Advice Requested

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:32:21 GMT, kontiki wrote:

Well for starters it is really hard to beat the venerable FAA
Airplane Flying handbook for starters. You can buy it from any
number of sources, including even many FBO's. But you can also
download it directly from the FAA in PDF format he
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/a...lane_handbook/

Done, free is my friend.

It gives a great overview of everything you'll need to know and
do to get your private pilot license and includes some great
visuals. Going beyond that... and getting in-depth study and
explanation of every aeronautical topic you will encounter I'd
recommend The The Pilot's Manual (Private and Commercial) by
Trevor Thom. It has excellent explanations, illustrations and
even practice questions at the end of each chapter. I found it
very well written and still use it as a resource on occasions.

Bought.

Of course you should also get the 2008 edition of the the FAR/AIM
(Federal Aviation Regulations and Aeronautical Information Manual)
[and even bring it with you on your check ride].

In studying for the written its hard to beat the tried and
true Gleim Private pilot FAA Knowledge test study guide.
It contains all the subject matter you will need to know to
pass the written test and provides example questions and
in-depth answers to actual questions you will get on the test.

Legal cheat sheets, all for it

Beyond the above texts, there are several DVD courses from
Jeppeson, Sporty's and King Schools. I have viewed several King
and Jeppeson tapes (DVDs) and found them very well done. In fact
all of these three have the entire Private pilot course on DVDs.
I prefer having a textbook myself but DVD coursse can benefit
many people... but they are not cheap... and still no real
substitute for some reading and studying a good textbook.

I can't do the DVD thing unless it is a supplement, Old dogs, no new tricks
but after reading the text, the DVDs prolly make sense. My bet is the under
35 crowd goes for the DVDs in a big way. Few know how to read, imo,
including two sons I know.

Hope this helps, and please keep us posted on your progress Sir.

Thanks for your interest. Maybe the next noobie to trip in here can use
this thread, it is an *immense* help to know where to start and to waste
little time in the process.

I haven't been this excited in many moons.
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On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:39:17 -0800, Bob Fry wrote:

You might also consider a flying club which offers instruction.
Visit the airport convenient for your lessons and ask if there are
flying clubs there. Clubs can offer a little more camaraderie and
different style than strictly commercial flying schools. Visit both
and see which atmosphere you like.

Located several, going to try that out.

How much free time do you have? The advice to get the written done
with is good, you can go to classes or get the Kings or Sportys DVDs
and watch/study on your own. Classes may go too slow for you and the
videos allow you to learn on your own pace.

Fortunately, I can control my time, coming off a large project that
absolutely ate up much of any free time for, wow, three years. (had to look
at the calendar)

You *can* fly too often, but what that is depends on the student. We
do a fair amount of learning in our sleep--we must allow new
experiences time to sort out in our brains while sleeping. So flying
several hours a day, every day, would probably not be productive. It
is also true that flying too seldom is not helpful. I found 2 to 3
times a week good, but you and your instructor will find a pace that
works for both.

I have to watch the immersion aspects, agree on your assessments. I'm used
to high levels of overload but I am also really in need of some
non-timelined destressing. When is stops being fun, I'll know.

You will encounter stretches when you learn rapidly and other times
when you simply cannot acquire some needed skill. During the latter,
remember, sometimes the brain simply needs extra time to assimilate
new things. It can help to take a couple weeks rest (from flying) and
come back to it later.

Got a cruise planned 2Q mid, that always does it for me.

Advice is appreciated, thank you.
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Remove numbers for gmail and for God's sake it ain't "gee" either!

WJRFlyBoy writes:
- try to find "mentors". If you can find someone in your area who
just got their certificate, they should be able to give you hints
about training in your area. It is good to know how often you should
expect lessons to be cancelled due to weather, how reliable certain
schools or instructors are, etc. You are most likely to get accurate
answers to your questions from someone who is not about to ask you for
lots of money. Also, someone who finished recently (or is still in
training) may have more immediately relevant information about schools
and instructors than someone who got their licence many years ago.

