How far to go for training??

[wbarnhill]

Ok, I got my training last year and drove an hour each way to the flight school since I didn't want to deal with the local airport, so now I wonder...

How far did you/would you drive to get your flight training?

 

[Bill]

How far did you/would you drive to get your flight training?

For PP and IA, about 6mi each way. For the aerobatics/unusual course, flew 45min or drove 2 hrs each way, did about 50/50 of each.

 

[jdwatson]

I'm lucky, the flight school that work with is only 15 minutes away. Wonderful Class C controllers and a great FBO. Now if we could only get rental prices to come down some so I can fly more often.

 

[poadeleted3]

As far as I needed to to fly with instructors and equipment I'm comfortable with.

 

[infotango]

An hour and a half from my apartment in Manhattan to the airport, all via public transit and walking.

These days I'm only about 15 mins. from the house to the airport, by car, of course.

 

[Len Lanetti]

For initial training the flight school was an hour or so from home but only about 5 minutes from work...became a problem when I changed jobs and couldn't afford both flying and a vehicle that worked with any reliability.

Ever since, living quarters were chosen with an eye toward proximity to a place to fly. Apartment in the Chicago suburbs was only a few minutes from Clow International...apartments in the Philadelphia area were spitting distance to KPNE (there were occasions where the strobes from aircraft landing on 6 would illuminate my last apartment).

Current home is situated with several airports (Brandywine, Pottstown Limerick, Pottstown Muni, Perkiomen, Chester County, Morgantown, Reading, PNE, Wings,...) as little as 15 and no more than 60 minutes drive time from my house.

Len

 

[alaskaflyer]

Four hours, but it was to an intensive course.

 

[RotaryWingBob]

Depends on what kind of training. I'm going 2000 miles for training in September (Robinson Safety school).

 

[ggroves]

since I didn't want to deal with the local airport,

Why?

--

I'm 5 minutes from the airport from the office, 15 minutes from the house. To do it right, training for any certificate needs to happen at least 3 times a week. For the IR, it was more. I was lucky to get convienence and a good school.

If I had to, no more than 30-45 minutes..especially after you've worked all day.

Greg
182RG

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

The drive too and from my airport is enough to make anyone evil.

 

[wbarnhill]

Why?

Because people who aren't there to buy fuel aren't worth their time, and they make it known they don't like you. On top of that, I'll pass on paying 75$/hr for a 150 from them that feels like it's falling apart (plastic on the panel would routinely become unglued in flight) when I could rent a 172 for almost the same price at KGYH.

 

[Len Lanetti]

Why?

Any particular FBO or flight school, like else where, can, potentially, be populated with butt heads. Reference experiences below.

Experience at FBO 1

Me - Where do I drop off the keys if I return after you close?
Manager - We are here until dark.
Me - OK, what if I come back after dark? Should I just leave the keys in the plane?
Manager - You can't fly our planes at night.
Me - Oh, I'm not a student pilot.
Manager - Doesn't matter.
Me - I have an instrument rating and a commerical license and xxx hours at night.
Manager - Doesn't matter, our planes don't fly at night.
Me - Are they afraid of the dark or something?
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 2

ME - What is the procedure for taking a plane overnight?
Manager - We don't allow our planes out overnight.
ME - Oh. Ahh, how about for the day.
Manager - We don't let our planes go out for the day.
ME - How about if I want to, ahh, go somewhere.
Manager - You can fly somewhere but you have to come right back.
ME - That's not much fun, passengers like to do things once they get somewhere.
Manager - Most of our pilots usually don't take passengers.
ME - Yea, I can understand why.
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 3

ME - What does it take to get checked out in your Lance.
Manager - You need to get 10 hours of dual.
ME - I have a commercial for singles and multi's and about 100 hours of retractable time including time in a Seneca and I have time in Cherokee 6's.
Manager - Oh. You'll just need a check out.
ME - OK. About how long do you think the check out will take.
Manager - 10 hours.
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 4

While away on business over a weekend I drive to a nearby airport early one Sunday morning to see if I can get checked out in the FBO's 172. Once I get checked out I was going to take two of my clients for a ride in the local area.

