Am I doing something wrong?...

[Wanna-be]

Hi to all-


I'm new to this chat, so if I am doing anything wrong, please tell me. I will be happy to conform. Now, with that out of the way...

I am a 10th grader in the Twin Cities of Minnesota and have been VERY interested in aviation in general, and more specifically lately in SP because of the advantages and ease that I have been told and read on the Internet. I have read several ppl student books, a ppl handbook, took the Sporty's PPL Ground School, and have researched quite a bit about aviation on the web in the last four to five years (okay, a lot compared to my time here on earth ).

So the "Next Step" (to use the EAA's term) seemed to be to try and talk to CFI(s) about flight training cost and the average cost of a sport pilot and other, what seemed to me to be basic, questions. So I sent five schools in the twin cities area emails about this... three to four weeks: I haven't got so much an acknowledgement that my emails went through... I sent them over the period of about a week with other assorted emails to other people, so I'm pretty darn sure (short of a statistical phenomena) that they got to them. But they sure don't seem to care about answering. Seems lacking good business, not to mention manners.

Any suggestions? I would really like to start some communication between the school(s) because I really plan on flying. I, as I expressed in the emails, would like to receive lessons every several months until I could afford to have the full-blown training (the financial situation isn't really practical at the moment) and would LOVE to work for training hours if possible... if not, oh well, but I would still like to talk to them and get some communication with the aviation community in my area.


Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[flyboy2007]

Hi,
I would most definetly drive out to one or all of these airports and personaly meet the instructors and tell them what you would like to accomplish. I doubt they will let you do any work for flying but you never know if you don't ask. As far as taking lessons months apart, that is not a real good idea as you will tend to have to go over stuff you did before and thus is a waste of money. You should at least take one lesson a week if not two. I would think that at least one of these instructors could give you some good information and lead you in the right direction. At least I hope so cause a young man like yourself is nice to see interested in aviation.

[bryancobb]

Hey Wanna,
Welcome to aviation! BY FAR the best route for you at this point is to research the EAA YOUNG EAGLES program. What you will find is the pilots IN YOUR LOCAL AREA, who have a passion for introducing young aviation enthusiasts to the world of flying.

These pilots are the ones who specifically put themself and their aircraft out there, so young people like you will have a positive experience as you are introduced to aviation.

[Helen]

The sad truth of our industry, is that most flight schools have piss poor customer service and neither reply to e-mails nor return phone calls. To be honest, I run the only school that I know of that reliably does both.

Your best bet is to call and try to speak to a human and set up an appointment to stop by and chat. It's hard for those of us at schools to handle walk-ins since we are generally either in the air or on the ground working with a student. There isn't much idle time at a flight school.

Helen

[Jim Stewart]

I'm not going to apologize for their poor customer service. On the other hand, if you told them you were a 10th grader, it's unlikely they took you seriously as a customer.

Realistically, it will cost you at least $3000, probably closer to $5000 to get your license. You will want have enough of the money available so that you can take at least 2 lessons a week. Then after you get your license, you need to fly fairly regularly to maintain your skills. If you're looking at a career in aviation, you will want to get a private pilot license eventually, followed by instrument, commercial and flight instructor ratings. All of this costs money until you can get some compensation for your flying. You will also need a college degree for most military and airline flying.

What can you do now? Start ground school. If you have the money, buy one of the ground school prep kits. They cost $200-$300 dollars. After you complete the ground school you can take the knowledge test at a testing center. Doing the ground school will give you the background to start flying. Completing ground school and scoring well on the knowledge test will indicate to instructors that you are serious about flying.

Good luck.

[Wanna-be]

Thanks everyone for your replies.


Bryancobb, I guess I've participated in the YE program, but not in the traditional sense from what I read. A pilot who is a friend of a grandparent took me for a ride and had me fill out the form and such so I could do the ground school. Which I guess sort of leads to Jim Stewart's suggestion... As I understand it, I can take a test online and get an endorsement to pass the FAA written. The reason I haven't yet done this is because at the time that I completed the Sporty's ground school, I still had 3 years to go until I could legally solo (legally, I clearly don't have the hours), so I opted to wait until later. Perhaps now that I am looking at six months to solo, it would benefit me to do some review and pass that test for the reasons you already stated. Or do you guys think that there may also be some benefit to taking the ground school at my local FBO to put some money in their pockets and perhaps 'get their attention.' Any thoughts?


