Is 13 too young?

BigAL

BigAL

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BigAL
My 13yr old son is getting really interested in fly'n. I'm plan'n on getting my lic this yr, by Dec. is my goal. He's become interested due to all the books I have and MFS X.

On to my question. Should I have him start reading books, talk w/the CFI, etc or have him hold off? I don't want him to get burned out before he can solo in 3yrs. I've read where kids have done this, but never got any details.

Just look'n for your opinions/suggestions.

Thanks
 
BigAL said:
My 13yr old son is getting really interested in fly'n. I'm plan'n on getting my lic this yr, by Dec. is my goal. He's become interested due to all the books I have and MFS X.

On to my question. Should I have him start reading books, talk w/the CFI, etc or have him hold off? I don't want him to get burned out before he can solo in 3yrs. I've read where kids have done this, but never got any details.

Just look'n for your opinions/suggestions.

Thanks
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The youngest discovery flight I've done is with a 10 year old. His parents called several times, we met at the airport, talked about the airplanes, training, certificates, costs, age limits, etc -- they were chock full 'o questions.

They and he wanted to fly.

So I took dad up for a short hop. he liked it.

I took the 10-year old up and we flew over his house, his grandfather's farm, school, etc.

He enjoyed it, they all thought it was great.

They said they'd be in touch.

Haven't heard from them since.

So no -- he's not too young to expereince flight.

But lessons should wait.

In the meantime, reading and flight sims will help prepare a base of knowledge and skill that will only help later on.
 
Just take it at his pace. I know of kids that feel 'pushed' to do something and when that happens it is no longer fun for them. I see this when parents are trying to get the kid interested in scuba, which I teach, the kids end up hating the activity. You could also try doing something new for each of you at the same time, like get a glider rating.
 
Scott's idea of glider training is a good one. Especially since you can solo a Sailplane at 14, and get your Cert at 16. Besides It's a heck of a lot of fun.
 
For what it's worth I took a discovery flight and even a couple of lessons (not more than turns, descents and climbs) at 13. If anything, it got me even more nuttier and hooked up with flying. If he’s really into it I wouldn’t say its too young.
 
I would agree with the general theme here, if the books are around and he picks them up to read because he enjoys it I think that's ok. As to saying you should read this if you want to learn to fly, I don't think I would go there yet. A discovery flight could be fun or maybe even riding along with you on a lesson once in a while will probably get him hooked further. But I would hold off on a formal training regiment (which I don't think you were thinking about anyway). To some extent it probably also depends on his maturity level overall, and I would agree, that any of it should be his initiative at this point. Good luck to both of you!
 
BigAL said:
My 13yr old son is getting really interested in fly'n. I'm plan'n on getting my lic this yr, by Dec. is my goal. He's become interested due to all the books I have and MFS X.

On to my question. Should I have him start reading books, talk w/the CFI, etc or have him hold off? I don't want him to get burned out before he can solo in 3yrs. I've read where kids have done this, but never got any details.

Just look'n for your opinions/suggestions.

Thanks
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My brothers son started flying his dad's T-18 as soon as he was tall enough to see over the side (with the assistance of a booster) - he was still too small to see over the panel and needed help with the rudder since he couldn't reach the pedals. I'm not sure how old he was when he got is first "offical logged lesson" but it was in a Pitts and consisted of "loops, rolls, inverted flight..." He was flying King Airs for a living, but this summer he is working for an air show pilot - moving aircraft, giving media rides, etc.

When I was a kid I read / studied a bunch of old (40's or 50's vintage) manuals that, for some reason, were around the house. I remember spending a lot of time on radio navigation and understanding how the A/N ranges worked LOL...

If he is enjoying it, let him do it. But there is no need to push at this point. He can fly with you and "learn" even if he isn't logging dual recieved.
 