ME - Hi. I'd liked to get checked out in your 172 and then rent it later this afternoon. I called yesterday and spoke with an instructor who said just come in early today.
Counter Person - You can't just come in here and fly off in one of our planes.
ME - Oh, I know. I want to get a check out this morning and take the plane this afternoon for a few hours.
Counter Person - How do I even know you are a pilot?
ME - Well. I have my license, my medical and my log book all right here. I know how the procedure usually works. You put my name on the schedule (pointing to the standard paper schedule found at every school) with a plane and an instructor, we fly the plane together until the instructor is satisfied that I can fly and then I can rent the plane by myself.
Counter Person - Well how do you know you will pass the check out that quick.
ME - Well. It is just a 172, I've been flying for xx years, have about xxx hours and have a commercial pilots license.
Counter Person - Well, go talk to the instructor over there and see if he will go up with you.
ME - I go talk to the instructor, who remembers me from the phone call the day before...he says sure...just go get the keys. So I walk back to the counter.
ME to Counter Person - Hi. The instructor says I should just get the keys, no problem.
Counter Person - I just rented the plane to someone else for the day.
ME - {explitive deleted}

I could go on but you get the picture.

Len

 

[woodstock]

My guys are great. My CFI has eternal patience with me! I just talked to him this morning to get my training up and running again. I think I'm going to double up each wkd day - 4 lessons a wkd, his time permitting. Going after work is good too but I think I'll get a lot more done if I can really knock it out on wkds.

The airport is about 10 or so miles away and usually only takes 15 minutes from my house unless it's after work and even that isn't bad.

 

[woodstock]

ps. forgot to mention - my job and life schedule is intense enough, if I had to add much more time to the commute it would probably be just about the last roadblock to finishing.

 

[Len Lanetti]

Perhaps this should be posted into Technical Matters but I was wondering...why do both of Elizabeth's posts have the same number of previous posts 1,767...shouldn't the latter post be incremented by one?

Len

 

[poadeleted3]

Any particular FBO or flight school, like else where, can, potentially, be populated with butt heads. Reference experiences below.

Experience at FBO 1

Me - Where do I drop off the keys if I return after you close?
Manager - We are here until dark.
Me - OK, what if I come back after dark? Should I just leave the keys in the plane?
Manager - You can't fly our planes at night.
Me - Oh, I'm not a student pilot.
Manager - Doesn't matter.
Me - I have an instrument rating and a commerical license and xxx hours at night.
Manager - Doesn't matter, our planes don't fly at night.
Me - Are they afraid of the dark or something?
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 2

ME - What is the procedure for taking a plane overnight?
Manager - We don't allow our planes out overnight.
ME - Oh. Ahh, how about for the day.
Manager - We don't let our planes go out for the day.
ME - How about if I want to, ahh, go somewhere.
Manager - You can fly somewhere but you have to come right back.
ME - That's not much fun, passengers like to do things once they get somewhere.
Manager - Most of our pilots usually don't take passengers.
ME - Yea, I can understand why.
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 3

ME - What does it take to get checked out in your Lance.
Manager - You need to get 10 hours of dual.
ME - I have a commercial for singles and multi's and about 100 hours of retractable time including time in a Seneca and I have time in Cherokee 6's.
Manager - Oh. You'll just need a check out.
ME - OK. About how long do you think the check out will take.
Manager - 10 hours.
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 4

While away on business over a weekend I drive to a nearby airport early one Sunday morning to see if I can get checked out in the FBO's 172. Once I get checked out I was going to take two of my clients for a ride in the local area.

ME - Hi. I'd liked to get checked out in your 172 and then rent it later this afternoon. I called yesterday and spoke with an instructor who said just come in early today.
Counter Person - You can't just come in here and fly off in one of our planes.
ME - Oh, I know. I want to get a check out this morning and take the plane this afternoon for a few hours.
Counter Person - How do I even know you are a pilot?
ME - Well. I have my license, my medical and my log book all right here. I know how the procedure usually works. You put my name on the schedule (pointing to the standard paper schedule found at every school) with a plane and an instructor, we fly the plane together until the instructor is satisfied that I can fly and then I can rent the plane by myself.
Counter Person - Well how do you know you will pass the check out that quick.
ME - Well. It is just a 172, I've been flying for xx years, have about xxx hours and have a commercial pilots license.
Counter Person - Well, go talk to the instructor over there and see if he will go up with you.
ME - I go talk to the instructor, who remembers me from the phone call the day before...he says sure...just go get the keys. So I walk back to the counter.
ME to Counter Person - Hi. The instructor says I should just get the keys, no problem.
Counter Person - I just rented the plane to someone else for the day.
ME - {explitive deleted}

I could go on but you get the picture.

Len

This entire post should go into the "Why aren't more people getting their PPL" thread. Cathy and I have run into waaaaaay more FBOs like that than we should have over the course of time. Imagine how many people who aren't as driven as we are those FBOs have run off? I did like the "scared of the dark" comment, though.