And Jim, or Mr. Stewart, whichever you prefer: I was not looking for, expecting, nor wishing for an apology. I was just trying to present my situation so some of you already in the field could give me some input, as you have. Thanks, I really appreciate it.



Thanks everyone for your input. Any more suggestions would be great!

[scottj]

I suggest that you, and your parents, telephone the local flight schools and then visit a few of them. Each will be different than the last and have their own specialty. For some reason, lately, emails are getting lost... perhaps because we are sending/receiving a few hundred per day. Use the old fashioned telephone when five people do not reply to you... I suspect you are having technical issues on your end.

Without your parents on board, no instructor will be able or willing to fly with you. Plan on spending at least $ 5,000 but closer to $ 10,000 to get your license. Especially if you are only flying here and there and not weekly. Better yet, have your parents take lessons (at least the ground school portion...) with you. I always give parents a family discount when they bring a child along.

I know one local high school, Eagan MN, has an aviation program. They do their own ground school over the course of a semester and then take the students to a local airport for a Discovery Flight. Ask your school guidance counselor for help.

Have you heard of the Civil Air Patrol? The CAP is one of the best places for a teenager to gain aviation knowledge-- for almost free. Flying is more than just driving the airplane. It is a lifestyle.

[drseti]

In answer to your original question: no, wannabe, you're not doing anything wrong. It's the aviation industry that's doing something wrong, by not encouraging enthusiastic youngsters such as yourself to pursue the dream of flight. And, when the industry as a whole decries the current sad state of affairs in aviation, they have only themselves to blame.

Come out and take a vacation in Central PA sometime. I'd be proud to fly with you.

[zaitcev]

I dealt with two schools. In one it was next to impossible to get a call back. It was a "default" school at the airport dedicated to GA. Eventually I gave up and found a less-known school at a major airport. Their personnel were completely professional, explained everything, and put me in touch with the instructor right away. So, I obtained my training while sharing taxiways with airliners. A few months later, I gave the first school another try, because they had a specific type of aircraft that I wanted to test. I wore them down with patience, but it was a chore.

[JoeM]

Wanna,

Some say it is a waste of time and money to only fly once every few weeks but I disagree. My flying budget is tight right now but look at it as at least I'm flying. I will probably not be able to finish my training until I can put more effort (money) into a few flights a week but my instructor is ok with it and I’m ok knowing I will put in 40-60 hours to get my sport pilot finished. I am just enjoying being able to fly whenever I can. It’s not the best way to go but for me it’s working. It's not like you stop spending the money when you get your license, you still have to pay to rent the plane, you just don’t have to pay the additional $50 to fly with an instructor.

[designrs]

I totally agree with JoeM!
Don't get caught up in the "total cost" of training and end up staying home because of it. Fly whenever you can. It's a process. As you start building flying skills you will become more passionate about flying which will lead you to be more resourceful in finding the $$$ to continue on! Find a school that really welcomes the opportunity to work with a young student like yourself!!

[drseti]

Some say it is a waste of time and money ...

Funny that you should use that expression, Joe. I was a radio astronomer in a previous life, and (as you might guess from my forum alias), spent a good many years engaged in SETI, the scientific Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence. The nonprofit SETI League is an international alliance of amateur radio astronomers pursuing SETI as a hobby. In interviews, the press frequently denigrates SETI as a waste of time and money. My response is that, for SETI League members, SETI is a hobby. 'Waste of time and money': isn't that the very definition of a hobby?

Since, under the FARs, Sport Pilots fly only as a hobby, 'waste of time and money' seems entirely appropriate!

[Mark Gregor]

Some good advice here. I think you should call some local flight schools and set a time to go meet with the instructors also. Yes your parent will have to agree to the flight training.
Stanton airfield just south of the metro is a good low key place without the intimidation of controlled airspace.
We all love to see young people show an interest in aviation. Much better than some of the other activities attracting our 15 year olds. Getting your licence will not be easy but a great accomplishment you will be proud of.

Please keep us informed as there is alot of good advice here.

Jake

[Wanna-be]

Thanks all of you for replying. And sorry to the last few whom I did not yet respond... I have been away from the forum for a bit... well, since the 'blow-ups' of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, I guess. I've spent a lot of time watching that and forgot to check in here for a few weeks. I wasn't ignoring you guys, just slipped between the cracks.

I think I might look at Stanton further... It's seems like a long ways away, but they also seem "recreation-orientated" and that is really what I'm interested in. Plus, I like their airplanes.


Again, thanks a lot all of you! Really appreciate the advice!