So... Let's say I don't want to pay $200 for an hour-long flying lesson since I'm 14 and my mom has a friend who's a pilot. Can they teach me how to fly and fill in my logs or do I still have to fork over $200? Also another question, what does $76/per hour wet mean? Why would I get my airplane wet and why would the have to specify that my airplane is dry?
Any hours like that can be logged towards a rating or experience only if the pilot is an instructor and you are receiving instruction. They are logged as dual. WET means the rental price includes fuel.
Some airplanes can fly when wet. Others only when dry. Different capabilities come with different prices. Funny thing is the dry airplanes are actually more slippery when dry.
Luke, You'll benefit from going to some flight schools and talking to some instructors. May take a couple of locations until you find someone friendly and willing to explain things. Flying is very expensive. Not sure where you're located, but you'll pay $60-$150 hourly for an airplane and $0-$65 hourly for instruction. Despite the high costs, flight schools are rarely getting rich. As Mason explained, renting "wet" means they include the fuel within the cost. If you refuel elsewhere, they give you credit (and may have a maximum they will reimburse). "Dry" rental means you pay for all fuel and is much less common for training. If your Mom's friend the pilot will take you up, by all means go flying with him/her. A Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) then can formally and legally instruct you. A regular pilot can't. If there's a big college near you, see if they have a Flying Club. If you're really into this, people will definitely want to help you out. If you just want to learn, you can try to get an older version of some textbooks - I like the Jeppesen Private Pilot textbook. If you want to start learning for real, figure out how you can pay for this, dedicate the time to go flying and go learning. The minimum to get your license is 40 hours flying time. Plus groundschool time (usually one on one tutoring from your CFI), etc. You can conservatively budget 70 hours CFI time and 60 hours airplane rental. Any good school will walk you through the timeline and costs. Good luck. Flying is fun!
