Flight Training at 15?

A normal private pilot student will fly 45 or more hours
getting to the check-ride. But the training can be expanded
to include the instrument rating training and be expanded
with glider and seaplane if desired. It isn't as if a
student will run out of new things to do.

--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
| But having to wait a year between solo and private is a
lot of down
| time for someone who probably has an enormous number of
non-aviation
| activities and a very short attention span (pretty much
describes all
| of us at 15). It might be best to wait until he is old
enough to pursue
| this activities at his natural pase and not get stopped
all the time by
| age requirements.
|
| -Robert
|
|
| Jim Macklin wrote:
| You don't "ramp up" for solo or even the private, you
ramp
| up for a career in stages. The goal is always coming
and it
| isn't just the solo, or even the private, but the CFI
and
| ATP experience level.
|

On 2006-06-11, Jay Honeck wrote:
How many guys do you know that tell you "I soloed a plane back in 19xx" --
but never got their ticket?

I have met a whole bunch of them. I don't want my son to solo, get "stuck"
in a rut waiting, and then never finish up.

You face as much of a risk of him getting "stuck" in a rut waiting, and
then never start at all. If he solos then goes no further, well, perhaps
he never had the flame burning for aviation at all. If he does have the
passion for it, he'll finish it up.

The vast majority of the soloed but never finished up crowd discovered
they didn't really have the passion for it after all - otherwise they
would have finished up. If it was because they didn't have the resources
(time, money etc.) then surely it's better to have tasted solo flight and
lost, rather than never flown solo at all?

--
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Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

On 2006-06-11, Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
have to question what the hurry is? And would you be comfortable letting
a kid fly off in your precious airplane IF you could even find a
way to insure it?

Insurance in aircraft, from what I've seen, does not depend on age but
hours and ratings. In any case, if you can't be comfortable letting your
son fly off in your airplane, how can you be comfortable letting him fly
any plane? If he's prone to stupid pilot tricks you'll be mourning the
loss of him not the plane so it's irrelevant which plane he augers in
with.

--
Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

On 2006-06-12, Stefan wrote:
You'd run the risk, though, that he'll loose interest in powered flight
and decides to stay with gliders.

I dunno, powered flight means you can fly the tow plane too!

--
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Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

Dylan Smith wrote:
Insurance in aircraft, from what I've seen, does not depend on age but
hours and ratings. In any case, if you can't be comfortable letting your
son fly off in your airplane, how can you be comfortable letting him fly
any plane? If he's prone to stupid pilot tricks you'll be mourning the
loss of him not the plane so it's irrelevant which plane he augers in
with.


If I didn't say it explicitly, that's what I was implying. I can see letting
him fly the family plane on trips with the family. I can't see letting him out
of my sight solo in any aircraft; particularly one occupied by one or more of
his frriends.

One other thought is that it gives him an unrealistic view of flying as if
everyone had a divine right to it. Flying is expensive; most pilots can barely
afford to fly at all (like me, I'm semiretired). What happens to him when he
hits the real world away from Mommy and Daddy and the family Cherokee? I would
imagine damned few of the staff at McDonalds are instrument rated. Sadly, CEO
jobs are relatively scarce. One very important lesson taught to me by my father
is that just because the family has money doesn't mean *I* do.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Jay Honeck wrote:
My son is 15. He'll be turning 16 in August, and starting his Junior year
of high school.

Or should we strike while the iron is hot?

If he has the interest now, feed that interest NOW!
If you hold him back for a year, he will find something
else to occupy himself... and it will be unlikely to be
aviation.

Gliders or airplanes? Private power first, then private glider.

Best regards,

Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocations!"
--
Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jeratfrii.com http://users.frii.com/jer/
C-206 N9513G, CFII Airplane&Glider FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot BM218 HAM N0FZD 240 Young Eagles!

Dylan Smith wrote:
On 2006-06-11, Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:

have to question what the hurry is? And would you be comfortable letting
a kid fly off in your precious airplane IF you could even find a
way to insure it?


Insurance in aircraft, from what I've seen, does not depend on age but
hours and ratings. In any case, if you can't be comfortable letting your
son fly off in your airplane, how can you be comfortable letting him fly
any plane? If he's prone to stupid pilot tricks you'll be mourning the
loss of him not the plane so it's irrelevant which plane he augers in
with.

I know a guy who at 16 his parents would let him take a plane anywhere,
but he couldn't have the car on Saturday night. Aviation TEACHES good
decision making.

Margy