Accelerated training...

[CharlieTango]

David,

A 14 day immersion sounds like the perfect approach to me.

It certainly can take a long time to get a certificate but some still do it in or near the minimum time required.

When flight training was active around here it was somewhat common to get an endorsement for your checkride with 39 hours logged, you would fly the 40th hour en-route to the checkride. At the same time there were a few that took a lot of time.

Its really up to you.

[3Dreaming]

First myth to expel. 20 hours is not possible for ANYONE. Why? For one thing, when you add up the pieces, just the mock solo and mock checkride alone will take 5 hours. Then, add 2 more for the under hood requirement.

I agree with this if you are talking about an airplane like a CT and most aircraft being used for sport pilot training. I think the 20 hour number might be realistic in something like a Quicksilver or even a J3 cub, as long as the knowledge test is passed. Back in the 40's they would solo people in a Cub with 3-5 hours.

[Merlinspop]

What I'm wondering is what is different about taking several months to get 50 hours of flight time or getting those 50 hours in a short period of time IF the student is willing to work that hard?

I don't know of any research to back this up, but based on how I have learned things over the years, I think you can only speed learning up so fast. It's probably different for every individual, but at some point or another, I bet everyone reaches a point of mental saturation. You need time to think things through, relive them in your memory and maybe even while you're dreaming. Mentally going through everything you encountered during the day helps a great deal in ingraining it in your memory. I've had several significant stoppages in my flying, but I 'fly' every night while trying to go to sleep. Every instructor I fly with after a layoff comments that my flying is as though I was current. It's not, of course, but I think intensely visualizing an activity helps to keep performance levels from completely deteriorating.

I think the 'drinking from the fire hose' cliche has a bit of merit. You can only drink so fast, and after you reach some point, it's just squirting out of your nose.

[CTLSi]

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[FlyingForFun]

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[CharlieTango]

Sometimes I think that Light Sport is completely severed from its roots. I realize that my CTSW takes some feel that many pilots have not developed and that training in it can be a challenge much like training in a taildragger can be a challenge.

LSA is rooted in 'fat ultralights' more than anything else. They WERE conducted as part 103 operations and training was a whole different animal. Instructors came on the scene mostly when 2 seat trikes from Europe became popular. The 2 seats violated part 103 regs so the 2-seaters became trainers and ultra-light instructors and trainers were suddenly everywhere.

It was all a ruse so they could fly their trikes in the US and soon the same need for trainers was used to justify fixed wing and rotary wing 2-seaters.

In the 1980s we learned to fly our part 103 aircraft without instruction, usually starting with learning to foot launch and land on a training hill and progressing from there. After I completed building my Quad-City Challenger kit I tried to fast taxi but did a take-off instead, suddenly I was a fixed-wing pilot.

At this time and location private pilots were getting there certificates in 40 hours in most cases. It seems that something has changed. The old ultra-lights are mostly in a state of decay now and the entry level to aviation seems to be a 120kt SLSA for many that requires more time than a PPL for many.

It seems to me that along with these changes we have even more focus than ever on flying our planes onto the runway with excess speed as opposed to landing at minimum speeds. This seems like a change to me too and I think it might be related to the longer training times.

[drseti]

Personally, I don't think it's a good idea for most people.

Why do you think I call them "crash courses"?

[FlyingForFun]

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[drseti]

Absolutely! I'm reminded of the competition with ten contestants, that offered a prize for any pun that made the judges laugh. No pun in ten did.

[CTLSi]

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[FlyingForFun]

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[CharlieTango]

Its obvious those looking for a quick way to get a sport license are short on both time and money, or both.

Would they trust their life to a commercial pilot who took the same route? NO!!!

So imagine the stupidity of a person assuming to trust their and a passenger life, and others in the air with skills that took two weeks to rush to learn, and 20 hours of practice in the air?

Immersion training is more common for pilots seeking higher level certificates. In most cases you are not provided with this level of information about the pilot, you really are placing your trust in the air-line.

I'm such a person, I would choose this route, that doesn't make me unimaginably stupid. You are assuming that your method gets a better result than a 14 day immersion, personally I think taking a year to get a sport pilot ticket is silliness.

[David Pavlich]

Its obvious those looking for a quick way to get a sport license are short on both time and money, or both.

Would they trust their life to a commercial pilot who took the same route? NO!!!

So imagine the stupidity of a person assuming to trust their and a passenger life, and others in the air with skills that took two weeks to rush to learn, and 20 hours of practice in the air?

To save you time, here's the whole reason for this thread pasted from my original post:

"My concern is that the only school in the area that provides Sport certification is a Cessna school and they require a medical before they will let you into an airplane. The whole idea of Sport is to fly without the hassle of the medical. So I would have to go to a place away from home. An accelerated program would be in my best interest."

If there was a facility within ear's shot of me, this thread wouldn't have existed.

David

[FlyingForFun]

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[MrMorden]

I did my last 20 hours (of 38 total) as an accelerated session at Lockwood Aviation in Sebring, FL. It took seven days and I was able to take my check ride then drive back home. I highly recommend them if that is a convenient location to get to for you.