Sport Pilot Talk

The nearest airport/training center to me with a suitable Light Sport plane - Evektor Sport - uses the Gleim products.

My plan is to do the ground school portion at home, take and pass the test and then start practical flight training. Might as well stay with the same product as the instructor uses so I note that Amazon carries two Gleim Sport Pilot packages -

https://www.amazon.com/Gleim-Sport-Pilo ... port+pilot

https://www.amazon.com/Gleim-Deluxe-Spo ... port+pilot

Since I don't even know what I don't know yet, and being retired on a fixed income I don't want to waste my money, is there a practical reason I should opt for the pricier package?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Go with the cheaper one. It seems to have everything you need. I quick look at the Gleam site doesn't reveal much, but it looks like the deluxe set just includes a communications book. Any decent instructor will have communicating just fine without it.

Ron

Thanks - just the advice I needed - I don't mind spending if it gains something important, but I too often spend more than I actually needed and then regret the choice.

Running a small FBO like you are looking to for training is a struggle. I am like everyone else in aviation, I'm looking to save a buck where I can. That being said for something like this I would at least check with the FBO where you are planning on doing the training. Unless their price is way out of line I would suggest buying it from them to help out their bottom line. It helps keep them in business, so you have a place to fly.

3Dreaming wrote:Running a small FBO like you are looking to for training is a struggle. I am like everyone else in aviation, I'm looking to save a buck where I can. That being said for something like this I would at least check with the FBO where you are planning on doing the training. Unless their price is way out of line I would suggest buying it from them to help out their bottom line. It helps keep them in business, so you have a place to fly.

Good idea. Also helps build a "relationship", which can be worth a lot more than a few bucks.

chicagorandy wrote:The nearest airport/training center to me with a suitable Light Sport plane - Evektor Sport - uses the Gleim products.

My plan is to do the ground school portion at home, take and pass the test and then start practical flight training. Might as well stay with the same product as the instructor uses so I note that Amazon carries two Gleim Sport Pilot packages -

https://www.amazon.com/Gleim-Sport-Pilo ... port+pilot

https://www.amazon.com/Gleim-Deluxe-Spo ... port+pilot

Since I don't even know what I don't know yet, and being retired on a fixed income I don't want to waste my money, is there a practical reason I should opt for the pricier package?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Not a bad idea.

BTW ...There is another school close by at KARR (Aurora) -https://www.simplyflyadventures.com/.
They are flying Remos aircraft - I did most of my training there.

Both of these schools are fine - personally I prefer low-wings but I picked KARR (with their high-wing Remos ) due to the fact that I wanted to get a lot of experience flying out of relatively busy D class airport (which is also a training facility for FAA traffic controllers i.e blind leading the blind scenario ) but Sport Pilot Chicago ( which you picked) is just as good and they do fly to KARR so you will still get D class experience.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the Cushing training center Warmi. I'm 5'8" and a chunky 255#, (I am trying hard to drop some tonnage) the front flip-up canopy on the low wing Evektors makes entry/egress less of a circus clown contortionist act for me - LOL

I actually live less than 10 minutes from Midway Airport in Chicago but the thought of sharing the pattern airspace with Southwest Airlines seemed a bit "daunting" even if there were a Sport Pilot school based there (there isn't). On a semi-related note I was quite disappointed following a visit to Clow in Bolingbrook where I was told they did NOT do Sport Pilot training (even though their website advertises it) and that I was too heavy to get the license anyway. I have come to learn that is 'code' for "Our old Aeronca Champ, the only Sport qualified airplane we have, can't carry a load."

I really would have respected them more had they simply told the truth. The instructor who took me up last Saturday in the Evektor teaches a guy who is 325+ so I now know that weight need not be a limiting factor to learning to fly.

chicagorandy wrote:I have come to learn that is 'code' for "Our old Aeronca Champ, the only Sport qualified airplane we have, can't carry a load."

I

I can understand the weight thing. Been there. Do yourself two favors. Loose the weight and fly the Champ. Both will add tremendously to your well being. I love Champs. You feel every control input in your backside. It would be a great plane to take lessons in.

Ron

rsteele wrote:

chicagorandy wrote:I have come to learn that is 'code' for "Our old Aeronca Champ, the only Sport qualified airplane we have, can't carry a load."

I

I can understand the weight thing. Been there. Do yourself two favors. Loose the weight and fly the Champ. Both will add tremendously to your well being. I love Champs. You feel every control input in your backside. It would be a great plane to take lessons in.

Ron

Champs are a fun airplane. I learned to fly in a Citabria. I have provided flight training in a few classic taildraggers. A Citabria, 3 different Champs, a J3 Cub, Taylorcraft, and Luscombe. Some pilots can feel it in their backside, some take quite a while to develop the feeling, and some never learn to feel it. If your in that last group it takes a long time to learn to fly the airplane nicely.

Doing a quick online search I note a light sport rated Champ has a useful load of 'about' 375#? Fill the 18 gallon tank and that leaves 260# for pilot and passenger. So assuming I can find a ballerina/CFI that means I only have two spend the next couple years losing 100 pounds and I'll be 'good to go'"? lol

I'm '68 now with a January birthdate. As is I'm on the downslope to the cemetery and I'd kinda like to become a sport pilot and enjoy the license sooner rather than later.

chicagorandy wrote:Doing a quick online search I note a light sport rated Champ has a useful load of 'about' 375#? Fill the 18 gallon tank and that leaves 260# for pilot and passenger. So assuming I can find a ballerina/CFI that means I only have two spend the next couple years losing 100 pounds and I'll be 'good to go'"? lol

I'm '68 now with a January birthdate. As is I'm on the downslope to the cemetery and I'd kinda like to become a sport pilot and enjoy the license sooner rather than later.

You are looking at the information for a modern built Champ. They took a heavier airplane with higher gross weight and by changing paperwork made it meet light sport limitations. Many of the older Champs have better useful load, and carry lees fuel.

Okey-Doke. After I get licensed on the Evektor, I'll definitely consider a Champ certification after I break the 200# barrier..

I understand what they're saying about the vintage taildraggers. After 40 or so hours in a Skycatcher, I took a joy ride in a vintage J3. After the anxious "switched-on" feeling I always got (cockpit management?) in the 162, the Cub was like a breath of fresh air. A relaxing, slow ride in the country, just look out the window and ignore the instruments (all 3). "You don't fly a Cub, you wear it." said the CFI.

3Dreaming wrote:Running a small FBO like you are looking to for training is a struggle. I am like everyone else in aviation, I'm looking to save a buck where I can. That being said for something like this I would at least check with the FBO where you are planning on doing the training. Unless their price is way out of line I would suggest buying it from them to help out their bottom line. It helps keep them in business, so you have a place to fly.

I checked this morning and their price for the basic Gleim Sport Pilot kit is almost identical to the Amazon price, so I'll buy one from them the next time I'm out that way.

I have NO patience - and spent another handful of hours at Cushing Field today - got to help a guy weigh his new plans built ultralight biplane too.

To paraphrase the old rifleman's creed - "This is my Gleim Sport Pilot training kit, there are many others just like it... but this one is MINE!"