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Flight Schools
- Thread starter Zerxes
- Start date
Hi there, well I am very new to the site but do have some good info. for you on this. The 4K sounds OK, maybe a little high depending on what you get. Since it is on the slightly higher end of the spectrum you should get all aircraft rental fees, fuel, instructor time, ground school, books & materials, and FAA examiner fees for when you take your private checkride. If you are at an airport that has landing fees check to find out if they are paying those for you also. Most good flight schools offer block time to train, which is basically the more you pay up front the lower your hourly rates and fees. Beyond that feel free to ask any other questions you may have. One good rule of thumb is to find the smaller flight schools that have a good reputation. You will have a more personal experience and less clock watching for the almighty dollar. I have found very little that I enjoy as much as my love for flying!!
Zerxes
New member
Drivenone said:
I do have some questions that are quite ignorant actually, but here goes brother. How does this work? I mean, do you have to do schooltime, and bookwork and such to learn your instruments, and how to keep your flight logs(or whatever), or is that all taught "hands-on"? How long do you have to fly with an instructor before you are allowed to solo(hrs.)? If you would choose to fly to say Florida by yourself, can you rent out a single-engine(or whatever) once you get your solo liscense, or do you have to own your own plane? I'm hoping there is a Hertz somewhere that rents planes....something like that? Thanks & excuse my ignorance.
As far as school/bookwork first, not really. You will have a few hours that you will need to get you started. Most schools or instructors like to get you in the air for a few hours while in your introductory period. This makes the bookwork & ground school much easier to understand.
As far as time with instructor before solo. This depends greatly on both the instructor and student. Average is 10 - 11 hours of dual. Your first solo is in a very controlled atmosphere and is usually just a couple take offs and landings with the instructor at the airport. Once you progress you do longer flights from multiple destinations to fulfill the requirements to obtain your pilots license. These are all as your ability increases and with specific signoffs in your logbook by your instructor.
Renting airplanes once you have your private license is quite easy. Usually the best place to rent the airplane is through where you took your schooling. This is because low total time pilots are a high insurance risk and at least the school that taught you knows your capabilities. Lastly, as you gain more hours after having your license the chance to rent from multiple locations/companies increases.
As far as time with instructor before solo. This depends greatly on both the instructor and student. Average is 10 - 11 hours of dual. Your first solo is in a very controlled atmosphere and is usually just a couple take offs and landings with the instructor at the airport. Once you progress you do longer flights from multiple destinations to fulfill the requirements to obtain your pilots license. These are all as your ability increases and with specific signoffs in your logbook by your instructor.
Renting airplanes once you have your private license is quite easy. Usually the best place to rent the airplane is through where you took your schooling. This is because low total time pilots are a high insurance risk and at least the school that taught you knows your capabilities. Lastly, as you gain more hours after having your license the chance to rent from multiple locations/companies increases.
Y_lifter
New member
Good advice from Drive...
Find a Medium / Small Airport with an FBO and flight School.
If you want a preview to what you will need to learn, buy a great book
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/avshop/h-8083-3-airplaneflyinghandbook.html
Take one of those $30 Discovery flights you see in the newspaper and they will take you up and let you give it a try for an hour or so to see if you really like being in that environment. It is different than riding in a commercial jet.
Myself and 3 friends used to split the rental / landing fee costs and take day trips around florida a few years back.
We would rent a cessna 172 and leave early in the morning and go to the Bahamas or Ceder Key or Key West and come back that night.
I remember the trip to Nassau and snorkling off the beach of a local hotel and then taking a taxi back to the airport.
Coming back, we landed at a large Airport in West Palm beach for a customs inspection and had to land on the huge runway ahead of a commercial jet right on our tail. That was a quick landing to get out of the way.
It was a while ago, but you should be able to rent an older Cessna that is VFR capable for the day and split it amoung friends relatively cheap. Usually around $60-70 an hour, or a few hundred $ for the whole day.
Join a flying club and it is even cheaper.
I had a friend that volunteered with the local Civil Air Patrol and got to rent thier planes for almost nothing but the fuel.
It is a complicated learning curve with lots of rules and techniques to learn. But you seem like an intelligent person, and with a bit of study will love it..
Find a Medium / Small Airport with an FBO and flight School.
If you want a preview to what you will need to learn, buy a great book
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/avshop/h-8083-3-airplaneflyinghandbook.html
Take one of those $30 Discovery flights you see in the newspaper and they will take you up and let you give it a try for an hour or so to see if you really like being in that environment. It is different than riding in a commercial jet.
Myself and 3 friends used to split the rental / landing fee costs and take day trips around florida a few years back.
We would rent a cessna 172 and leave early in the morning and go to the Bahamas or Ceder Key or Key West and come back that night.
I remember the trip to Nassau and snorkling off the beach of a local hotel and then taking a taxi back to the airport.
Coming back, we landed at a large Airport in West Palm beach for a customs inspection and had to land on the huge runway ahead of a commercial jet right on our tail. That was a quick landing to get out of the way.
It was a while ago, but you should be able to rent an older Cessna that is VFR capable for the day and split it amoung friends relatively cheap. Usually around $60-70 an hour, or a few hundred $ for the whole day.
Join a flying club and it is even cheaper.
I had a friend that volunteered with the local Civil Air Patrol and got to rent thier planes for almost nothing but the fuel.
It is a complicated learning curve with lots of rules and techniques to learn. But you seem like an intelligent person, and with a bit of study will love it..
