In these pages, I will attempt to explain the costs of learning to fly, as well as the processes a new student goes through. I have two goals:
Note that as of early March '97, this document is in its infany. I'll be working on it for quite some time. If you have questions or comments, please email them to me (see the link at the bottom of this home page) and I'll make sure to do updates as appropriate.
Then I started my private pilot lessons, and I realized this question isn't an issue. It's not that the money suddenly becomes worthless. Instead, you realize that the cost of the license equals some start up costs (books, etc) plus a per-flying-hour charge.
Everyone forgets -- you're paying to fly. What does it matter how many hours it takes before you get the license? You're flying! The fact that it'll take you a minimum of 40 hours in an airplane becomes a good thing. 40 hours of flying!
Okay, now that I've said you shouldn't worry about what it costs, as you'll be doing what you want to do, I should still tell you. Note that these rates are based on my experiences in Minneapolis -- your costs may vary.
Initial start-up costs will run a few hundred dollars -- maybe as much as $500, depending on what you buy. This will include
You might not need the headset right away -- your FBO's planes may come equipped.
The most common airplane for initial flight instruction is the Cessna 152. This is a relatively inexpensive 2-seat airplane that is particularily easy to fly. Of course, there are other very good airplanes used for instruction.
A Cessna 152 rents at my FBO for $37 per hour. This includes all charges (except tax) to fly the airplane.
A CFI will cost about $18 per hour. At most FBOs, you are only charged for the CFI's time while sitting in the airplane with the engine running. Bad deal for the CFI, but good deal for you. But add a couple of hours for final exam preparation time, which is ground school you do pay for.
To get your private pilot license, you will need a minimum of 40 hours flying the airplane. Some people take 80 hours or more, but if you have picked a good CFI and do your homework, finishing in under 60 shouldn't be difficult. (I took 41.9 hours, and I have a friend who finished in about the same.)
Of that 40 hours, you'll need at least 20 with the instructor. (I had about 21.)
So:
$500 startup
$37 times 40 is $1480
$18 times 20 is $360
Total: $2340
Some people spend twice this amount or more. But the important thing to remember: you're flying long before you've spent your $2400! You can't take passengers, and you have to fly when and where your CFI allows, but you are flying.
It would be nice if there were some specific questions you could ask, but I don't know if that helps, either.
But one way to find a good instructor is to get a referral. Talk to other pilots -- people who have learned to fly in the last several years (their instructors are most likely to still be teaching, and they probably remember how training really went.) Ask them who taught them to fly, and whether they liked their instructor. Make sure you ask if they have complaints, too. Most people like their instructors, but if you press them on it, they might say, "Well, I suppose there are a few things about him that really bugged me."
Don't know any pilots to ask? This one is easy. Contact the EAA. Ask them to put you in touch with a local chapter. Then attend a chapter meeting and talk to the pilots there.
Well, I don't have that problem. So I'm going to tell you some things my CFI would have liked to have told me, but didn't. The way I'm going to do this is to go through a typical flight, explaining what is going on at any particular time.
Now, I'd like to point out that I'm not a CFI. In fact, when I originally wrote this, I was a relatively low-time pilot (under 200 hours). I've done some editing later (after earning my instrument rating), but I'm still a relatively low-time pilot. Thus, some of the things I say may not be stated perfectly. Please -- if you think I've made a mistake, drop me an email and explain why.
Also, if I tell you something that contradicts your CFI, you need to go with your CFI's word, not mine.
Your instructor will tell you how to preflight the airplane. It's a straightforward process -- you're just looking for basic things that can go awry: new dents, worn brake pads, missing nuts or bolts, obstructions, etc.
Handling an airplane on the ground is easy, but it takes practice to avoid driving like a drunken sailor!
If you want to impress your instructor, you'll want to drive in a straight line down the center of the taxiways. The clue is to know how the stearing system works. The nose wheel is tied to the rudder pedals via springs. Thus, pressing on a rudder peddle doesn't actually turn the nose wheel -- it just puts pressure on the wheel through the springs.
What this means is that you have to plan a little ahead. When you're in a turn, you will need to apply opposite rudder pressure to center the nose wheel prior to when you want to stop the turn. If you wait until you're through the turn, you'll continue to turn further as the wheel comes to center.
The beginning of a turn works the same way -- you'll need a little lead time.
Doing this perfectly takes practice. But if you understand the concept, it'll help you avoid oversteering and driving a zig-zag path down the taxiway.
One thing you'll want to do during the runup is make sure the nosewheel is straight. Not that you'll have a problem if it isn't, but doing the runup with the nosewheel turned causes extra wear on the landing gear. So when you do your turnaround in the runup area, give yourself a few extra feet to straighten the nosewheel.
The trick is to realize that as you add the power, the plane will pull to the left (torque). As you lift the nose, it'll pull more to the left (p-factor -- see the textbooks for a full explanation). You want to avoid this, so be prepared to use right rudder to keep yourself straight.
New pilots always seem to have the same problems with this. Yes, the airplane pretty much goes where they want. But the heading will wander back and forth 30 degrees, and altitude will vary by hundreds of feet.
This is sloppy.
The keys to both is something called "attitude flying". Don't focus on the instruments in front of you -- focus on how the world looks through the windshield, how the engine sounds, and what a turn feels like. Check the instruments frequently but briefly as a cross-check to your flying.
Most likely, when you do a turn, you will lose altitude. When you straighten out again, you'll gain altitude. And you'll probably have a long-term trend either up or down (usually up).
Be aware of these tendancies. When you perform a turn, you'll need a little back pressure on the elevator to prevent a descent. When you come out of the turn, relax the back pressure and you shouldn't "zoom". Be prepared for a little forward pressure to maintain your current altitude.
On your check ride, you'll need to hold headings to within 10 degrees and altitude within 100 feet. As an instrument-rated pilot, I now strive for 5 degrees and 50 feet, and I pride myself when I level out and peg my desired altitude.
However, "good" has many different grades. Most people judge landings by three factors:
The biggest key to a good landing is a good approach. And the key to a good approach is good airspeed control. On final approach, you want to hold the desired airspeed for your airplane. In a Cessna 152, I was taught that final approach is at 60 knots. If you come down final at 60 knots, everything else seems to come together.
