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need info on good flying schools
- Thread starter Tigger2
- Start date
- Watchers 4
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This may be time-consuming, but dig deeply through the archives of the main message board (not the interview board). You'll find several discussions about the pros and cons of various flight schools, as well as the big school vs. FBO debate. You should be able to find the answers you need. YOu also might want to check out the flight schools message board at www.jetcareers.com
You might also consider university aviation programs (ERAU, NDSU, etc.)
Good luck!
You might also consider university aviation programs (ERAU, NDSU, etc.)
Good luck!
Bluto
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2001
- Posts
- 1,147
"the fact is most guys who start flying so young get killed in accidents"
This is simply not true! There is absolutely no evidence to support an inflamatory statement like this. Please think before you post garbage like this. If a student today were to wait until they could afford their own flight training while working at McDonald's, it could take literally years to complete the private pilot certificate. This very well could cause the dangerous pilot you spoke of above. Flying 2-3 times a week is the best way to make steady progress and build good, safe flying habits.
Tigger2, don't let ridiculous statements like this scare you away from an early start in aviation. However, there are some limitations placed on you by regulation. You cannot obtain your private pilot certificate in an airplane until you reach 17 years of age, you can solo at 16. If you have a good instructor, and are a responsible individual, you should avoid most life-threatening experiences, regardless of age. Balancing flight training with high school, and even college, can be quite difficult. It requires a high level of determination and personal dedication. I reccomend waiting until you are at least 16, if not 17, until you start your training seriously. A good place to start is with a demonstration flight at a local flight school. This will give you an idea if you enjoy flying small airplanes. Most of your training and experience for the first few years of your career will be in small aircraft, so you want to make sure you don't mind them. A visit to some of the professional pilot schools or aviation universities will help you get a feel for which type of program will be best for you. There are many great schools out there. Ask many questions and talk to students currently attending any program you are interested in. In the end, you would be best served by attending a school that fits you personally. Consider all options available to you. If you are interested in flying for the military, talk to ROTC recruiters at a local college, or investigate the academies (try to avoid regular recruiters since they tend to encourage you to enlist first, definitely not the fastest way to an airline career.) After completing college, attending officer training school or officer candidate school is also a military option.
Additionally, there are many schools who are only interested in your money. Be careful about schools that make wild promises. Make sure that you get quality training for your money. Also, you will find that there are many varying opinions displayed on these message boards. Be extremely careful about who you listen to. Everyone who posts on these boards (myself included) has their own perspective and agenda. Theirs may be different from yours. Take all advice with a grain of salt. If you have any specific questions please feel free to private message me.
Good luck in your search and when the time comes, enjoy your training! It is an exciting and fulfilling journey.
This is simply not true! There is absolutely no evidence to support an inflamatory statement like this. Please think before you post garbage like this. If a student today were to wait until they could afford their own flight training while working at McDonald's, it could take literally years to complete the private pilot certificate. This very well could cause the dangerous pilot you spoke of above. Flying 2-3 times a week is the best way to make steady progress and build good, safe flying habits.
Tigger2, don't let ridiculous statements like this scare you away from an early start in aviation. However, there are some limitations placed on you by regulation. You cannot obtain your private pilot certificate in an airplane until you reach 17 years of age, you can solo at 16. If you have a good instructor, and are a responsible individual, you should avoid most life-threatening experiences, regardless of age. Balancing flight training with high school, and even college, can be quite difficult. It requires a high level of determination and personal dedication. I reccomend waiting until you are at least 16, if not 17, until you start your training seriously. A good place to start is with a demonstration flight at a local flight school. This will give you an idea if you enjoy flying small airplanes. Most of your training and experience for the first few years of your career will be in small aircraft, so you want to make sure you don't mind them. A visit to some of the professional pilot schools or aviation universities will help you get a feel for which type of program will be best for you. There are many great schools out there. Ask many questions and talk to students currently attending any program you are interested in. In the end, you would be best served by attending a school that fits you personally. Consider all options available to you. If you are interested in flying for the military, talk to ROTC recruiters at a local college, or investigate the academies (try to avoid regular recruiters since they tend to encourage you to enlist first, definitely not the fastest way to an airline career.) After completing college, attending officer training school or officer candidate school is also a military option.
Additionally, there are many schools who are only interested in your money. Be careful about schools that make wild promises. Make sure that you get quality training for your money. Also, you will find that there are many varying opinions displayed on these message boards. Be extremely careful about who you listen to. Everyone who posts on these boards (myself included) has their own perspective and agenda. Theirs may be different from yours. Take all advice with a grain of salt. If you have any specific questions please feel free to private message me.