I knew at the age of 5 that I wanted to be a pilot. (Field trip to the airport in Kindergarten.) My mom started dating a guy later on who had taken a few flying lessons and he gave me a few books when I was about 11 or 12. They were old, but they gave me enough information to really get me interested in learning to fly. One was similar to the Flight Training Handbook. I remember laying in bed at night reading and reading and reading and reading..... :D He also took me to the airport for a few discovery flights. I think we did 2 in 2 summers. I also live 20 miles north of OSH, so he took me to Airventure every year and we also went to the EAA museum ALL the time. My mom had no money for flying lessons, so I had to wait til I was 19 and had a little of my own money.

13 is definitely not too young to help him learn more about aviation. I firmly believe in nurturing children's interests, but as far as lessons, I would wait. Once you get your certificate, take him up for rides, get him comfortable with the airport setting, let him help plan a few cross-countries, let him read your books, things like that to really pique his interest.
 
Thanks for all the replys, kinda what I thought. I don't like to force/push anything on my kids.....except school and chores.:D I learned alot from my dad when I was a kid that I still remember...........can't remember where my phone is but I remember dad teach'n me about wing vort's and trim'n for level flight.:rolleyes:

Lost my train of thought, employee probs for last 10min.:mad3:

I know how I'm gonna work this, I'll keep books/mags around for him to read and once I get my lic I'll be give'n plenty of rides.:D He even mentioned going to a town 100mls away to eat.........just what dad & I used to do.....just didn't have a Carlos OKellys back then.

Ok, enough blah blah blah.

Oh, as far as gliders........no thanks. I don't know much about them so I'm ignorant about the subject......but no engine? :yikes: We just don't see them out here, prob have to go to Wichita.
 
HeatherCFI said:
13 is definitely not too young to help him learn more about aviation. I firmly believe in nurturing children's interests, but as far as lessons, I would wait. Once you get your certificate, take him up for rides, get him comfortable with the airport setting, let him help plan a few cross-countries, let him read your books, things like that to really pique his interest.
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Spot on what I'm think'n. Thanks.
 
Don't knock it until you try it. Actually, If you want to check out sailplanes, get a hold of Tony Condon. He's living in Wichita, and is one heck of a soaring evangelist. Heck I blame him directly for my addiction :D.

Send him a PM, and he'd most likely get you a ride out of Sunflower.
 
BigAL said:
Oh, as far as gliders........no thanks. I don't know much about them so I'm ignorant about the subject......but no engine? :yikes: We just don't see them out here, prob have to go to Wichita.
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thats right, no engine. pure flying. nothing beats it. there is a club based at Sunflower, near Hutchison. Also, I know there is a guy out in Ulysses that has at least one 2 seater. Not sure if he is an instructor. I can try to get you contact info if you want it though. I haven't joined the Sunflower group yet but I plan to. Would be happy to meet you there some weekend for intro flights in the Schweizers or Grob.

www.soarkansas.org should give you a good idea of what is going on around the state.
 
oh and by the way, the soaring in the summertime is fantastic in western kansas. nice dry air.
 
13 is not too young. At the flight school I learned at there was a 13yr old home schooled boy taking classes. He took them only once a week and it didn't matter to him that he always had to have the instructor with him.

If he asks to take lessons, let him. It may be good to get him to help pay for them too. There is nothing like seeing a 13yr old washing planes so he can get a lesson.

Missa
 
I have to ditto those who say get him into gliding... for two main reasons:

1) He can solo at 14 and get his ticket- a real pilot's certificate, limited to gliders- at 16.
2) It's generally cheaper and takes less time than the power-PP rating.

Also, if he goes that route, then decides to get into powered flying, aside from having a very solid foundation of basic skills to build on, he will already have a lot of the required book-learning out of the way (there is considerable overlap between the powered and non-powered study requirements).

I've heard that youngsters do very well with glider training - it is a challenge for sure, but it's just a bit more simple and a bit more limited, so it's not too "grown up" for the average teen. The completion-of-training an safety stats are very good in that age group. We have a 14-yr-old in our glider club who had a little powered training and general exposure (his Dad is a pilot/owner), and he soloed last season while I was still smoothing out the rough spots (I already had over 200 hrs and the PPASEL). He took to it like a fish to water, and I've been told that is not unusual. He had a blast, learned to be responsible, achieved a goal he'd been yearning for (to solo an aircraft) and stayed out of trouble all summer.

