Best Place to Learn to Fly?

See, I actually disagree with the idea about learning in busy airspace.
Learn to fly the airplane first, then learn about aviation later. Granted
you have to do all that to get a PPL but the noise and distraction of
radios, other traffic, VORs and all that jazz really distract from the
basics of stick and rudder skills and pilotage.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd learn in a Cub or a Taylorcraft at a
little farm strip in the middle of nowhere, at least until time for my QXC,
then I'd move into a 152 with all the kit and learn how to talk to people.

My .02 worth.

Also, give some thought to Arizona or Florida which have excellent weather
but not the intensity of the traffic that SoCal has.

Shawn
"Ben Hallert" wrote in message
ups.com...
Southern California. Weather has a huge effect on how often you can
fly. I trained at SMO Santa Monica and was able to fly almost every
day. Now I live in Oregon, and there are nowhere near as many
opportunities.

SoCal all the way. Plus, you get to learn in a busy airspace that'll
prepare you to fly almost anywhere. It's a great learning environment.

wrote in message .

Hi folks,
If you want to learn to fly .... .

So, if I could focus all of my time and energy on flying lessons, where
would you go? .

Conduct a search, as you are doing. Use other methods as well, although at
the moment I don't know quite what to suggest. The net will give you the
broadest reach in the shortest time. The point is this: Find yourself a
small airport in a rural or semi rural area, with a little flight school
thats been around for years, with at least a couple of old coots who have
been flying 45 years or so doing some teaching. Latch on to one of these
guys - they've got more aviation in their blood than you'll ever find in a
book.

Get a place to live, and find some kind of simple job. You apparently won't
need the money, but you will need something to keep you occupied in your
non-flying time. You shouldn't fly all the time - you need breaks to allow
the knowledge to settle in. Fly about 3 times a week, and hang around the
field some of the other time, but not all the time. You'll learn a lot
there, too.

The school should have some sort of common area - a lounge, or a front porch
in nice weather - where the regulars hang around and talk flying, even when
they're not scheduled. Furniture should be some old overstuffed chairs and
an old sofa, cast off from someone's house, and there has to be a real
coffeepot - not a machine. Check to see if at least some of the instructors
hang around and shoot the bull when they're finished, or if they pack up and
bolt right away. Its easy enough to find an "Aviation Academy" that's all
stainless steel and glass, with a legion of anal 23 year-old instructors who
can recite the FARs and the POH verbatim and debate airspace arcana all day.
What you need to find is a flying school, where you can learn to be an
aviator - no one can teach you, they just guide you in the right direction
until it clicks. You have to pick it up yourself. Once you've got that,
you can pick up all the rest either from a short stint at a production
school, or by reading books.

Don't cut yourself short on this. The difference is between absorbing it or
simply learning it, and the value inherent in the fomer won't be apparent
for several years. Good luck.

I second that.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

Some great points Shawn, but I wonder if it's that clear cut. I now
live in Oregon where most people learn basically how you described.
Something that's becoming increasingly clear is that the pilots around
here really don't like using the radio. They get uncomfortable talking
to controllers, and talk about how they never file VFR flight plans,
use Flight Following, or any of that.

The other day, I flew to Portland. When I mentioned where I was going,
all the guys in the lounge looked both interested and nervous, and a
couple of them made comments to the effect of how they don't feel
comfortable in controlled space (presumably class D-). I've heard
another pilot refer to class C as his personal class B.

Where I learned, I didn't have a choice but to pick up the radio stuff,
and it took hardly any time. I don't think I missed out on learning
any flying basics, and the added load during training with the
instructor onboard helped me learn important cockpit resource
management. I have a feeling that people who learn in the boonies
might be at disadvantage when entering stricter airspace. Not because
they are worse pilots, but because they're having to spend brainpower
figuring out/using unfamiliar radio procedures while navigating in a
high traffic, unfamiliar environment. I had that, but I learned with
an instructor in the right seat to be my net until I had it down pat.

I mentioned that I had transitioned class bravo down in SoCal, and only
one other guy at the lounge had done that, and it was this alien,
exciting thing for them to hear about. These guys are way better
pilots then I am, but high traffic/class bcd airspace intimidates them,
and that's just not right.

I, too, second that! And I recommend Albuquerque, a city with a small
town ambiance.

You will have the opportunity to experience a nearly full range of
flying - open spaces, hot and cold temperatures, a relatively high
altitude (expect to train in something bigger than a C-152 or like
trainer), an uncrowded Class C airspace for the procedures practice,
flat land and mountains, windy and calm conditions, you name it but
mostly blue skies (CAVU means severe clear and visibility like 50 miles,
not the 5 or 10 miles used as the standard elsewhere in the country).
And I too judge it to be inexpensive.