Good luck in your search and when the time comes, enjoy your training! It is an exciting and fulfilling journey.
Bluto
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2001
- Posts
- 1,147
Strangely enough, no offense taken. 
I'm not a marine, but I gathered from a previous post of yours that you were. I respect your ability to speak your mind. We may not agree, but for all of us the ability to take ourselves lightly is vital. I meant no offense, and didn't take your statement too seriously either. I'll take the "I thought you were a Marine." statement as a compliment.
I'm not a marine, but I gathered from a previous post of yours that you were. I respect your ability to speak your mind. We may not agree, but for all of us the ability to take ourselves lightly is vital. I meant no offense, and didn't take your statement too seriously either. I'll take the "I thought you were a Marine." statement as a compliment.
Timebuilder
Entrepreneur
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 4,625
Son, if you go ahead and get ready to solo at sixteen, you'll be ahead of the game. You can then spend that year honing your skills, doing instrument training and commercial maneuvers, upset training, glider, floatplane, you name it. Time, money, and will are the only real requirements.
GO AFTER YOUR DREAM!!!!! I want to emphasize this, because I could have been you, in a way.
My dad had a Bellanca, and would have been tickled pink if I had spent more time actually applying myself to a piloting career instead of chasing teenage girls and listening to music for hours on end. I couldn't conceive that flying could really be that cool, after all, my FATHER was doing it. I felt that I HAD to do something different. Can you tell that I still regret my shortsightedness?
You can start learning right now. Ask questions. Spend time at the airport. Read books, Study videos or DVD's. Do it. You will find out in a short time if this just isn't for you.
But I think you'll like it...
GO AFTER YOUR DREAM!!!!! I want to emphasize this, because I could have been you, in a way.
My dad had a Bellanca, and would have been tickled pink if I had spent more time actually applying myself to a piloting career instead of chasing teenage girls and listening to music for hours on end. I couldn't conceive that flying could really be that cool, after all, my FATHER was doing it. I felt that I HAD to do something different. Can you tell that I still regret my shortsightedness?
You can start learning right now. Ask questions. Spend time at the airport. Read books, Study videos or DVD's. Do it. You will find out in a short time if this just isn't for you.
But I think you'll like it...
" You want to make sure you don't aquire debt while your trying this, and take no handouts from parents. Do it on your own....You'll find that you will fly safer after you earn things."
I'm sorry, but how do these comments have anything to do with one another. Why should you not take handouts? How does that make you fly safer? I took handouts, am I an unsafe pilot? You may appreciate your time more, but thats about it.
I'm sorry, but how do these comments have anything to do with one another. Why should you not take handouts? How does that make you fly safer? I took handouts, am I an unsafe pilot? You may appreciate your time more, but thats about it.
bobbysamd
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 5,710
Flying career
It is important that you build a good education foundation before you think about flying. The first thing you should do before looking for a flight school is to prepare for it in high school.
You're at the perfect age to prepare to become a pilot. Take all the math, science and English you can get. Quite a bit of math is involved in flying. For example, we use vectors to understand the forces that act on airplanes and also to calculate cross-country performance. You learn vectors in geometry. Science would include physics, because the principles of flight are based on Newton's laws. We use thermodynamics to help us understand weather. Physiology is good to study to understand how flight affects the body. English? Pilots have to be able to speak and write well so they sound professional. Writing skills are important because pilots find themselves writing reports. For example, if a piece of equipment isn't operating, pilots have to be able to explain in which respect the equipment isn't working. If you write up equipment and say it's inoperative, it doesn't help the mechanic. Also, pilots write a lot of letters and have to do so well. In short, you don't want to sound like a moron because if you do, you'll be treated as if you are one.
It is vital that you go to college and earn a four-year degree. Pilots debate on which degree is best, but they agree that you need a degree to amount to anything in aviation. I think you should go to college right out of high school. You'll still be in "school" mode and will find college easier than if you stay out a few years and try to start. College will always serve you, no matter what career you choose.
I agree with Timebuilder that you should go for the career while you're young. Some people wait for years before they learn how to fly and decide they want to fly professionally. For many of them, it's too late.
Good luck with your plans.
It is important that you build a good education foundation before you think about flying. The first thing you should do before looking for a flight school is to prepare for it in high school.
