How much do you lose.....train once a week

[meyers9163]

I am starting up my ppl in a c-152 Feb 25th and was going to be able to only do it on the weeked due to college, and work. I was wondering if i am able to do all the reading (plan on it) how much do you really lose within a week? Should I plan on doing 45-50 hours to complete the ppl or would it be possible still to complete it in 40 hours? I am doing it part 61 just because I cannot do the structure of 141 incase of something happening. Until school is done for the year I cant do more than once a week so it'd be two months of training only on the weekends (8 lessons), anyone able to comment on how much one typically loses if they only train once a week?

Thank you! Any help is great!

 

[SeaLord]

Yeah,, it's going to be tuff only flying on weekends. Weather will screw you up among other things such as mechanicals or scheduling. Forget the 40 hr. bullsh!t anyway...that's the ego thinking. Shoot for 60 or 70 with good aptitude and weather...and that might still be ambitious.

 

[VSUPilot]

Hey, now is not the time to try to rush through your training in order to get your ppl in the same time as your buddy who flies out in the middle of nowhere. Students that I had in the past would shudder at the idea of not soloing until 20-25 hrs because they knew of their buddy, dad, cousin, etc. that soloed in 8 hrs. Sure you can learn how to land in 8 hrs., but as far as satisfying the pre-solo regs. . .probably not. This is especially true if you are training at high traffic airport. BTW, my advise is to train at a busy Class C or D airport if at all possible. You may spend a bit more time and money but it WILL pay off by establishing great fundamentals and confidence for later training.

There are alot of people who post here (and in aviation in general) who are so entranced by the next step, beit their ppl, cfi, or first indentured servitude with the regionals that they forget to look outside and enjoy the process. Hell, you are about to start your training and that is one of the most exciting things that you will ever do. Just one more word of advice, make sure that you are training not to get a license, but to become a safe and proficient pilot. The hours will take care of themselves. Good Luck.

 

[midlifeflyer]

how much do you really lose within a week?

I primarily teach adult non-aviation career people who can only fly on weekends. I had an absolutely stupendous student who did it this way in 77.5 hours. You may be able to beat that since you're younger, but I wouldn't bet on it.

How much do you lose? Think back to when you learned how to drive a car. It wasn't that long ago. Think about learning to drive by only getting into a car once a week. Then, think about all the years from when you were a baby when you watched people driving and learned from observation.

So now you tell me how much you lose by only flying once a week.

 

[westwind]

The once-a-week gig is definitely doable. I did it that way and it worked for me. The key is to eat, sleep, and drink flying in between the lessons. Books, videos, etc. Heck, I even used some books on CD/tape while driving, to help with the written. Just don't get stuck on a certain number of hours to accomplish your goal. Things out of your control (weather, maintenance, CFI issues, etc.) WILL throw roadblocks your way and will likely extend the journey, but just deal with it and keep your eyes on the prize. Best of luck.

 

[troy]

Once a week is fine. Stay focused on your college, those grades follow you through life. No one will ask you how many hours it took you to solo in an interview!!

 

[flyer172r]

Work your butt off and plan for 60 hours. If you can beat that, great. Making sure you're well prepared for each lesson before you leave for the airport will go a long way in minimizing how much you lose between lessons and maximizing how much you gain from each lesson.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

why the hell would you want to get a pilots license?

go spend that money and time on your girlfriend.

 

[flyer172r]

why the hell would you want to get a pilots license?

go spend that money and time on your girlfriend.

Spend the money on a pilot's license and you have it forever. You only lose it if you do something stupid.

Spend the money on a girlfriend, and you have to keep spending the same amount over and over again. You can do everything right and still lose the girlfriend.

 

[mcjohn]

Ask the CFI you're about to hire how many hours it took his past students to get the PPL. Then be ready for him to tell you all the excuses for the different hours of each student, but I think you'll get the idea.