 

[poadeleted3]

Perhaps this should be posted into Technical Matters but I was wondering...why do both of Elizabeth's posts have the same number of previous posts 1,767...shouldn't the latter post be incremented by one?

Len

The second post was just a "p.s." Computers are smarter than we give them credit for. Have you seen "I, Robot"?

 

[woodstock]

weird!

 

[ggroves]

why do both of Elizabeth's posts have the same number of previous posts 1,767...shouldn't the latter post be incremented by one?
Len

The post count is dynamically pulled when the page it built. It shows total posts, not the number of posts at the time that particular post was posted......(my fingers hurt)

Same reason for avitars...even old threads update dynamically to the new avitar.

Greg
182RG

 

[Len Lanetti]

The post count is dynamically pulled when the page it built. It shows total posts, not the number of posts at the time that particular post was posted......(my fingers hurt)

Ahh...I got it...it wouldn't be much good as an audit trail so as to say who knew what when.

Len

 

[Len Lanetti]

weird!

What?

Len

 

[woodstock]

What?

Len

I didn't catch that either. then again I don't go back looking at all the old posts either.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Any particular FBO or flight school, like else where, can, potentially, be populated with butt heads. Reference experiences below.

Experience at FBO 1

Me - Where do I drop off the keys if I return after you close?
Manager - We are here until dark.
Me - OK, what if I come back after dark? Should I just leave the keys in the plane?
Manager - You can't fly our planes at night.
Me - Oh, I'm not a student pilot.
Manager - Doesn't matter.
Me - I have an instrument rating and a commerical license and xxx hours at night.
Manager - Doesn't matter, our planes don't fly at night.
Me - Are they afraid of the dark or something?
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 2

ME - What is the procedure for taking a plane overnight?
Manager - We don't allow our planes out overnight.
ME - Oh. Ahh, how about for the day.
Manager - We don't let our planes go out for the day.
ME - How about if I want to, ahh, go somewhere.
Manager - You can fly somewhere but you have to come right back.
ME - That's not much fun, passengers like to do things once they get somewhere.
Manager - Most of our pilots usually don't take passengers.
ME - Yea, I can understand why.
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 3

ME - What does it take to get checked out in your Lance.
Manager - You need to get 10 hours of dual.
ME - I have a commercial for singles and multi's and about 100 hours of retractable time including time in a Seneca and I have time in Cherokee 6's.
Manager - Oh. You'll just need a check out.
ME - OK. About how long do you think the check out will take.
Manager - 10 hours.
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 4

While away on business over a weekend I drive to a nearby airport early one Sunday morning to see if I can get checked out in the FBO's 172. Once I get checked out I was going to take two of my clients for a ride in the local area.

ME - Hi. I'd liked to get checked out in your 172 and then rent it later this afternoon. I called yesterday and spoke with an instructor who said just come in early today.
Counter Person - You can't just come in here and fly off in one of our planes.
ME - Oh, I know. I want to get a check out this morning and take the plane this afternoon for a few hours.
Counter Person - How do I even know you are a pilot?
ME - Well. I have my license, my medical and my log book all right here. I know how the procedure usually works. You put my name on the schedule (pointing to the standard paper schedule found at every school) with a plane and an instructor, we fly the plane together until the instructor is satisfied that I can fly and then I can rent the plane by myself.
Counter Person - Well how do you know you will pass the check out that quick.
ME - Well. It is just a 172, I've been flying for xx years, have about xxx hours and have a commercial pilots license.
Counter Person - Well, go talk to the instructor over there and see if he will go up with you.
ME - I go talk to the instructor, who remembers me from the phone call the day before...he says sure...just go get the keys. So I walk back to the counter.
ME to Counter Person - Hi. The instructor says I should just get the keys, no problem.
Counter Person - I just rented the plane to someone else for the day.
ME - {explitive deleted}

I could go on but you get the picture.

Len

Len-

What a great post.

50% of FBO's deserve to go out of business IMHO, based on my unscientific sample.

I had an opportunity to take lessons at my home airport (at the time), from which I was less than a five minute walk. They were a unhappy combination of your four examples above, and I told them to pound sand after my second experience trying to get lessons with them, and never looked back. Took vacation time and went to a flight school instead.

P.S. you forgot the part where you stood at the counter for five minutes waiting for the person to hang up with their girlfriend/boyfriend/mother/parole officer on their cell phone.

