distance to go for flight training..

OldDeadOne

OldDeadOne

Filing Flight Plan
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OldDeadOne
Those who are now taking flight training and those that have,did you have to travel far for flight training? The airport I went to no longer has flight training(about 15 miles or so) and now it's more than likely to be 30 miles one airport or 50 or so miles for the other.
 
OldDeadOne said:
Those who are now taking flight training and those that have,did you have to travel far for flight training? The airport I went to no longer has flight training(about 15 miles or so) and now it's more than likely to be 30 miles one airport or 50 or so miles for the other.
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For my PP I had to travel 27 miles over water to the flight school. For my MES I travelled about 12,000 miles...:eek: (I was working/living in Indonesia at the time and Sheble's in in Laughlin NV:D)
 
40-45 mins by car for me.
 
The airport is about 40 miles by road and takes me a solid 30 minutes to get there (mostly highway).


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30 miles, and I live 2 miles from an airport with a "real" flight school complete with 21 year old CFI's and planes priced 3 times as much as the FBO 30 miles south. I went south found a guy who owns the FBO, is the CFI(I), A&P/IA and airplane owner, he's been CFIing for 30 years or so. His rates were 80/hr for a Cessna 150 WET WITH instructor, at the airport 2 miles away, it would have been $180/hr for the same thing (Well they fly 172s).
 
It depends what time of year it is for me. Right now it's a 65 mile trip that takes about 1:15. During the school year it's only 2 miles and about 3-15 mins depending on the traffic.

I can tell you that you really have to want to fly if it's more than 45-60 mins away. Especially when half the trip is now under road work. I haven't flown as much as I would if I lived in my college town during the summer.
 
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I started at one that was a 30 minute drive across town to a Class C airport. That school went TU and I switched to the closer airport, 10 minutes away and non towered.
 
For my glider license it was a solid hour of interstate driving.

For my SEL its 20 minutes down the road.
 
Back when I did my private training it was about a 35 minute drive for me each way. It helped that it was basically traffic free and on county roads.

Now that I instruct I intentionally bought a house close to the airport and it's about a 4 minute drive. I could have probably found a better house further from the airport but I'm one of the few that WANTS to live close to it. I'm glad that I did, if I lived further away, I wouldn't be instructing as much as I do.
 
I live 15 minutes from my training airport. Coincidentally, I also drive 15 minutes to work. :wink2:
 
The nearest airport is just over a mile from me. However, i chose to do my private training at one 15 miles away (they had the plane and instructor i wanted). Did the instrument at the local one. Based on that experience, decided to go elsewhere for commercial and cfi.

Unfortunately, the comm/CFI require a complex plane which limited my options. The closet option i liked was a 2 hour drive away. I would definitely not recommend that for someone doing private pilot training where you might have to make that trip 30 times or more. But the commercial only required a few trips out there and i don't mind driving, so it wasn't bad. I'm happy with how it went. It helped that the CFI was an old friend of mine.
 
I make a 66 mile trek around the DC beltway (horrible) and out Route 50 to get to the airport I fly from, because even including gas and tolls, it's less expensive to fly at Bay Bridge than Leesburg. It's taken me 2.5 hours one way before.
 
Hahahahah oh man that is a heck of a commute, James.

However, I do something similar. I drive all the way up 270 to Frederick. I like it because it's a straight shot from my place and doesn't take very long (even in rush hour).
 
The furthest I drove was Staten Island to Islip/MacGarther in Long Island 68 Miles. Closest was Plattsburgh AFB to Clinton County airport 6 miles.

Gas was 35 cents a gallon when I was driving to Islip...:cryin:
 
Henning said:
For my PP I had to travel 27 miles over water to the flight school. For my MES I travelled about 12,000 miles...:eek: (I was working/living in Indonesia at the time and Sheble's in in Laughlin NV:D)
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If you had it to do over again, would you still pick Sheble's? And if so, is there anything you would recommend to someone thinking about going there for PP?

Sorry for the thread drift. If I take lessons where I live, the closest available schools are between 45-90 minutes one way, depending on time of year. I'm pretty sure I'll be going someplace like Sheble's and living/breathing/eating flight training until after my checkride.
 
