How to go about training?

[MUD DAWG]

I've been wondering for a while how to start my training. I'm working full time now (non aviation) and want to get my commercial and associated ratings as soon as I can.

I'm wondering if I should keep working for another year and save up. Then pay for my training fees and get PPL, CPL, night rating, IFR, multi engine, etc in one year. Or should I get my PPL now, and fly on weekends and build up the hours as I go.


Option 1 will take less time, and will probably cost less because I won't forget as much and won't need time to refresh. But I'll end up borrowing money and be in debt for a while. And it means I won't start flying for another year at least.

Option 2, I won't be in debt, or not as deep in it, but it'll take a fair bit longer and will probably cost more.

What do you think folks?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Speedtree]

I am not a big fan of being in debt. This aviation business is an uncertain one at best and trying to pay off student loans while making peanuts and wondering if you are going to get furloughed is not for the faint of heart.

Look at both options. Look at the CONS and worst case scenarios of both and decide which ones you think you can live with.

If you can save up enough money up front to go all the way without going into debt that would be preferable for the reasons you mentioned. As long as you are able to stay focused and motivated for the duration. Some students do better with some breaks and a more steady approach than a full-speed one.

Best of wishes to you.

 

[bobbysamd]

I'd wait . . . .

I kind of did it the second way you mention. I originally learned how to fly because I always wanted to and not because I planned on a career. I continued working on ratings because I wanted to be a good pilot and wanted something to show for my time. As a result, and also because of a bad work schedule, it took me years to finish my ratings. Although it didn't bother me particularly at the time, I am convinced now that I would have learned faster and became a better pilot sooner if I had trained continuously (Instructing and the Riddle sims are what honed my skills.).

I agree with the above and with your thoughts about being in debt. I also go along with your thoughts that if you put it off for a year and save up for your training that it will cost you less in the long run, the final product will be better, and you will go to work sooner. Further to my last point, you won't lose much time because there's not much hiring going on right now.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your plans.

 

[bigD]

I think you should wait and get yourself in a better financial position. Even if you decide to get your certificate now and work as you go, how much time would you fly over that year? I fly recreationally while I'm waiting to get out of school, and on a good year I'll log 120 hours.

So a year later, you may be a hundred or so hours "behind", but once you start doing the CFI thing, you'll be flying that amount every month or two. And this way, you won't be shouldering so much debt.

 

[MUD DAWG]

Yup thanks guys. I was leaning towards waiting another year and paying cash for whatver I can. The idea of starting now was appealing because it meant I'd be around the industry a little longer, and I could make contacts in the mean time. Also my paycheques are starting to get pretty attractive, and my girlfriend said she really hopes I don't get tempted by the money and lose track of what I've wanted to do for a very long time.

 

[tarp]

Do you have zero time?

You haven't flown a plane and you don't have a medical?

I'm just risk averse. Go out and see if you like flying. You may get violently airsick, you may have a medical condition you don't know about? Are you going to just go out and give somebody $40-$50K of your money to learn flying for a career and you haven't flown an airplane yet?

You spelled "Paycheck" like you are from overseas. With the new post-9/11 rules can you qualify for training in the US?

I always look at the coin this way - You can go to a 141 school ab initio and it will take 35 for the private, 30 for the instrument and 120 for the commercial (ergo, their stats of a commercial certificate in 185 hours). Or you can go to a 61 school for the Private - it might take you 40 or it might take you 65 hours to go through the local FBO but nobody is putting a gun to your head for the PPL rating which should be just fun. You can transfer to Part 141 with a PPL in hand. OK, so you have more flight hours? Is this a bad thing? NO. And if you can't cut the 141 curriculum, you are still going to need 250hrs to get a Part 61 Comm Certificate.

Test the waters before you jump in.

 

[MUD DAWG]

Tarp, I officially have zero hours and no log book. But on the side I've gone up 3 times at local school for half an hour each as introductory lessons. I was told later that I could've logged that 1.5 hours. Too bad I didn't know that earlier, but I did get a chance to take control and unfortunately get hooked. And also the father of a really good buddy of mine has taken me up about half a dozen times in his WWII navy plane (a 1949 Stearman), I paid for fuel. The airport is 20 minutes from my house. And no I don't have a medical either, but being up in a noisy, open cockpit, of a pretty much ancient plane with a nut holding the stick pretty much tells me I should be ok with air sickness


And pretty observant with the 'Paycheck' thing . I'm actually Canadian, and sometimes here up north we spell it 'Paycheck', or sometimes we go with 'Paycheque'.


But you do bring up a good point, and obviously if I go through my PPL and find it's not for me, then it would turn around time for me. I'm thinking the US market is better than the Canadian, especially with our major carrier under bankruptsy protection, but hopefully with your market picking up, ours should too.

Cheers.