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Catching Skies

Filing Flight Plan
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CatchingSkies
Hello Everyone. I am interested in getting a SPL, although the closest school with an LSA (162) is about 2 hours away. I simply cannot commit to starting towards the SPL due to distance.

However, I did find a pilot closer to me that has over 15,000 hours and has been training for nearly as long as I have been alive (35 years). After speaking with him I would like to start lessons with him, BUT he does not have an LSA - closest he has is a 150, which does not qualify.

In an attempt to solve my quandary I am wondering if either of the following options would suffice:

  1. take about 20-25 hours of training in the Cessna 150L from the flight instructor that is only twenty minutes from me and then take the remaining 10-15 (around 35 total) hours at the flight school that is further away with the LSA; OR

  2. take 20-25 hours of flight lesson with the aforementioned trainer (one with the 150) and fly to the airport where the LSA is located, then rent that plane for an hour or two of training and then take another flight back the originating airport?
Thinking about mulling this over with the flight instructor first then the school with the 162.

Greatly appreciate any input from the community!
 
I would do some research, but either option works. Just can't solo the Cezzna.
 
I faced the same issue. Another thought. Fly to a location that has an accelerated LSA sport pilot program, (i.e. Florida) and take a week or two vacation to get much or most of the training done.
 
Catching Skies said:
Hello Everyone. I am interested in getting a SPL, although the closest school with an LSA (162) is about 2 hours away. I simply cannot commit to starting towards the SPL due to distance.

However, I did find a pilot closer to me that has over 15,000 hours and has been training for nearly as long as I have been alive (35 years). After speaking with him I would like to start lessons with him, BUT he does not have an LSA - closest he has is a 150, which does not qualify.

In an attempt to solve my quandary I am wondering if either of the following options would suffice:

  1. take about 20-25 hours of training in the Cessna 150L from the flight instructor that is only twenty minutes from me and then take the remaining 10-15 (around 35 total) hours at the flight school that is further away with the LSA; OR

  2. take 20-25 hours of flight lesson with the aforementioned trainer (one with the 150) and fly to the airport where the LSA is located, then rent that plane for an hour or two of training and then take another flight back the originating airport?
Thinking about mulling this over with the flight instructor first then the school with the 162.

Greatly appreciate any input from the community!
Click to expand...

Option 1 might work but from experience, the 162 and the 150/152 fly very differently. The 150 is much more docile and the pitch vs. roll are much more harmonized. The 162 is a kite and is very twitchy in pitch. One thing that is very tough in the 162 is landing in any kind of wind. It lands a LOT slower than its larger Cessna brethren and that takes some getting used to and will also mean much more crosswind correction even in the lightest of crosswinds.
 
Thanks for the posts everyone.

The LSA is simply not big enough to mess with under current regulations and the LSAs are way too expensive ($75k used). In "America" MOST are not wealthy and only a few can afford a $75,000 used 162. Funny, they-whoever that is- thought that LSA would boost the industry. I see the Cessna 172 was very recently refused by the FAA for LSA inclusion after the most recent proposals. If trying to keep pilots "safe", why does the FAA not include a very common plane readily available and used for training with proven safety records? 1335 pounds empty is too much and needs a Class III medical certification, but 1320 can be self-certified!?! I know I am not the first person to complain about that, but oh my god I must reiterate the lack of logic here! I have not personally seen a LSA nor do I want to if a Cessna 150 is too large/heavy for LSA classification. Yikes fellas checked out a 150 this weekend!

Another thing I found: I read about this, but figured I was just missing something. A pilot becomes a CFI and is being paid $40-$58 per hour and is inclined to tell a student he/she is ready to solo? The very FIRST civilian pilot (80 years old) I met at the airport tells me "[CFI] is known for milking student's along for money, so don't use that person." I was not at that airport more than thirty minutes and already see that my concern is very real in the industry. Why would the FAA set the standard of 20/40 hours min in the holy name of "safety" when students are putting in 33/55 average. Being milked or the FAA is setting the standard VERY low while proclaiming "safety" is their utmost priority?

SPL is clearly a flop and PPL - having the least stringent examination of the three - grounds, denies and defers pilots all of the time then they have to wait for months after spending thousands to hear back from the FAA. All this after spending what I would describe as a considerable sum of money on a "hobby." Huh?!? Smells like agency self-justification; FAA Doctors: "we need Doctors." Spend thousands then maybe you can fly...well why not lie? One trip to the airport this weekend and I am CERTAIN this is happening. It is no wonder pilots don't seek medical help for fear of losing their license. I would rather fly with a pilot that is seeking medical treatment for a condition than a pilot who is not. This is common sense! The FAA is not encouraging pilots to seek treatment, hell even for alcoholism! BMI index chart? Heavy people have a statistical propensity for sleep apnea, so ground them-point of the BMI chart? How long is he/she grounded before they take unhealthy measures to gain compliance or SI? Controlled high blood pressure? Who dies of this at the wheel? Who can't drive a car with HTN? Who can't operate heavy machinery with HTN? This could go on for a while, so I digress.

Do I even want to fly ATP again with my family on-board? I would suspect these guys being paid the most amounts of money would be most encouraged to defer treatment. Even considering that most are good ALL are not rules.

Overall, I am not impressed with FAA regulations after spending little more than a week considering spending $50,000 in the aviation industry.

Clear skies everyone. Maybe I will join you all some day, now is certainly not that time.
 
Perhaps the title of this thread should have been 'Why I don't want to learn to fly'
 
What I learned today. Americans aren't rich. LSA is a flop. A certain unnamed CFI milks students along. FAA stinks.
 
If one wants to fly then that person will deal with and overcome the obstacles to learn and be allowed to fly. If one does not want to fly then there are tons of easy excuses that can be cited to stay on the ground.
 
To the OP, if you're still here, you never said what your reasons were for wanting to pursue SP or PP, and what your goals in flying are. If you're pursuing SP because you know you can't pass a medical (or don't want to risk it if it's questionable), then SP is a no brainer, provided LSA aircraft will allow you do get what you want out of flying and you decide it's worth the effort. If there are no medical issues, then PP make more sense just for the convenience, you can always drop back to SP privileges by simply not renewing your medical. As for goals, if your main interest is just flying around then SP may be fine; if you goals are fast personal transportation then SP might not do it for you.

I agree that excluding the C-150/152 from LSA is stupid, but they had to draw the line somewhere, and I believe the 1320# limit correlates with similar European aircraft classes.

You're right that few can afford a $75K used Cessna. But a lot more people can afford a $20K used Aeronca or T-Craft or such or a used LSA compliant experimental, many of which are (arguably) far better planes than a C-162. And you could buy such a plane, pay a local instructor to teach you through the SP checkride, and then keep or sell the plane, usually for what you paid for it or close.
 
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