You're at the perfect age to prepare to become a pilot. Take all the math, science and English you can get. Quite a bit of math is involved in flying. For example, we use vectors to understand the forces that act on airplanes and also to calculate cross-country performance. You learn vectors in geometry. Science would include physics, because the principles of flight are based on Newton's laws. We use thermodynamics to help us understand weather. Physiology is good to study to understand how flight affects the body. English? Pilots have to be able to speak and write well so they sound professional. Writing skills are important because pilots find themselves writing reports. For example, if a piece of equipment isn't operating, pilots have to be able to explain in which respect the equipment isn't working. If you write up equipment and say it's inoperative, it doesn't help the mechanic. Also, pilots write a lot of letters and have to do so well. In short, you don't want to sound like a moron because if you do, you'll be treated as if you are one.
It is vital that you go to college and earn a four-year degree. Pilots debate on which degree is best, but they agree that you need a degree to amount to anything in aviation. I think you should go to college right out of high school. You'll still be in "school" mode and will find college easier than if you stay out a few years and try to start. College will always serve you, no matter what career you choose.
I agree with Timebuilder that you should go for the career while you're young. Some people wait for years before they learn how to fly and decide they want to fly professionally. For many of them, it's too late.
Good luck with your plans.
Last edited:
I don't know I was in a moment.....jaybird said:
It was inspirational.....it was on a tangent...
I][/QUOTE]
"I took handouts, am I an unsafe pilot"
Taking a handout is the same a PFT...right or wrong..
Hey weren't you the one in previous posts that complained about people buying a job and not earning it..I thought you earned your job...You were siding on how great pilots are when they earn their certificates and don't PFT.
The debt part....well, think about a kid flying at 18. He builds time, not from Mickey D's but takes out school loans. At that time he builds about 65000 in debt for a repay in 20 years at prime plus a couple percent....not to mention interest rates will be up by then.
That's $650 bucks a month for 20 years....
I had a friend that graduated HS same year as I did. He took out a twenty year loan for flight school and living expenses...Well you know how pilots like to party hard....
He now has a kid, wife named "Bank" and a dog named "get the hell off me" and he's miserable because he wound up with bad credit. He got a job for United Express(Skywest)in Cali. They attached his check and now take half his paycheck for 15 more years.
I drive an AUDI S4 and he's driving a DATSUN.
O.K. here's my point....His question was, "Do ya know of a good flight school?"
You and I know the flight school doesn't do crap for you. You have to consider other things as well.
Money.....Hey anyone can learn to fly if you have money. When your sitting with a 315 credit score on the ol' TRW with a pocket full of rocks you won't give a crap about a how good a flight school is.
Hey Pilot3729-
You don't know what you're talking about. Rather than take the time to explain why having my parents pay for my flight training isn't PFT and doesn't make me an unsafe pilot, I'll just say this. You're the most annoying member in along time. I'd be quiet before you embarrass yourself further.
You don't know what you're talking about. Rather than take the time to explain why having my parents pay for my flight training isn't PFT and doesn't make me an unsafe pilot, I'll just say this. You're the most annoying member in along time. I'd be quiet before you embarrass yourself further.
Wiggums and Pilot3729 - you're both out of line. You've taken a well-intentioned question from a teenager who's interested in a career in flying, and turned his thread into a playground for your egos, and are probably doing nothing more than convince the kid why on earth would be want to be a professional pilot and have to work with squabbling idiots like you.
Ignore the chatter, Tigger2. If you really want to fly, do it - do it right, do it safe, do it smart. Keep asking a lot of questions like you're doing - on this board, at the airport, at school. As you can see, you'll get a lot of different advice. Do what you feel is right.
As someone once said, don't fly because you want to fly. Fly because you HAVE to fly. Along the way to joining the circus, you'll run into a few clowns. Judging from the time stamps, these two are the teenagers who are up WAY past their bedtimes.
Good luck and have fun!
Ignore the chatter, Tigger2. If you really want to fly, do it - do it right, do it safe, do it smart. Keep asking a lot of questions like you're doing - on this board, at the airport, at school. As you can see, you'll get a lot of different advice. Do what you feel is right.
As someone once said, don't fly because you want to fly. Fly because you HAVE to fly. Along the way to joining the circus, you'll run into a few clowns. Judging from the time stamps, these two are the teenagers who are up WAY past their bedtimes.
Good luck and have fun!
norskman2,
I'm sorry, but this dude is telling this kid to not take handouts and comparing it to pft. How is taking a handout in any conceivable way taking away a paying job? I just don't see the connection.