There are extremes of soaring, of course, but that stuff is not a requirement for the PP-glider.

I am biased a bit, of course, but for his first flight I heartily endorse a glider intro lesson.
If yo are going for the PPASEL, there's no reason he can't tag along on some of your lessons (assuming it's not in a 2-seater) while he's working on his PP-Glider. That would be a good way to expose him to that whole thing.

Another source of info:
http://www.ssa.org/

Aside from the glider question, I think it would be best to not make it seem like "homework"- get him a discovery flight in something (Young Eagles, perhaps), get him involved in any kind of youth-outreach program in your area that involves aviation. The serious study should wait until he's decided what he wants to do, IMHO. But it certainly won' do any harm if he just likes to read he books. Some of it is bound to sink in...:D
 
Isn't Austin, who posts here sometimes, 13? He's taking lessons. I'm sure it depends on the individual, though.
 
Kimberly's first flying lesson (well, it was logged as such) took place when she was 8 years old, and she loved it. She's itching to take formal lessons, but with seven years before she can solo, I think she should wait a while so it doesn't become a chore. (Besides, her little legs can barely reach the rudder pedals.)

But I certainly think a 13-year-old is old enough for a discovery flight. Personally, I suggest taking him up if for no other reason than the bonding that the shared love of flying will bring about between the two of you. Then take him up with you as often as possible once you earn your certificate, and resume formal lessons for him when he's 15 or so and close to solo age (or start him in gliders as others have suggested so he can solo at 14).

-Rich
 
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Everskyward said:
Isn't Austin, who posts here sometimes, 13? He's taking lessons. I'm sure it depends on the individual, though.
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Austin is now 14, but was taking lessons at 13. I thought he did a fine job of flying the Mooney on Saturday, especially considering the fact that he only has 45 hours and had never been in it before.

13 is not too young. However, I would say it makes sense to pace it. Your son won't be able to solo an aircraft until 16 (but can solo a glider at 14, so that might be a good place to start) and can't take a check ride until 17. By the time Austin is 17, he'll be plenty ready for his private and instrument ratings, so I could see that as a path to take.

I'd say go ahead and give him lessons if he wants it and it's something you're willing to do. Something cost effective makes sense, like one lesson a week. While that means it will take longer to get the skill sets built (the best way to learn is taking a bunch of lessons within close proximity to eachother), it makes sense given the amount of time until he'll be able to use those skills without an instructor in the plane.
 
I don't want to "push" my kids in aviation but if they show an interest they will start out in gliders. I haven't flown one or even seen one fly yet but I've seen enough to understand that many great pilots are born as glider pilots (most Air Force pilots start out flying gliders in the Academy for a reason). It will be my goal in the next few years to get my Private Glider endorsement. If you look at gliders and think it isn't for you or your son that is fine, but please honestly look first.

Now if he decides to become a helicopter pilot.....I would understand the prejudice :)
 
I had a student for several years who started at 13. But the key was not letting her fly so much that it either bankrupted the parents, nor became too regular for the young lady that she got bored.

The parents used school results and atitude to determine her "eligibility" for that months lessons. Poor grades/ bad attitude = no flying. Her parents kept me in the loop, and said her grades actually improved, with the flying being the motivating factor.

When she turned 17, she passed her checkride with flying colors! She had about 75 hrs logged, and had some of the best developed decision making skills I have seen from a young person.
 
BigAL said:
<snip>

Oh, as far as gliders........no thanks. I don't know much about them so I'm ignorant about the subject......but no engine? :yikes: We just don't see them out here, prob have to go to Wichita.
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You would probably be surprised what can be done without an engine. I do understand there are some areas of the country where learning in gliders is challenging. I live in an area where the best way to get a glider rating is to get a power rating and and add a glider rating.