HerrGruyere said:
Hahahahah oh man that is a heck of a commute, James.

However, I do something similar. I drive all the way up 270 to Frederick. I like it because it's a straight shot from my place and doesn't take very long (even in rush hour).
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You bet. I hate DC traffic. It should go die in a hole somewhere.
 
4000 mile each way for me....well maybe I should explain that I am from the UK and travel to Florida for my flight training...;)

I am busy doing my PPL, and train for a week or two during each trip I make over to my vacation home here in the US.

I am 63yrs old so a bit of a late starter to fulfill my dream of becoming a pilot. Currently have FAA written completed, 50 hrs flight time logged, 5.5 Solo, duel night x/c completed.
Going back home to the UK tomorrow, so hopefully when I am back over in September I will finish up earn my PPL Ticket.
Then it will be time plan the next phase of my training schedule, Instrument training, followed by unusual attitude training.
 
About 20 minutes each way from home to the airport. I have a good situation in that I belong to a club and we can use any CFI(I) we want. Plus, if I were to go on for my Commercial (and CFI after retirement) we have an Arrow in the club, so complex time is easy, just grab it and fly.

When I was starting out in 2000 my CFI was having trouble finding planes he was comfortable with and we were looking at flying out of CLS, which is more like a 40 minute drive from home. But, he found a local plane that was fine until I got into the club, so all of my instruction was out of OLM. Far more convenient that way.
 
55 miles to Hanover, Va, 60 miles to Leesburg Va, 89 miles to Bay Bridge, Maryland. Of course, if I change my medication, two good flight schools and one great one all just 20 minutes away.
 
OldDeadOne said:
Those who are now taking flight training and those that have,did you have to travel far for flight training? The airport I went to no longer has flight training(about 15 miles or so) and now it's more than likely to be 30 miles one airport or 50 or so miles for the other.
Click to expand...

I go to one airport for aerobatic training and another for glider training. Both are about 1.4 hours away by car :(
 
LandSickness said:
55 miles to Hanover, Va, 60 miles to Leesburg Va, 89 miles to Bay Bridge, Maryland. Of course, if I change my medication, two good flight schools and one great one all just 20 minutes away.
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Even though Bay Bridge is far, the Chesapeake Sport Pilot operation is top notch. We just got a newish Remos in January, and it looks like a seriously decked out CT is coming online soonish. The Eaglets are great airplanes, and I haven't flown the Sky Arrows.

I'm not affiliated with them at all, except that I pay them a lot of money. I just really like what they have to offer. Nice airplanes and outstanding instruction. If you have any questions feel free to shoot them my way.
 
OldDeadOne said:
Those who are now taking flight training and those that have,did you have to travel far for flight training? The airport I went to no longer has flight training(about 15 miles or so) and now it's more than likely to be 30 miles one airport or 50 or so miles for the other.
Click to expand...

Yes. I had one that was closer but more expensive and less exciting. Mine was / is about 30 miles each way.... 30 minutes or so with no traffic but up to an hour and a half in rush hour traffic, which was often since I'd take flying lessons after work. I love my airport, however, and it was worth the extra drive. I'm now a member of the airport club and we do poker runs, flour bombing, and aviation movies. A true community of pilots.
 
jpower said:
Even though Bay Bridge is far, the Chesapeake Sport Pilot operation is top notch. We just got a newish Remos in January, and it looks like a seriously decked out CT is coming online soonish. The Eaglets are great airplanes, and I haven't flown the Sky Arrows.

I'm not affiliated with them at all, except that I pay them a lot of money. I just really like what they have to offer. Nice airplanes and outstanding instruction. If you have any questions feel free to shoot them my way.
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I'm pretty sold on CSP. The rates, the fleet, the Remos GX payload:D, all good reasons to take that drive. Just waiting for the summer vacation traffic to somewhat subside......as if.
 
My first go at flight training 20 years ago was a little over 20 miles from home. When I started again last year it was 35 miles from home and that's where I have my plane now. A price of living in the boonies.
 
1.4 miles. I live right below the left crosswind of 15 at KADS.
 
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