Traditional Flight School vs Freelance CFI

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Frank Negrin

Filing Flight Plan
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Nov 27, 2018
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Boh
Hi Everyone,

I plan on getting my PPL soon but I am considering options to help with the price of obtaining the license. I don't want to cheap out and not receive the knowledge I should be getting but I do want to save money where I can.

If i decide to do my ground school online and pass my written before going flying, which route should I take?

Thanks in advance!
Boh
 
Do you own your own plane? If not you'll probably rent one from a flight school which may require you to use their instructors. Just my assumption.
 
My vote goes to the flight school. Choose one with several trainers, so that when a plane goes in for maintenance you are not grounded until it is available again. Being able to fly with more than one instructor is another plus...Part 141 schools require stage checks, to be given by someone other than your primary instructor. Get familiar with Part 61 regulations. Go to www.faa.gov to read free publications....but buy the ones you want because they are huge downloads.

www.asa2fly.com/Assets/LookInside/PlottingYourCourse_Web.pdf
 
If you can find a good freelance CFI and you have access to a plane that would allow you to use that CFI, then there is nothing wrong with that approach. Yes, you might be limited if that aircraft is down. But, unless you find a flight school with several planes that are fungible (and they typically are not), then you still have that concern. You do give up having other CFIs readily available to do a second a assessment. That is, as Bob suggests, very valuable. But perhaps your CFI can refer you to a CFI friend of his/hers for a second opinion as you go. I would not worry about going part 141 over part 61 as long as you have a good CFI with a planned curriculum and syllabus. Part 141 is intended to insure a more standardized and in theory professional instruction. But it can result in a less flexible approach that may not serve a particular individual as well. I did my private through a part 61 flight school program, and then did my instrument with an independent free lance instructor. There are pros and cons to each route.
 
upload_2018-11-27_16-47-34.jpeg

In economics, fungibility is the property of a good or a commodity whose individual units are essentially interchangeable. For example, since one kilogram of pure gold is equivalent to any other kilogram of pure gold, whether in the form of coins, ingots, or in other states, gold is fungible.
 
Sorry I keep using words today that are confusing.
 
In fairness, I'm an econ major with a JD. What are you gonna' do?
 
Frank Negrin said:
Hi Everyone,

I plan on getting my PPL soon but I am considering options to help with the price of obtaining the license. I don't want to cheap out and not receive the knowledge I should be getting but I do want to save money where I can.

If i decide to do my ground school online and pass my written before going flying, which route should I take?

Thanks in advance!
Boh
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Your first mistake is doing an online course and taking the written before you start training.
 
Clip4 said:
Your first mistake is doing an online course and taking the written before you start training.
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Why?
I've had students do this with all ratings. It is not as common with the PPL, but it does happen. Some people are really good with books, and testing.
 
Find someone or a school with multiple planes, and fly 3 times a week. You won't be able to tell the quality of the instructor by where they work, well not entirely anyway.
I wouldn't touch 141 unless there is some other compelling reason, VA benefits (after PPL), etc..
 
ja_user said:
Why?
I've had students do this with all ratings. It is not as common with the PPL, but it does happen. Some people are really good with books, and testing.
Click to expand...

My recommendation to a student who wanted to reduce costs would be an integrated program of self directed ground training with the flight instruction. That way the student is learning most of the topics when assigned, a review of the topic with the CFI and applying the knowledge during the flight lesson.
 
A high time experienced ATP/CFI is going to be the best bet 9/10 times, the only hard part is finding one, I’d ask around here with your location.

As for doing all the ground first, personally I’ve had guys do it both ways, I just do it alongside your flight training, some of it will make much more sense as you get time in the plane.
 
One possible disadvantage to doing the written first and then doing flight training is that if too much time elapses between the book learning and the checkride is the possibility of flunking the oral portion. Other than that, doing things in whatever order works is not a major issue.
 
Clip4 said:
My recommendation to a student who wanted to reduce costs would be an integrated program of self directed ground training with the flight instruction. That way the student is learning most of the topics when assigned, a review of the topic with the CFI and applying the knowledge during the flight lesson.
Click to expand...

Makes sense, I tend to view the writtens as a separate item. Preparing for the written doesn't necessarily prepare you for the oral, and visa versa
 
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