Chris

Chris, thanks, can you suggest the bst way to find these in-training or
just finished (or is this self-evident once you get to the airport(s) ?

Go hang out at an airport during peak hours (weekends during the day
and mornings and evenings weekdays), and and ask around in a friendly
way. I have found that most folks at airports are pretty nice, and
many of them find that "hangar flying" (aka, talking about flying
while on the ground) is fun, and much cheaper than going and flying
more... :-)

Chris

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:52:09 -0600, Dallas wrote:

This is a good group isn't it? You could write a good article from what's
been said already.

Damn straight it is.

I've got 2 cents I can contribute:

When you visit a flight school ask the question "How many hours do you
have? You can ask this question of everyone you meet because pilots
generally love to answer. This question then leads to a few follow up
questions as to their aspirations and goals in this industry with the goal
of weeding out schools with a lot of "time builders".

Time builders are not the end of the world, some are great natural
instructors while they build time. But, you should try to evaluate if they
like what they are doing.

Other good questions include, "How many students have you soloed?". "How
many students have you taken all the way to a certificate?"

In some of the cheaper flight schools, ask who does their maintenance. If
it's guy who shows up every Tuesday - Thursday and rents a hanger there you
might ask for a little tour of his operation before you bet your life on
his work.

Had to look up "time builders" but see your point. The maintenance issue I
dealt with back in the 80s with a real estate partner who flew. I stopped
flying with him when his battery cable was found off two days in a row.
After landing.

With the smart questions, that helps, I won't feel so much like a dumbass.

Thanks, Dallas
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Remove numbers for gmail and for God's sake it ain't "gee" either!

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 07:41:46 -0800 (PST), Ol Shy & Bashful wrote:

Phone calls to different schools will give
you a partial impression just the way they handle your call. Its a
business but unfortunately many flight schools aren't run that way and
staffed by kids who are not oriented towards the business end.
Ask to speak with the chief flight instructor and have your questions
ready as you posed here. Price, time, experience of instructors,
aircraft, time to completion, any guarantees of performance if you get
scheduled, etc.

I'm building a list of questions, thanks for the headliners, I didn't have
a couple of these.

A new instructor is eager to show off their new found skills but
frequently the student loses actual stick time watching the CFI show
off. OTOH, the new instructor is fresh on nearly everything having
been studying for his/her exams. I enjoy flying with older studetns
such as yourself for a number of reasons. 1. Motivation to learn to
fly and paying attention. 2. Maturity to understand it isn't a game
and requires study and focus. 3. Financial smarts to budget the money
within reason and capable of following thru to the end. 4. Desire to
fly safely and within their own envelope and experience level. 5.
Understanding how skills can deteriorate and the need for regular
training or refresher training.

6. We fear death.

While the older guys take more time to get it down, once they have it,
they HAVE it. Older people are smart enough to figure out when they
are being jerked around and usually have sense enough to say so or do
something about it.

Inverse relationship between age and time to fart around.

Avoid buying every gadget in sight. There are a few basic books that
you need to study and even after 40 years of instructing, I still need
to review them from time to time. There are only a few basic pieces of
equipment that you need and don't buy the most expensive ones!

Have been watching the watch thread.

Experience will be your guide as you progress thru your flying.
Best of luck and don't hesitate to ask more questions. There are some
very experienced and helpful people here to lean on and learn from.

Very kind of you, and of those who have taken their time to help me out.
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Remove numbers for gmail and for God's sake it ain't "gee" either!

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:26:24 -0800 (PST), Andrew Sarangan wrote:

When selecting a CFI, keep in mind that teaching and flying are two
separate skills. Many students get sold on war stories, especially
instructors who have flown big irons or served in combat.

Been there done that, combat doesn't impress. War stories, got my own,
LRRPS.

You want to
judge them based on their teaching and interpersonal skills. Most CFIs
have the flying skill to teach the beginning student. Think of a child
learning math. What you need is a teacher who is patient and has
insight into the childs thought process. You don't necessary want
someone with a PhD in math.