 

[JRitt]

Well we just go good news here The old flight school was bought out. The old one never had anybody in the office so the phone was never answered and they never returned messages. They had 2 sorry looking planes (1966 172 badly in need of paint and interior and a 150 the same way). The new school brought in 2 newer 172SP's. A second school is opening up as soon as they get their building finished. Maybe we will get some pilots out of this.

 

[bbchien]

Any particular FBO or flight school, like else where, can, potentially, be populated with butt heads. Reference experiences below.

Experience at FBO 1
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 2
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 3
Conversation goes down hill from there.

Experience at FBO 4
ME to Counter Person - Hi. The instructor says I should just get the keys, no problem.
Counter Person - I just rented the plane to someone else for the day.
ME - {explitive deleted}
I could go on but you get the picture.Len

Sigh.....

 

[ScottM]

When I was going for training in the Il area I checked all the schools around where I lived until I settled on one that happened to be pretty close that had two good FBOs with training form experienced CFIs. In the end it was a tie between two CFIs so I went witht he place that had more planes to rent. The other place I did do some of my instrument work with.

For my commercial I traveled 900 miles and did it in a school that had the right equipment and the right CFI.

 

[kevin47881]

When I was doing my ppl training the airport I was training at was about 10 miles away. The airport I now fly out of is 27 miles away.

 

[Steve]

60 miles each way for the private. Wife drove up. I took the first lesson, she took the second. I drove home. The drive gave us time to review and debrief.

Twin training was in another state for a week.

 

[mikea]

Google says it's 44 miles. I always end up with more than 50. 1.25 to 2 hour drive.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...yslake,+IL+60030&daddr=60657&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1

I took Dan to see the plane and for once looked at how many miles it was just from the tollway/interstate exit. 12 miles.

I dunno how I ever finished. One thing I did was to always book two back-to-back time slots with the CFI so the training time was a little closer to the driving time.

Now I talk myself out of trying to go fly just due to the drive and peripheral hassles.

 

[ScottM]

Google says it's 44 miles. I always end up with more than 50. 1.25 to 2 hour drive.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=N+Curran+Rd+%26+W+Townline+Rd,+Grayslake,+IL+60030&daddr=60657&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1

I took Dan to see the plane and for once looked at how many miles it was just from the tollway/interstate exit. 12 miles.

I dunno how I ever finished. One thing I did was to always book two back-to-back time slots with the CFI so the training time was a little closer to the driving time.

Now I talk myself out of trying to go fly just due to the drive and peripheral hassles.

Mike,
You live downtown and commute to Grayslake for your plane?? YUK!

 

[Shipoke]

Well CXY is about 10 min. away,but all the CFI's are young looking for Airline jobs, i want a CFI that would stay around so i went 45 min. away to N71, Eugene stay with me till almost the end of my training,when he left i had about 5 hours (some Finish up work ) to do. And hows this , he offered to let the job go by so he could finish me up. i told him i could do the 5 hours with anyone , TAKE THE JOB. Now that what i call a good CFI.
Dave G.

 

[mikea]

Mike,
You live downtown and commute to Grayslake for your plane?? YUK!

Well, not downtown but near Wrigley field. That's a difference of maybe 5 miles.

I have always fully intended to move nearer to the airport, for not a small additional reason to stop the flow of any of my money to Prince Ritchie.

I just advised a pilot buddy to buy a Mac and to NOT to buy it in the Chicago Apple store so Ritchie didn't get any of the sales tax. He'll buy it in the Northbrook store so we can support the needy in almost Lake County.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Now I talk myself out of trying to go fly just due to the drive and peripheral hassles.

Mike,

You really need to get a place closer to the plane! Jeez, I think I live closer to your plane than you do.

 

[Henning]

Ok, I got my training last year and drove an hour each way to the flight school since I didn't want to deal with the local airport, so now I wonder...

How far did you/would you drive to get your flight training?

I either had a 2+hr boat ride to Long Beach from Catalina, or my Instructor would fly over and pick me up (one of the reasons I finally got around to flying was to avoid that dang boat ride in bad weather, oohh it's miserable. I'd just go to the wheel house (professional courtesy) and curl up and sleep while everyone hurled (when the weather is bad, it's about a 4 hr trip). When the chief freight dog in the Beech 18s (their ramp is right across from the flight school) saw what was going on he gave me rides over dual, too cool, and I don't pay for the .9 hrs I wasn't in the plane (which was $42 hr wet and worth every penny to avoid that boat ride. You learn how to get into AVX in bad weather, and sometimes you don't, you gotta go back. So, that was my longest commute unless you count the do it in a weekend/week places. But I never drove to those, always flew in.