New Student Pilot Needs Advise

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ELTsanwich

Filing Flight Plan
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Eric
OK this is my first post here!

It seems that I live in the only place in the world that I can not find a flight school close to me. I live in Toledo, Oh and I currently am driving to Monroe, Mi to take lessons at Monroe Aviation. So far I am having a very good experience up there flying the Cessna 150 around but the 45 min drive and my work schedule makes it tough to fly as much as I would like. Toledo has a very large airport there but I can not find a instructor.

The closest thing I can find is a private club that requires a deposit, and a monthly fee that has a local instructor teaching there. But this place is in Bowling Green, Oh which is 25 min away. Not to bad but I don't like the idea of being in a club and not being able to fly solo with that plane at all which would then take me back up to Monroe. Also I am looking to eventually getting my Commercial. Any advise at all would be greatly appreciated.

Eric
 
I haven't posted much myself here but welcome to the board and, especially, welcome to flying!

Have you checked out KDUH (Toledo Suburban) off US-23? I'm pretty sure they used to have some training going on there.

Just curious: which "very large airport" are you talking about - Metcalf or Toledo Express? For some weird reason, I've never been to either of them but if you haven't tried Metcalf, maybe it's worth a shot.

AirNav says there's a place at Toledo Express that does flight training and rents planes. My only concern with training at a class C airport is that you might end up paying for a lot of time spent just taxiing to and from the runway. I guess it depends on how busy it is at the time you're taking lessons. On the other hand, your radio work should be top notch by the time you finish.
 
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Depending on where you are at there is Metcalf KTDZ just south east of Toledo.

Otherwise Toledo Suburban KDUH is just NE in MI both are closer than Monroe and Bowling Green.
 
ELTsanwich said:
OK this is my first post here!

It seems that I live in the only place in the world that I can not find a flight school close to me. I live in Toledo, Oh and I currently am driving to Monroe, Mi to take lessons at Monroe Aviation. So far I am having a very good experience up there flying the Cessna 150 around but the 45 min drive and my work schedule makes it tough to fly as much as I would like. Toledo has a very large airport there but I can not find a instructor.

The closest thing I can find is a private club that requires a deposit, and a monthly fee that has a local instructor teaching there. But this place is in Bowling Green, Oh which is 25 min away. Not to bad but I don't like the idea of being in a club and not being able to fly solo with that plane at all which would then take me back up to Monroe. Also I am looking to eventually getting my Commercial. Any advise at all would be greatly appreciated.

Eric
Click to expand...
That doesn't sound right. There must be a list of approved CFIs whose students get to solo.....training is the lifeblood for most of these clubs.....
 
bbchien said:
That doesn't sound right. There must be a list of approved CFIs whose students get to solo.....training is the lifeblood for most of these clubs.....
Click to expand...

The problem is the monthy fees and "sign up costs."

For instance Blue Horizons Flying Club...1,300 deposit. 85 a month and 70 a hour for a liberty LTZ. (Metcalf)

Eagle Air....500 deposit, 65 a month 70 a hour for a piper

Toledo Suberban quoted me 10k for my private.

Monroe I am looking at about 6k total.

70 hr for cessna 150....40 for instructor
or
90 hr for 172
 
dbman5 said:
I haven't posted much myself here but welcome to the board and, especially, welcome to flying!

Have you checked out KDUH (Toledo Suburban) off US-23? I'm pretty sure they used to have some training going on there.

Just curious: which "very large airport" are you talking about - Metcalf or Toledo Express? For some weird reason, I've never been to either of them but if you haven't tried Metcalf, maybe it's worth a shot.

AirNav says there's a place at Toledo Express that does flight training and rents planes. My only concern with training at a class C airport is that you might end up paying for a lot of time spent just taxiing to and from the runway. I guess it depends on how busy it is at the time you're taking lessons. On the other hand, your radio work should be top notch by the time you finish.
Click to expand...

I have called Toledo Express a couple times and nobody down there knows anybody around here "close" that does any flight training.
 
You might seriously try just going to an airport near you where you see flying going on and introducing yourself to some folks. Most fields have an independent instructor or two who can train you, and will often have a line on rationally-priced (not cheap, but fair) rental aircraft.
 
Like Ray said DUH has Suburban Aviation 734-856-6103 according to AOPA they have flight training.
I like Spikes Idea too. Just goto the closet small airport and ask around. There are a lot of CFI out there.
 
Another couple of options that are a little farther out are Fulton County KUSE, at Exit 3 on I-80. and Adrian KADG in Michigan. Both seem like nice airports. I don't know how good their instruction is.

Barb
 
ELTsanwich said:
OK this is my first post here!

It seems that I live in the only place in the world that I can not find a flight school close to me. I live in Toledo, Oh and I currently am driving to Monroe, Mi to take lessons at Monroe Aviation. So far I am having a very good experience up there flying the Cessna 150 around but the 45 min drive and my work schedule makes it tough to fly as much as I would like. Toledo has a very large airport there but I can not find a instructor.

The closest thing I can find is a private club that requires a deposit, and a monthly fee that has a local instructor teaching there. But this place is in Bowling Green, Oh which is 25 min away. Not to bad but I don't like the idea of being in a club and not being able to fly solo with that plane at all which would then take me back up to Monroe. Also I am looking to eventually getting my Commercial. Any advise at all would be greatly appreciated.

Eric
Click to expand...



Welcome to the wonderful world of aviation.

I was against joining a flying club until I had to join one here in Charlotte. There was really no other option, and I didn't like the idea of having to pay an initiation fee to join and member dues and all of that. But I have seen some positive things come out of this arrangement. Number 1, I think by having to join it keeps some of the rift raft out, and people are more likely to take better care of the airplanes in the flying clubs fleet. Number 2, you are going to have better equipped and maintained planes in the fleet. For example, we have everything from a glass cockpit SR 22 to several 172's with brand new interiors and Garmin 430's. Its a little more money, but the fleet of aircraft you will get to fly is above par then the standard FBO.

Just my $.02
 
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