Beginning Flying Questions

Is there a FAQ that covers all beginning questions?

I need one answer that will require someone just being honest with me.
I am 6 foot and weigh about 260 pounds. I play raquetball and tennis
weekly and coach two softball teams so I am not worried about the
physical aspects but wonder if a cessna 172 trainer will be to tight to
be comfortable in. Are there other 45 year old guys who are overweight
who fly? If the answer is you are too cubby to fly I totally
understand.

Also, what is the first step? How do I find a good flight school that I
can trust if I know no other pilots? What if the local school at the
olathe kansas airport are bad and I don;t know enough to know it.

Thanks for any help!!

rec.aviation.student

A 172 will be fine and there are no physical aspects to flying, unless you
plan on flying a hang glider.

Karl


wrote in message
oups.com...
Is there a FAQ that covers all beginning questions?

I need one answer that will require someone just being honest with me.
I am 6 foot and weigh about 260 pounds. I play raquetball and tennis
weekly and coach two softball teams so I am not worried about the
physical aspects but wonder if a cessna 172 trainer will be to tight to
be comfortable in. Are there other 45 year old guys who are overweight
who fly? If the answer is you are too cubby to fly I totally
understand.

Also, what is the first step? How do I find a good flight school that I
can trust if I know no other pilots? What if the local school at the
olathe kansas airport are bad and I don;t know enough to know it.

Thanks for any help!!

wrote in message
oups.com...
Is there a FAQ that covers all beginning questions?

I need one answer that will require someone just being honest with me.
I am 6 foot and weigh about 260 pounds. I play raquetball and tennis
weekly and coach two softball teams so I am not worried about the
physical aspects but wonder if a cessna 172 trainer will be to tight to
be comfortable in. Are there other 45 year old guys who are overweight
who fly? If the answer is you are too cubby to fly I totally
understand.

yes, there are. 172 will work fine. I'm "over 200", and have flown with a
295lb flight instructor.


Also, what is the first step?

Find a school / instructor and take an "introductory flight" You'll have a
ball.

How do I find a good flight school that I
can trust if I know no other pilots? What if the local school at the
olathe kansas airport are bad and I don;t know enough to know it.

Thanks for any help!!


Google NAFI, National Association of Flight Instructors

see rec.aviation.student, and you'll find someone from your area

Please be advised: Flying is addictive.

Welcome Aboard.

Al CFIAMI (Certified Flight Instructor, Airplane, Multi, Instrument)

wrote in message
oups.com...
Is there a FAQ that covers all beginning questions?

I need one answer that will require someone just being honest with me.
I am 6 foot and weigh about 260 pounds.

A 152 is out of the question. A 172 would do fine, but a good
instructor/operator will let you sit in the airplane just to see. You'll
only have trouble down the road if you try to pack three other guys your
size in the airplane.

Also, what is the first step? How do I find a good flight school that I
can trust if I know no other pilots?

Where are you at? Ask here.

-c

You'll be fine in the 172. There is a good Q&A section for student
pilots at beapilot.com

-Robert, CFI


wrote:
Is there a FAQ that covers all beginning questions?

I need one answer that will require someone just being honest with me.
I am 6 foot and weigh about 260 pounds. I play raquetball and tennis
weekly and coach two softball teams so I am not worried about the
physical aspects but wonder if a cessna 172 trainer will be to tight to
be comfortable in. Are there other 45 year old guys who are overweight
who fly? If the answer is you are too cubby to fly I totally
understand.

Also, what is the first step? How do I find a good flight school that I
can trust if I know no other pilots? What if the local school at the
olathe kansas airport are bad and I don;t know enough to know it.

Thanks for any help!!

Thanks everyone! Wow, quick responses and I really appreciae it. I live
in olathe kansas. There is a Air Associates of Kansas that has a $59
discovery flight that I think i will try. Thanks!!

One other question. Will flying normally invalidate my work based life
insurance? Or does each policy have different options?

gatt wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Is there a FAQ that covers all beginning questions?

I need one answer that will require someone just being honest with me.
I am 6 foot and weigh about 260 pounds.

A 152 is out of the question. A 172 would do fine, but a good
instructor/operator will let you sit in the airplane just to see. You'll
only have trouble down the road if you try to pack three other guys your
size in the airplane.

Also, what is the first step? How do I find a good flight school that I
can trust if I know no other pilots?

Where are you at? Ask here.

-c

wrote:
One other question. Will flying normally invalidate my work based life
insurance? Or does each policy have different options?

read the fine prints, depends on the insurance policy.

Has anyone suggested that you join AOPA (http://www.aopa.org/) yet?

--Sylvain

wrote in message
oups.com...
Is there a FAQ that covers all beginning questions?

I need one answer that will require someone just being honest with me.
I am 6 foot and weigh about 260 pounds. I play raquetball and tennis
weekly and coach two softball teams so I am not worried about the
physical aspects but wonder if a cessna 172 trainer will be to tight to
be comfortable in. Are there other 45 year old guys who are overweight
who fly? If the answer is you are too cubby to fly I totally
understand.

Also, what is the first step? How do I find a good flight school that I
can trust if I know no other pilots? What if the local school at the
olathe kansas airport are bad and I don;t know enough to know it.

Thanks for any help!!


172 will work fine. You might could do a 152 if your CFI is TINY! But even
with small flight instructor, you wont be able to get much fuel in the 152.

Do the intro flight, it will give you a better idea of what to except...

Have Fun!

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks everyone! Wow, quick responses and I really appreciae it. I live
in olathe kansas. There is a Air Associates of Kansas that has a $59
discovery flight that I think i will try. Thanks!!

One other question. Will flying normally invalidate my work based life
insurance? Or does each policy have different options?

Each policy is different. However, I can't imagine any policy that would be
*invalidated* should you take up flying. The worst you might have to deal
with is the policy not covering death while acting as a crew-member of an
airplane. I suppose a *really* restrictive one might exclude any death
while in an airplane, passenger or otherwise, but I've never heard of
anything like that.

The "while acting as a crew-member" exclusion is reasonably common though,
so you would definitely want to check your own policy to see if you have
that exclusion. If you do, there are alternative life insurance plans that
address that risk.

Not that being a pilot unduly increases your risk of death while acting as a
crew-member, but any wise pilot makes sure that all the bases are covered.

As someone else mentioned, rec.aviation.student is a great place for
beginning pilots. One thing you should keep in mind: you may be a student
pilot, but you are also the customer. If you are not comfortable with your
training, either because of the airplane, the instructor, the way the flight
school is run, whatever, you should feel free to explore alternatives.
There are definitely good schools, instructors, etc. out there. Don't
hesitate to make sure you're using them.

Pete