New Mexico has a wonderful culture, the most distinctive in the country
(I think). And -real- New Mexican food (which most Mexican restaurants
elsewhere in the US try to emulate, by and large unsuccessfully). Let
me add - in October, the biggest Balloon Festival around - don't miss it.

george



Andrew Sarangan wrote:
Go to New Mexico. You can fly every day, enjoy breathtaking mountains and
it is very inexpensive.



wrote in news:1116650149.869157.26980
@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:


Hi folks,
If you want to learn to fly and have half a year or more to take off
and live anywhere in the USA, where would you go to learn to fly?

I ask this because I have the opportunity in 2006 to live anywhere
(preferably in the US) to fulfill a dream I've had since I was 5. I am
25 years old now and am self-employed and therefore can live anywhere
for the time being on a moderate income of around 50K.

So, if I could focus all of my time and energy on flying lessons, where
would you go? Alaska? Seattle area?

I am just interested in a PPL, not commercial, but I want to learn from
the best. I also prefer small town airports to big metros.

So, lets hear it!

"ShawnD2112" wrote in message
. uk...
See, I actually disagree with the idea about learning in busy airspace.
Learn to fly the airplane first, then learn about aviation later. Granted
you have to do all that to get a PPL but the noise and distraction of
radios, other traffic, VORs and all that jazz really distract from the
basics of stick and rudder skills and pilotage.

Well, the instructor could be doing most of the radio work for the beginning
flights, and you would be listening in, learning. When the instructor
thought you were more comfortable, you could start doing the radio work.

It must work, since tons of people have done it that way. But, ....
Different strokes for different folks, makes the world go round.
--
Jim in NC

As sunny and warm as SoCal and Florida....both are very expensive. But
then, flying is expensive, all things considered. Florida is
unbelievably humid (and this coming from someone who lived in Houston, TX
for 7 years!) and has hurricanes. Just saw on the news that New Piper
is finally back into full production, after almost a year.

Yeah -- try Fort Collins.

[This has been an unpaid, non-political announcement]

Snipped for brevity . . .
So, lets hear it!

You don't say where you live now.
The USA is not automatically your best choice - especially with all of
their restrictions for training aliens right now (and in the USA you
don't necessarily have to look like ET to qualify as an alien
Do you want to fly wheels/floats/amphibs/skis? You don't say.

I also prefer small town airports to big metros.
Why? What experience do you have in either to qualify you to make that
distinction? A PP-ASEL should be able to take you anywhere, and
rereading your original post, it sounds as though you are looking for a
licence that will allow that.

I also prefer small town airports to big metros
You don't "usually" find the best instructors in small towns.

I'm not attempting to push you in any direction - I'm merely suggesting
that you delay your final decision and keep asking all of the right
questions.

Good luck to you - I hope that you find exactly what you need.
Anything less than the best training can kill you - take the time and
find the best - it isn't a race - it's the start of a good habit that
you can build on.

You are embarking on a great adventure
and you won't regret it.

Keep us posted,

Tony
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

In article . com,
wrote:

Hi folks,
If you want to learn to fly and have half a year or more to take off
and live anywhere in the USA, where would you go to learn to fly?

I ask this because I have the opportunity in 2006 to live anywhere
(preferably in the US) to fulfill a dream I've had since I was 5. I am
25 years old now and am self-employed and therefore can live anywhere
for the time being on a moderate income of around 50K.

So, if I could focus all of my time and energy on flying lessons, where
would you go? Alaska? Seattle area?

I am just interested in a PPL, not commercial, but I want to learn from
the best. I also prefer small town airports to big metros.

So, lets hear it!




--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

On Sat, 21 May 2005 15:44:58 GMT, "ShawnD2112"
wrote:

If I had to do it all over again, I'd learn in a Cub or a Taylorcraft at a
little farm strip in the middle of nowhere, at least until time for my QXC,
then I'd move into a 152 with all the kit and learn how to talk to people.

Given that the poster said he had six months to do it in, I think this
is a great idea. Come to Hampton NH this summer or early fall and solo
the Cub, meanwhile enjoying the beach life. Then go off to San Diego
CA and do the spam can / ATC bit. Then it's late enough in the year to
brave Chandler AZ and do stalls and aerobatics in a two-cockpit Great
Lakes biplane....

That will be six months to remember the rest of his life.



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

On Sat, 21 May 2005 11:30:57 GMT, "Brad Salai"
wrote:

On the other hand, I just spent four days in Albequerque, and the weather
there is sweet! Blue skys all the time, you have a hard time finding a
cloud. I actually heard a forcast where they said that there might be a few
clouds on Thursday. Not solid overcast like we get here, a few clouds.

When I used to visit my father, who worked at the airplane boneyard at
Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson AZ, I would see the fighter jets scramble
every time a cloud came over. They were HUNGRY to fly MCI, if only for
a moment.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com