Chances for oldtimer learner

mscard88 said:
Yes, I would concur with Cyndy's videos. She also just became a DPE in Tennessee. Another is Gary Wing out of San Diego. As Nate mentioned, a lot of junk and non CFIs making YouTube videos. Tread lightly.
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I was unhappy when she pulled down all of her stuff. Then she re-uploaded it all with her company logo on her uniform shirt blurred out, so it must have been the switch to DPE and away from whatever school that was, and a concern about association with them or trademark/copyright, that made her decide to do that. Don’t know, but it was nice to see her re-uploading.

I don’t completely agree with the order she does her lessons in, but that’s a preference thing really. For ground school videos they’re not bad at all.

Gary gets a little too “Joe Cool” for me, but partly that’s just his natural speaking voice. Ha. His marketing gimmick with his last name is cool but I can’t get the image out of my mind of him using that voice at a bar somewhere hitting on a girl... “Wanna fly the Wing, baby?” LOL.

I know there’s likely no basis in reality for that imagination image in my brain, but I can’t shake it. Hahahahaha. I bet he’s a nice guy.

If we ever want a real disaster we could get all the PoA CFIs together and write some scripts and upload some crap to YouTube. Hahaha. Oh lord. All videos shall be shot at fly-ins after dinner and the drinks have already been flowing.

We’ll do it and have Bockelman mic’ed up for sarcastic commentary as we head off-script and the whole thing crashes and burns. :)
 
denverpilot said:
[snip]
If we ever want a real disaster we could get all the PoA CFIs together and write some scripts and upload some crap to YouTube. Hahaha. Oh lord. All videos shall be shot at fly-ins after dinner and the drinks have already been flowing.

We’ll do it and have Bockelman mic’ed up for sarcastic commentary as we head off-script and the whole thing crashes and burns. :)
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Bryan (@SixPapaCharlie ) can edit and produce. What could go wrong?
 
KzSheikh said:
I am in my early 40s as most americans heavy set around 200some pounds, always wanted to fly, not really as a profession, for that i have a stable job, but for fun. Now i am not reach by any standards but have a comfortable living. I am planning on learning to fly, wanted to run this by other pilots/perspective pilots, if it's too late to learn, is it too expensive to learn? would it be better to learn by going to a flying school? or maybe fraction ownership is the way to go? If anything, I'd probably want to buy with another perspective pilot, to share the plane, something like a cherokee 140/150 or a cessna 172. I do understand the basics of flying, live near an airport, Leesburg, VA KJYO. What do you say guys? Is there anyone like that out there with similar interests?
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I started at 63. Got my certificate about a year later (weather delays compounded with busy DPE added almost 6 months to the process).
Yes, it's too expensive. I fly light sport. The plane was $130/hr wet at a discounted rate and the CFI $70/hr. Getting to the checkride was 'spensive. But then again, most good hobbies tend to be expensive. If you have the money and don't need it for rent/food/living/college funds, what the hell...sell the nice car, get a junker, and spend the difference on flying!
I'd recommend getting a few hours under your belt via rental before you commit to buying or sharing a plane. If you get time in the cockpit and still really want to continue, then run the numbers and see if it makes sense to share.
You may understand the basics of flying but...no, you don't! ;-) I've been around planes most of my life, flew sims since FS 1, had enough physics to understand flight and was totally unprepared for the cockpit. Or the regs. Or comms. Or traffic. Or weather...People compare learning to fly with drinking from a fire hose. I found the process humbling.
 
KzSheikh said:
I am in my early 40s as most americans heavy set around 200some pounds, always wanted to fly, not really as a profession, for that i have a stable job, but for fun. Now i am not reach by any standards but have a comfortable living. I am planning on learning to fly, wanted to run this by other pilots/perspective pilots, if it's too late to learn, is it too expensive to learn? would it be better to learn by going to a flying school? or maybe fraction ownership is the way to go? If anything, I'd probably want to buy with another perspective pilot, to share the plane, something like a cherokee 140/150 or a cessna 172. I do understand the basics of flying, live near an airport, Leesburg, VA KJYO. What do you say guys? Is there anyone like that out there with similar interests?
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I am 45 and I just joined POA yesterday. I am located opposite side of the Potomac River from you and looking to start my journey to fly. All I need is my wife's approval which seems challenging.
 
pd8 said:
I am 45 and I just joined POA yesterday. I am located opposite side of the Potomac River from you and looking to start my journey to fly. All I need is my wife's approval which seems challenging.
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You’ve already lost if you need here approval. I understand her not wanting to participate, but approval......nah. Good luck though.
 
I started 3 months ago I am 56, got medical 1st before paying for any lessons. At 23 hrs in I have over $5500.00 invested
that includes lessons, ground school, books, flight bag, knees boards, headset (A20-$1100.00). I figure I am a little better than a third of the way there. Though the cost for the next 2/3rds should be less, dual vrs solo and I already bought the high priced toys to go along with lessons. I also purchased / built a simulator for slightly north of 3k, which I personally would not overly endorse. I figure all toll I well be around 10-12K by the time I finish, so ain't cheap.

As far as the challenge yes we older guys learn at a slower rate, more so the academic part, and there is a lot. I spent 24 hrs in ground school, which was more of a seminar than a class, I spent somewhere near double that reading and studying, so its not just the lesson time you need to study, and chair fly, practice comms.

The biggest thing to make sure of is the school you choose, many are milk machines, many are staffed with very green CFI's who are in many cases only time building and could care less about teaching. I had to fire my original 19 year old CFI, who taught me almost nothing, had no syllabus, would ask me what I had done and not done, and played with his phone while I was flying. The new CFI I have is fantastic and he is greener (time as CFI) than the kid was.

All I am saying due your due diligence, choose wisely.
 
KzSheikh said:
I am in my early 40s as most americans heavy set around 200some pounds, always wanted to fly, not really as a profession, for that i have a stable job, but for fun. Now i am not reach by any standards but have a comfortable living. I am planning on learning to fly, wanted to run this by other pilots/perspective pilots, if it's too late to learn, is it too expensive to learn? would it be better to learn by going to a flying school? or maybe fraction ownership is the way to go? If anything, I'd probably want to buy with another perspective pilot, to share the plane, something like a cherokee 140/150 or a cessna 172. I do understand the basics of flying, live near an airport, Leesburg, VA KJYO. What do you say guys? Is there anyone like that out there with similar interests?
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Not too late. My first flying lesson took place one week after I turned 60! That was about a year and a half ago, and due to only taking a lesson once a week, with a few breaks of a couple months here and there, I’m still taking lessons. Hopefully this year I’ll finally make it.
 
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