Help me decide please.

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Chups

Filing Flight Plan
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Chups
Good evening all, and thanks for taking the time to read this post. Just joined and hope to get some advice from some astute pilots as well as those still in training.

I am 42, retired US Navy Senior Chief who has been in Aviation Maintenance my entire adult life. I have turned wrenches, managed the maintenance for entire squadrons, and have a very good knowledge on the physics of fixed and rotary wing aircraft . I loved it so much, that I continued in the field when I retired.

Now I want to write the gripes, and not just fix them :) I finally have the financial freedom to make this life goal a realty. I searched the forums, but did not see any answers to my specific question.

How should I make this goal a reality? After speaking to pilots I work with, they think that because of my background, that I should not waste my money on classroom time. I should go to an online course, expand and refine my knowledge, then show up at a flight school after I have passed the required tests. What do you guys think of this plan? Can you recommend any good online or DVD courses?

Also, I live in San Diego, and I am scouting a good training program once I have the classroom portion completed. Can anyone suggest a good school? I have read reviews, but would love to hear from experienced pilots.

I work a strange schedule. 4 months is San Diego, 4 months overseas. I can do the online or DVD classes when overseas and the flight training when I get home.

What do you guys think? Is this a good approach?

Thanks again for reading.
 
There's no guarantee that you need to take classes, it really depends on you. I self-studied out of a book. That being said, down in San Diego, there's a flying club that is huge called plus one flyers, seems like from online that they have a lot of planes, many at reasonable rates, I'd probably go to one of their orientation sessions and ask questions there!
 
Buy the Jeppesen book and the ASA Test Questions and answers. Pass the test after you're 10-30 hours into your flight training. Worked for me.
 
I read that you had to pass the test before you started flying? Perhaps I missread and it meant Solo flying?
 
I had no airplane experience and have done all of my book work using Jeppesen text, FAA Airplane flying handbook, and King's online course. Really feel no need for anything further.
 
Chups said:
I read that you had to pass the test before you started flying? Perhaps I missread and it meant Solo flying?
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You have to pass a pre-solo quiz before you fly alone that your flight instructor will give you. It's not formal but most CFI's use basically the same questions. IIRC it's take home and you review it with your CFI before your solo. AFAIK, there's not requirement to pass the written before you solo. I don't think I had passed mine before I soloed.
 
bartmc said:
You have to pass a pre-solo quiz before you fly alone that your flight instructor will give you. It's not formal but most CFI's use basically the same questions. IIRC it's take home and you review it with your CFI before your solo. AFAIK, there's not requirement to pass the written before you solo. I don't think I had passed mine before I soloed.
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My pre-solo was actually all short answer written, not multiple choice. I did great on it, and I think being truly written is more difficult than multiple choice. I am 98% self study.
 
Chups said:
I read that you had to pass the test before you started flying? Perhaps I missread and it meant Solo flying?
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Formal FAA test before license checkride. Informal school test before solo. Very informal intelligence test (fetching buckets of propwash) before first lesson.
 
Chups said:
I read that you had to pass the test before you started flying? Perhaps I missread and it meant Solo flying?
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Negative, Chief! Visit a flight school or two and ask around. My airport is 3001' long, and the FBO is the size of a small trailer; when I started they had two 172's and a Bo; now they have a 3rd 172 also. Size really doesn't matter . . .

I bought the Gleim "Be A Pilot" kit from the FBO, with all of the books, tools, etc., that I needed, including a logbook that is still not full. [I have two pages left!] Read a chapter in one or two books, go fly it with the instructor, repeat. At some point, after reading everything and achieving full comprehension in the air, I started studying for the test. Passed it 2-3 weeks before my checkride.

For solo, there will be a test; mine was written by my CFI and covers the basics--pattern altitude, weight & balance, VFR minimums, airspace, etc. Must have been 10-15 questions.

Start whenever you are ready. Fly and learn at your own pace. Buy some videos to watch during your 4-month school break, finish up when you get back. You can do it in a year or less, including one overseas stint.