This weekend I am going to Ephrata, WA. Weather permitting I hope to fly 4 days and will probably do between 12 to 16 hours with those four flights. I will post my flights on the OLC (online contest) if you want to see the flights...

http://www3.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/daily.html?st=olc&rt=olc&c=US&sc=&df=&sp=2009

I will likely start posting my flights Friday evening or Saturday Morning. Note I will be doing this in a sailplane that cost less than a well used Cessna 150.

Brian
 
I've been around aviation my entire life; my dad's an instructor wherever he can around central PA, and I wasn't even old enough to walk for my first flight. He'd put my carseat in the cargo area of the 150's he was teaching in, and I'd have a blast. I'd fall asleep a lot though for some reason. But as soon as I was tall enough to use the rudder pedals at full travel, I started my lessons. Looking at my logbook, my first logged time was on November 15, 2004, and it lasted 1.2 hrs.

Coming from a guy who started logging time at age 13 (16 now), I would say no, it is not too early to start flying. I had a large background in the MS flight sim games, and I was subscribed to AOPA magazine, so aviation wasn't something new and different to me.

Good luck!
 
Every time I see this title I think it's a Henning post.
 
LOL!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Even w/my dirty mind I didn't see that comming!:rofl:

I appreciate all the comments. First step is to get the runway done so I can take my first lesson, then maybe a first flight for my son to keep him excited. Then........look into gliders......must be better than I think. It's not like there is nowhere to land out here. I can see the rockies and Wichita cause there is no hills and no trees.:D

Thanks everyone for the info.
 
BigAL said:
It's not like there is nowhere to land out here. I can see the rockies and Wichita cause there is no hills and no trees.:D
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You'd be surprised how easy it is to get back for a relaxed, normal approach at the starting point on those early training flights. Noobies are lucky- power pilots like myself have a little trouble getting used to it and trusting the glider and the techniques used.
But it's not rocket science... on something like my 3rd dual flight I stayed up for 1.5 hrs off a 3000-foot tow, picked up over 2000 feet of altitude during that time, and got as far as about 8 miles away (where there happens to be another airport with a suitable grass runway).
There was nothing desperate about the pattern entry after that flight- I had altitude to spare at the perimeter.
And aside from my club dues, the cost of that 1.5 hrs was $10 for the tow plus $1 for every 100 feet on the tow, and no charge for the instruction... $40 total. No Hobbs or tach time to worry about. That's $26/hr. :)

The excellent glide ratio of most gliders helps, but the training should stress things like not drifting too far downwind and always thinking about exactly how you're going to get back. As with powered flight, it's 90% mental. Fly by the book and you will likely never "land out", unless you get into real x-country flying. But even then, esp. in flat farm country, landing out should be no biggie, if you just keep thinking ahead.

To earn the PP-glider it's not even necessary to land at another field- you just have to prove you understand how to proceed x-country, and how to pick a good spot and make a safe "arrival" in case you do somehow run out of altitude and lift too far from your planned destination.
 
BigAL said:
I appreciate all the comments. First step is to get the runway done so I can take my first lesson, then maybe a first flight for my son to keep him excited. Then........look into gliders......must be better than I think. It's not like there is nowhere to land out here. I can see the rockies and Wichita cause there is no hills and no trees.:D
Click to expand...

Funny thing today - we had just started a sail boat race and someone pointed out a glider flying overhead - over Lake St. Clair :eek: I know there were a couple motor gliders that flew out of Detroit City (det) at one time - might have been one of those - it was headed in that direction.
 
BigAL said:
My 13yr old son is getting really interested in fly'n. I'm plan'n on getting my lic this yr, by Dec. is my goal. He's become interested due to all the books I have and MFS X.

On to my question. Should I have him start reading books, talk w/the CFI, etc or have him hold off? I don't want him to get burned out before he can solo in 3yrs. I've read where kids have done this, but never got any details.

Just look'n for your opinions/suggestions.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Screw the studying and have him fly first. He has years to absorb the material while flying before he he has to take any tests.

13 is never too young....:D
 
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