Good point. have friend who is exTop Gun Navy AF instructor, NASJAX, he
offered, I declined. I appreciate your thought on this.
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On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:34:09 GMT, Mike Isaksen wrote:

Great to hear you are coming at this with eyes wide open!

Those aren't alert eyes, those are nervous eyes !

Remember to keep
it fun, even though you are tracking toward flying to support "business
meeting schedules". This is the most difficult area of General Aviation to
fulfill for a PPL. You'll need your instrument rating and a VERY able
aircraft. Something that can get above the weather in a hurry. A big turbo
twin or a single engine turboprop (TBM or like) would meet your needs, but
also empty your pockets quickly. That's why I mention to keep it fun. That
way, if you should need to adjust your end goals you won't look back and
think you wasted your time. It will have been fun, and can be a lifetime
hobby.

First is the fun then if I can make flying business related, that would be
great but it also would be gravy.

Also, call your life insurance agent and check on the details, sometimes
there are surprises in the fine print.

Yeah, wife is all over that one
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Remove numbers for gmail and for God's sake it ain't "gee" either!

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:46:22 -0500, Christopher Brian Colohan wrote:

Chris, thanks, can you suggest the bst way to find these in-training or
just finished (or is this self-evident once you get to the airport(s) ?

Go hang out at an airport during peak hours (weekends during the day
and mornings and evenings weekdays), and and ask around in a friendly
way. I have found that most folks at airports are pretty nice, and
many of them find that "hangar flying" (aka, talking about flying
while on the ground) is fun, and much cheaper than going and flying
more... :-)

Chris

I'm practicing my "poor pitiful me" routine, playing to the human emotion
to help the helpless.
--
Remove numbers for gmail and for God's sake it ain't "gee" either!

On Nov 23, 12:52 pm, Dallas wrote:
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:16:22 -0500, WJRFlyBoy wrote:
It's time to stop talking and start doing so I would appreciate any advice
on how to assess a flight school, instructor, pricing and any other
suggestions.

This is a good group isn't it? You could write a good article from what's
been said already.

I've got 2 cents I can contribute:

When you visit a flight school ask the question "How many hours do you
have? You can ask this question of everyone you meet because pilots
generally love to answer.

Although the number of hours might be indicative of something, that
the least relevant qualification for CFIs. Most instructors spend
countless hours going around the same traffic pattern and flying to
the same airports that hours start to mean very little. I am in that
category, so I know that is true. I have several thousand hours, but
only a few of them are truly meaningful experience.

This question then leads to a few follow up
questions as to their aspirations and goals in this industry with the goal
of weeding out schools with a lot of "time builders".

Time builders are not the end of the world, some are great natural
instructors while they build time. But, you should try to evaluate if they
like what they are doing.

Other good questions include, "How many students have you soloed?". "How
many students have you taken all the way to a certificate?"

In some of the cheaper flight schools, ask who does their maintenance. If
it's guy who shows up every Tuesday - Thursday and rents a hanger there you
might ask for a little tour of his operation before you bet your life on
his work.


I would say one of the most important factors is figuring out whether
his teaching style is compatible with your learning style. Some people
like to understand the technical details before doing them, and some
others like to try them out first before getting into the details.
These are different learning styles. There are some who are fascinated
by the fundamentals of anything that flies. These are the people who
ask specific questions about each component on the airframe. Others
are fascinated by the idea of being able to travel by air, and are
more interested in airport environments, navigation and weather. This
is not to say these qualities are all exclusive of one another. But
everyone has their own focus areas of interest, and if you can match
it up with your instructor that will be a great combination.

On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:45:30 -0800 (PST), Andrew Sarangan wrote:

Although the number of hours might be indicative of something, that
the least relevant qualification for CFIs.

Absolutely true. I suggest asking in more of a social context to get the
conversation moving in the right direction.

I would say one of the most important factors is figuring out whether
his teaching style is compatible with your learning style.

As to the personality of the instructor, I had one for a couple of lessons
that was "painfully shy". "Painfully shy" is not a personality trait you
want in an instructor.

I still joke that he was my first passenger.

:-)

--
Dallas