I've wanted to be a pilot since before high school, but I failed the Navy flight physical due to less-than-perfect eyesight. But at age 44, I earned my PP-ASEL on my own dime. Should have done it years ago!
 
Awesome advice all...especially Hank. Thanks so much for giving some input.
 
Chups said:
Also, I live in San Diego, ...
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Hello,

I can't help you with the ground portion, as I just read the FAA books and used Gleim's study program for the written prep; however, for the flying, I highly recommend checking out:

https://www.plusoneflyers.org

It's a great club with a lot of instructors to choose from. I'd be happy to recommend some for you -- I just wrapped up my lessons and got my cert yesterday. There are plenty of formal flight schools around here, too, if you want to go that route.
 
I started on my PPL in October. I work full time, dual income and no kids. Doing my final prep for check ride. Holidays got in the way, a bit of weather, and work doesn't like me gone too much during the week. So, it's been slower than I wanted.

Go at your own pace, but as others have said countless times, try going 3x a week. I was for a the first 20 hours, and I progressed super fast, but work didn't like that. Going once a week is not nearly as good and seems to be dragging out.

Before I solo'd, CFI gave me a take home written exam and we reviewed it before I could fly. Very informal. I took my written test a month ago. CFI said that some CFI's won't let their students solo XC without a written passed...as a prod for me to go take my written.

On a final note, perhaps lending a hand in the maintenance bay might buy you some hours in the plane and everyone wins - you get to hang out with the CFI's more and get free tips here and there. Sometimes I'll go in an hour before my session and chat with whomever is around - other students, CFI's lounging waiting for their late students, etc. Always picking up little tips or even just listening to others chat about topics. Sometimes get answers to odd questions you never thought of to ask your CFI.

The cool thing is, the young college receptionist is doing her multi-engine, she is always chatting up the CFI's and I always get free tips - not always directly related to my SEL, but it's pretty cool to listen and ask a question once in a while.

Also, like others have said, check out a couple schools. I did a couple introductory lessons at different schools to get a feel of the school, the planes, the CFI's, and the office. Glad I did so I can get an idea of what it's like. I'm learning out of an untowered airport in Davis, CA. It means less time line up and waiting ($$$). If you go that route, try to always fly to towered airports for T&G, etc, so you're still comfy on the radio. Flew a 'bay tour' of SF with CFI early on and I handled all radio calls, was great.

Enjoy the ride, you'll love it!

-Mitch
 
If your schedule is 4 months in SD and then 4 months overseas, I'd suggest completing the PP during one of your 4 month home periods. In other words, don't drag it over 8+ months. After finishing the PP, and you go overseas for your job and return 4 months later, you may need a flight or two with a CFI to again get the feel back. Weather in SD should allow scheduling to complete the PP in 4 months easy.

you could study ground info during the last 30 days of your oversea job, then when you arrive home, take the test and have air lessons ready to go.
 
Note that there's a pretty good reason to delay your written test until you're close to your check ride. The oral portion of your check ride will include a lot of content from your ground materials and it's safe to assume the material is fresh in your head for a few weeks after taking the written test.
 
In my case, because I couldn't start flight lessons right away, I went ahead and took the written test first. I do think it's better to do a combination of studying and flying, because some of the test questions don't make sense until you've seen them in action. But I managed OK.
 
C182P said:
Note that there's a pretty good reason to delay your written test until you're close to your check ride. The oral portion of your check ride will include a lot of content from your ground materials and it's safe to assume the material is fresh in your head for a few weeks after taking the written test.
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Most instructors I know won't let you do your X/C until your written is done, with good reason, some won't allow you to solo period. Granted, solo x/c is over half-way done anyway.

