operator and asked a few questions. I found out that they have 2 planes for rent with one in the shop, a Cessna 152 and 182 if I remember right, the 182 being a bit newer model. I asked about availability issues and he said that these days they are always available. I guess a down economy hits businesses of expensive hobbies hard, which makes sense. That and we are in a resort community dependent on visitors, but it hasn't been that hard on Tahoe as we are an easy drive (2-4 hours) from more than 7 million people.

KTRK at 5,900' elevation, what's your altitude density?

I picked up 7 different business cards of local CFI's. It's time to start calling around and asking questions. Here are some questions I have:

~ Would I do better with a female instructor (and I know this is sexist) because they tend to not let their ego get in the way, as is my experience with male ski instructors?

Or, which seems more reasonable - it depends on the person and how I get along with them? Not their race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and/or fear of heights ...

~ How important is it that because I will be flying in and out of KTRK mostly that I get a good mountain learn to fly experience? The field is only 10 min. away.

Would it behoove me to go to Reno where it might be a little more economical, large airport and still get a mountain flying experience? Reno is an hour away, would I loose my savings buying gas to get there?

~ Or is an intensive program where I study and fly every day at a school in Phoenix, Oakland, Florida, etc. then come back to KRTK and hire a CFI to learn the ins and outs of mountain flying, the best? I would miss my family but how fun would it be?

~ How much of the estimated $9,500 and 60+ hours might I shave off because of my experience as a sim pilot and the use of my sim for practice. I know, nothing can substitute for seat of the pants and frame of reference you get actually flying, which you can't get on the sim. But there must be some benefit there?

~ What schedule would work best, 2 or 3 days a week?

~ Regarding ground school, I'm leaning towards an on-line school, but what are the crucial benefits of a bricks and mortar, real live person ground school?

These questions and more I will be asking these CFIs, and of course telling you about their responses in future posts.

The flight line at KTRK, lots of charter aircraft bringing the folks in to vacation here at our little mountain paradise.

Good news is I've got my first donor who has given a large amount to get me started. So I must now come up with a budget including plane rental, instruction, gear, materials, etc. and compare it with one of those all included schools. So Part 61 vs. Part 141. What do you think of each? How was your experience at either?

That's "Look Out Mountain" at Northstar-At-Tahoe in the background. The views of the airport and Martis Valley, which the airport sits in, are excellent from up there.

Finally, I've got to figure out a schedule with my family life. I must consider that in the winter, with my wife teaching school every weekday and I'll be teaching skiing on the weekends and holidays, should I start this fall and make it happen before ski season or wait until next spring and have the spring and summer to accomplish my private?

What a dilemma?

How Did They Fly Before Computers?

"The 'Net is a waste of time, and that's exactly what's right about it." William Gibson

Let me tell you what I found to be a waste of time and what turns out to be helpful as I've started my research on-line. Tonight I'll review what I received and learned from pilotjourney.com.

The first response I received from pilotjourney.com contained links to on-line seminars, an on-line handbook, pilot forums hosted by piotjourney, a list of career pilot schools and a link to where you can purchase their "Discovery Flight", which is an introductory lesson.

The first link to click on was to an on-line seminar titled Learn to Fly. It's a bit of a cheesy slide show offering encouragement and practical tips as you go forth. Encouragement such as taking lessons often and stick with it, encouragement such as how to save money during training by taking lessons often, using modern planes at schools with more than one or two airplanes. Practical tips such as using and following syllabus, study 2 hours for every 1 hour lesson, get your medical certificate prior to your first lesson and don't worry about how many hours it will take, rather work towards passing the Practical Standards Test. They also suggested taking the written exam as early as possible. All of the information from this seminar is decent if not presented in a hokey way.

I was surprised as they suggested that financing your training was practical and cost savings. Can someone tell me how paying to use money ever "saves" you money? They answer this question by suggesting that financing your training keeps you on track and saves you in the long run. I agree with that but if paying the money back would be difficult, as in my case, it doesn't make sense. Saving money is a better bet as I have started to do, but it's going to take some time to save that much.

All in all this on-line seminar was helpful as it was free, but I wouldn't recommend it as a must see.

Next time I'll review pilotjourney.com's next on-line seminar titled "Discovery Flight".

Learning to fly On-Line

"The Internet is a series of tubes..." AK Sen. Ted Stevens

My first step is to research learning to fly on the Internet. There is a wealth of information available for the prospective, in training, current and professional pilot on-line. Here is a small list I've narrowed down.

http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/index.html AOPA is Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, it is an excellent organization which I plan to join as soon as I get going with my training. From what my current pilot friends tell me, they are the best in what they offer to General Aviation.

http://www.cessna.com/learn-to-fly.html It makes sense that the best selling private aircraft manufacturer would have a good learn to fly website.

http://www.learntoflykit.com/ It also make sense that aviation magazines will have learn to fly websites. This one is from Plane & Pilot magazine.

http://www.pilotjourney.com/learntoflykit/ This one is just a pure website devoted to learning to fly.

All of these sites encourage you to sign-up for all of their stuff. Over the next few weeks I'll do just that and report back what's good and what's junk.

I've got my PayPal button and account set-up to receive donations now. Please feel free to be the first to donate. As soon as there is enough in the account I will set-up the first of my introductory flights with a local flight school. Thank you for helping out.

Matt,

FYI, outofbounds676@yahoo.com is my account on record with PayPal.

How to get started?

I have always wanted to be a pilot...

My grandmother tells a story of when I was 5 years old and my parents sent me, by myself, to visit. It was my first flight ever, I think it was a DC9 or 727, Fort Wayne to Dulles. As she and my grandfather waited at the gate the entire passenger list deplaned, but I was nowhere to be found. After some confusing and worrisome minutes passed, I came up the jet way with the pilots! I barely remember, but they let me push a button near the back of the center console where I was standing looking at the cockpit instruments in awe and wonder. The button set off a loud klaxon the scared the bejesus out of my 5 year old wits, and they just laughed. Then they gave me my first wings and I wore them for weeks (a lifetime for a 5 year old). From then on I wanted to be a pilot. But it was not to be.

When I was 15 I got a summer job at my local municipal airport mowing, fueling planes, washing planes, painting lines on the runway and bumming rides from local pilots. It was great summer, especially when the airport decided to host their first fly-in/air show. It was a busy day and I didn't get to ride with anybody, but I did fuel a helicopter with Jet A (the first and only time I ever turned on the Jet A pump). The biggest lesson I learned that summer was that the high and prohibitive costs of civil aviation was too much for a 15 year old kid. The following years were occupied by the usual pursuits of a teenager. Aviation was still interesting, but out of reach. Besides, I just didn't have the confidence to really pursue my ambition and chose a different path.

Now, 26 years later I still have the passion, just ask my wife, as I am an avid flight simmer. What's different now is I have the confidence. How's that you ask? Well, I am an accomplished ski instructor, stay at home dad, little league umpire and an Email marketing specialist for the family business. I just don't have the means (read: a fortune in cash), that is why I enjoy my flight simulator.

My son Seth and I on my lunch break

My success as a ski instructor leads me to believe that I would make an excellent CFI. If only I could find the money. That is what has led me to this. Asking complete strangers to help me out. In return I will faithfully document my journey from 0 hours to CFI right here on these pages.

I am asking anyone interested in supporting my aspiration to send me even the smallest amount of US dollars that I will use towards my achievement of a CFI certification and beyond. If you are not interested enough in directly supporting my progress then I urge you to click on the ads you are interested in on this blog, as I get a little money from each click thru.

I hope you are interested,

Matt