Flying Lessons

Steve wrote:

Ok so you guys consider joining AOPA a must do.

Definitely.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
Ok so you guys consider joining AOPA a must do. I was considering that
but I didn't know if it was an organization worth it's salt. Although
I did like the fact they offered a discount ticket for your
introduction flight.

Some people will disagree, but IMHO AOPA is worth the dues. The magazine
alone is worth the dues, and membership gets you a lot more. As a member, I
have asked for and received good advice on a variety of topics, from medical
issues, to international flights, to aircraft purchasing, and more.

They are also the primary lobbying organization for general aviation. It
could be argued that they aren't very effective in all areas, but they do
accomplish some things, and frankly it's not like there's any other group
out there doing more than AOPA. I certainly feel like I get at least $40
worth of lobbying each year.

As far as the discount for the first lesson goes though, that should be
available whether or not you join. Most flight schools have a discounted
introductory flight, and you can go to www.beapilot.com to find discounted
intro flights near you. So, while I'd agree that AOPA is worth joining for
any pilot, or for pilots-to-be, the discounted first flight isn't something
that makes them unique, nor is it really much of a membership benefit.

Pete

Ok so you guys consider joining AOPA a must do.

Yes.

They're far from perfect, but they're the best we've got.

And the magazine is outstanding.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 13:17:30 +0200, Stefan
wrote in ::

Larry Dighera wrote:

Actually, flying is a bit more than a hobby
...
flying is a life and death matter after all.

As are many hobbies ... not to mention driving a car.



I wouldn't characterize driving a car as a hobby, unless perhaps it's
on a race track.

There are those hobbies, such as rock climbing, SCUBA diving, even
sailing, that are potentially life and death matters, but they don't
demand the public to extend their trust for their participation as
does aviation.

That is why I feel it is important for airmen to act responsibly and
prudent in the air and in public.

Montblack wrote:

[Flying lessons - buying your own jet]

[snip]

* Fly and hour per day 4-5-6 days per week.
* Take some glider training for fun.

Get some tailwheel time as well. In fact, consider doing it sooner
rather than later.

Chris
(Who promptly after cruising through the CFI ride got his ass kicked by
a Luscombe while his 26,000 hour mentor sat in the right seat laughing
his ass off)

Steve wrote:
I'm considering taking up flying as a hobby. It's something I've been wanting to do
since I was a kid. The ultimate goal is to learn how to fly lear jets or should I say private
light jets. What flight training classes would I have to take and how many hrs would I
have to perform. I can pretty much fly as many times a week as necessary to get the
training my job schedule is highly flexible. I have noticed that most courses run from 5
to 7 k. To get a private pilots license. But what would it take to have the licensing to fly
a lear. And can those courses be taken right after getting my PPL. I saw where I could
get a PPL for 8,000 and get instrument training for another 6,000. Is there another
course needed to fly a lear and can all the classes be taken concurrently.

You do not fly jets as a hobby unless you have almost unlimited wealth.
Nevertheless, there are some people who do fly jets as a hobby. The
majority of them fly decommissioned military aircraft, but there are
some Lear pilots and others. You will spend a minimum of $75,000
getting all the certificates and ratings, including a type rating for a
Lear, but that is just the beginning of it. You will have to build up
the hours (over a period of years, probably) to be acceptable to an
insurer. After that, figure a good $1300 per hour for operating cost of
the Lear. You will also have to pay another pilot to fly with you, as
most Lears are not certified for single pilot operation. Even if you
find one that is, your insurer will probably make you fly with another
pilot anyway.

It is not that jets are difficult to fly -- the typical military
throttle jock does not have very much flying experience, especially at
the beginning -- but they require considerable support and
infrastructure. Their high speeds require more planning and an ability
to think far ahead of the airplane. The military guy may not have flown
a lot, but he does make a full time job of studying how to fly his
airplane.

Heck, if I could just guarantee that I had the fuel and insurance
concessions, I could probably give jets away for free and still make
money. Maybe an exaggeration, but not that much of one.

Just remember, it is not the type of airplane that you fly that makes
you a good pilot. There are bad pilots flying all kinds of good
airplanes. It is training and experience that make you a good pilot.

Here is a picture of a bad pilot who was flying what appeared to be a
perfectly good plane.

http://www.seeitornot.faketrix.com/crash-pics-7.htm

Skylune wrote:
Here is a picture of a bad pilot who was flying what appeared to be a
perfectly good plane.

http://www.seeitornot.faketrix.com/crash-pics-7.htm

I remember that picture. IIRC, he got caught in wake turbulence on
take-off. Just very unlucky. The plane was fine after they used a
crane to get it (and him) off the lines a few hours later.

Kev

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
Here is a picture of a bad pilot who was flying what appeared to be a
perfectly good plane.

http://www.seeitornot.faketrix.com/crash-pics-7.htm


It's kind of hard to put a lot of faith in a website called faketrix