I found the knowledge and oral to be sufficiently different, except for the weather charts. The knowledge is a lot of memorizing numbers and regs whereas the practical oral is just that, an understanding of things that include sound judgement, safe flying, etc. I found most of the memorization for the oral to be self-evident such as understanding what's on a chart, AFD, how to read NOTAMs, etc. I didn't do too well with weather charts, though -- I gave myself a lot of post-PP homework on this :)
 
I believe that you do have to have a CFI endorsement that you are ready to take the written before you are permitted to do so. If you do the online/DVD video courses offered by the Kings School, or other similar commercial provider, after you complete the course and take their practice tests you can download their endorsement which allows you to sit for the written test.

As others have said, you do not need to have completed your written before you start flight training. I frankly think you should not take it prior to starting actual flying with an instructor. The test results are only good for two years. If you do not complete your check ride before that time is up, you have to re-take the written. You will be learning a lot of the information for the written as you go up with your instructor. So you will learn a lot without the drudgery of book learnin' and it may stick with you better and easier than if you are trying to simply learn the material from a book or a video. But everyone differs in the way they learn, and others may have different opinions.

For me, the learning process was completely centered around the relationship I had with my CFI. I liked him, I got along great with him, he was very knowledgeable and skilled, and was dedicated to teaching-- even though he was a young kid (although married with a child) and was obviously trying to build time to get to the airlines. But my point is, it made no difference to me whether I had found this CFI through the FBO, a 141 school, a flying club, or had just found a free lance instructor out of the yellow pages. It is the relationship with your CFI that matters from a learning standpoint. Financially, there may be a big difference. If so, you certainly will need to consider the differences in costs. If you are doing the GI bill, you will probably have to find a 141 school. But other than that, don't get too hung up on flights schools v. flying club v. independent CFIs. Find a CFI that you feel will serve you well. That's really all that matters from a learning standpoint at this point. Also, don't get too hung up on the type of plane. (High wing v. low wing; six pack v. glass; Cessna v. everything else.) The skills you learn will be pretty easy to transition to other types. As long as you have an aircraft readily available that is well maintained, you're good to go.
 
PPC1052 said:
For me, the learning process was completely centered around the relationship I had with my CFI. I liked him, I got along great with him, he was very knowledgeable and skilled, and was dedicated to teaching-- even though he was a young kid (although married with a child) and was obviously trying to build time to get to the airlines. But my point is, it made no difference to me whether I had found this CFI through the FBO, a 141 school, a flying club, or had just found a free lance instructor out of the yellow pages.
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Yup, finding a CFI is the easy part; finding someone you'd want as a CFI is harder. Interview, chat, spend time in the sky with potential teachers. Find someone you feel would not only be a good and thorough instructor, but someone you click with and enjoy being around.
 
Chump, I was in the Nav until 2000. I was stationed on the USS Benfold (DDG-65) in San Diego and got my private while still enlisted. I found the Armed Forces Aero Club based out of Montgomery Field (KMYF).

Scott Peterson was my Flight Instructor, I don't know if he's still there. My advice, don't do anything online. Just go find a CFI and talk to them. The AFAC has my complete endorsement as does Scott. I gotta run so I'll keep this short.

Good luck out there senior chief!
 
Captain said:
I found the Armed Forces Aero Club based out of Montgomery Field (KMYF).
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AFAC is okay, but a MUCH smaller fleet and more expensive than Plus One.

Plus One is one of the best deals you will find in general aviation.
 
First, download the free ebook at www.FreeFlyBook.com. No signup needed, just click and download. That will answer just about any question you might have.

Next, do the free registration at the Gold Seal Ground School (www.FAA-Ground-School.com). That gives you complete access to a third of the course without any charge. No other online program will give you that kind of free test drive. NONE OF THEM! If you decide that you like the way it works, enrollment is just $88 for one year. And this includes a "Forever Guarantee" of satisfaction or all of your money back.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Yup. That's him. Rear Admiral now. I had the pleasure of working for him when he was ESG V in Bahrain.
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Small world.

Here's the CO posing in front of the Benfold. It's his book cover.

9781455523023.jpg
 
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