Jay Honeck writes:

The money part is a given -- there's nothing you can do to change that.

Well, the money part is the most overwhelming obstacle. If you could
learn to fly in 60 hours of training for $300, people would be lining
up to do so.

Same with golfing, boating, RV'ing, or any other leisure activity --
you gotta pay to play.

Yes, but some hobbies are more expensive than others. Painting and
writing are quite inexpensive, especially writing, and thus accessible
to all. Golf, yachting, sailing, and flying are very expensive
hobbies, reserved to the wealthy. Hobbies that require a certain
minimum time investment (including flying) up front and/or on a
regular basis are even more impractical. One must then be rich and
idle at the same time.

Which is why I encourage every young person I meet to learn to fly NOW,
damn the expense. Money is replaceable -- time is not.

I agree ... but just finding the money up front is difficult. And
young people are far less likely to have spare money than older
people.

I now feel
that my first 35 years on this earth were wasted, wanting to fly but
not being able to find my way aloft. I've done my best to make up for
lost time in the interceding 12 years, but I can never, EVER buy those
35 years (well, okay, 18, after the minimum PPL age of 17) back.

At least you eventually did it.

I don't know how old you are, Manic, but if you want to fly don't wait.
The papers are full of young people in the obituaries every day.

I have no money, and no time.

--
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