" Hey weren't you the one in previous posts that complained about people buying a job and not earning it..I thought you earned your job...You were siding on how great pilots are when they earn their certificates and don't PFT."
I earned my certificates. I may have not paid for some of them, but I still took the time and dedication to do it. By taking a handout I was able to concentrate much more on the task at hand. I agree that people who pay their way through college by working a job and going to school full time are doing something right, because it's tough and not all, but some of them can't put a lot of time into studying and still manage to do quite well (get good grades that is). I have nothing but respect for those people.
Mr. Pilot, I think your missing the point entirely. pft is not taking a handout. pft is taking a paying job away from a qualified pilot. so finally, pft = pay for job. pft does not = taking handouts.
I don't think I'm alone here, but Pilot3729 hmmm, there's just something about you.
I'm sorry, but this dude is telling this kid to not take handouts and comparing it to pft. How is taking a handout in any conceivable way taking away a paying job? I just don't see the connection.
" Hey weren't you the one in previous posts that complained about people buying a job and not earning it..I thought you earned your job...You were siding on how great pilots are when they earn their certificates and don't PFT."
I earned my certificates. I may have not paid for some of them, but I still took the time and dedication to do it. By taking a handout I was able to concentrate much more on the task at hand. I agree that people who pay their way through college by working a job and going to school full time are doing something right, because it's tough and not all, but some of them can't put a lot of time into studying and still manage to do quite well (get good grades that is). I have nothing but respect for those people.
Mr. Pilot, I think your missing the point entirely. pft is not taking a handout. pft is taking a paying job away from a qualified pilot. so finally, pft = pay for job. pft does not = taking handouts.
I don't think I'm alone here, but Pilot3729 hmmm, there's just something about you.
Stay on Target !!!
Tigger: Congratulations, it takes many people years to figure out what they want to do in their life. I know this as I was one of them. The first thing I would recommend is concentrating on your school work primarily to attain the best grades that you can. This will allow options for you when you graduate from highschool. Remember to also do well in a few years when you take your ACT or SAT EXAMS. Many universities and colleges will send letters to those individuals that do well on these test and have a good academic record. This in and of itself could provide you with many scholarships hence allowing you to use your money however attained for continuing your Pilot Ratings. If you choose the military, which is probably the best route to go in my opinion, there are many excellent choices. USAFA, Naval Academy, Westpoint, and many military prep schools located throughout the country that offer scholarships. Again, you save money with this option and have more finances for flying. Additionally, if you qualify you can have the military train you to fly. If your set on the civillian route I would give a good look at Embry Riddle.
As for right now today.....Once again, concentrate on your school work, sports, clubs at school and perhaps try to get a job doing just about anything at your local airport. This will allow you to be around the business and meet people. Take some flying lessons whenever you can with a well qualified instructor. The best instructors will be happy to share their knowledge with you both on the ground and in the air. Good Luck to You. Aviation is alot of fun but always remember to take it seriously and dont allow less mature friends or acquaintences to pressure you into stupid things. Above all, Stay Focused!!!!!!!The Rewards can be greater then you ever imagined....
Tigger: Congratulations, it takes many people years to figure out what they want to do in their life. I know this as I was one of them. The first thing I would recommend is concentrating on your school work primarily to attain the best grades that you can. This will allow options for you when you graduate from highschool. Remember to also do well in a few years when you take your ACT or SAT EXAMS. Many universities and colleges will send letters to those individuals that do well on these test and have a good academic record. This in and of itself could provide you with many scholarships hence allowing you to use your money however attained for continuing your Pilot Ratings. If you choose the military, which is probably the best route to go in my opinion, there are many excellent choices. USAFA, Naval Academy, Westpoint, and many military prep schools located throughout the country that offer scholarships. Again, you save money with this option and have more finances for flying. Additionally, if you qualify you can have the military train you to fly. If your set on the civillian route I would give a good look at Embry Riddle.
As for right now today.....Once again, concentrate on your school work, sports, clubs at school and perhaps try to get a job doing just about anything at your local airport. This will allow you to be around the business and meet people. Take some flying lessons whenever you can with a well qualified instructor. The best instructors will be happy to share their knowledge with you both on the ground and in the air. Good Luck to You. Aviation is alot of fun but always remember to take it seriously and dont allow less mature friends or acquaintences to pressure you into stupid things. Above all, Stay Focused!!!!!!!The Rewards can be greater then you ever imagined....
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