Very interested in learning to fly...

[ALIMBO]

If money isn't an option I would say get all your ratings from Private Instrument Commercial. If you plan on owning a bigger faster plane ie. multi engine you will need a seperate rating called your multi engine. PM if you have more ?'s I can set you up with some good places in Chicago where you can rent some planes perfect for your type of trips.

 

[Princedietrich]

In order to do the kind of flying that you're thinking about, you're going to at least need private pilot with instrument rating. It is possible to go long distance and even international without the instrument rating, but it's much safer and just plain easier to go with. Getting private AMEL may not be a bad idea considering the number of people you are intending to take on these trips. You may want to even keep going and get commercial pilot, mainly because the more training and "experience" you have the lower your insurance premiums are.

To carry 6 or 7 people you're going to need something rather substantial in terms of airframe size, either a turboprop single or a cabin class twin at least. Hell, you may even want a turboprop twin or even a small jet like a CJ2. There are 6-seaters out there like a Stationair or a Seneca, but with every seat full plus bags you'll be able to carry enough fuel to roll about 10 feet. Since you mentioned that you chartered a Falcon 20 for this trip in the past, I'm going to assume that monetary resources are plentiful albeit not unlimited.

Definitely follow the advice of the previous posters and shop around at the FBOs, and talk to the instructors you meet. You'll be able to tell very quickly which ones genuinely want to teach you and which ones just see you as ink in their logbook and 20 bucks in their pocket. And above all, have fun with it!

 

[VW Pilot]

I would search around at local FBOs and small airports and talk with an instructor. If you'd just like to get a coupla ratings an FBO would be better. Also don't be afraid to take some action....Like schedule a
Discovery flight after talking with a Trustworthy school and an instructor whop won't yell at you or slap your hands away fromt he controls.....just kidding!! But good relations make the learning experience much more enjoyable and fun....By all means DO IT!! It will be the best thing!!!

 

[ALIMBO]

Like I said before A&M Aviation outta Clow airport in Bolingbrook is your one stop shop for this.

 

[LewisU_Pilot]

Like I said before A&M Aviation outta Clow airport in Bolingbrook is your one stop shop for this.

I think it all depends where he lives in Chicago. If you live southwest burbs Morris or A&M, if you live South or South East/Indiana check out Lansing, If you live East your going to get wet. North check out Palwauke sp? or Schamburg sp? And finally West check out Dupage or Aurora. They all have instructors and airplanes to fly. I think what ever is closer to you would be your best bet.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

The one thing I recall instructing students who had "heavy" MS sim time tended to stare at the instruments 95% of the time.

During your initial training, keep in mind that most maneuvers you'll perform for the Private certificate are visual maneuvers. You should be looking outside as much as possible and refering to the instruments only occasionally. This is important for two reasons. One is that there's a lot of GA traffic at the lower altitudes and another is that the maneuvers are learned and performed visually. You'll find that you can hold altitude and heading much easier by picking out points on the horizon and maintaining the proper nose attitude.

In terms of training, my advice is to go part 61 and earn each rating and certificate with a different instructor and different airplane. This will help broaden your experience and confidence level.

Part 141 programs may be a little cheaper and structured, but a lot of them are plain old certifcate mills where you don't really learn much. YMMV of course, depending on the particular program.

Good luck and make the jump to a real pilot. I'm sure you'll do fine.

 

[Grey Ghost]

I live in Chicago, but my family is split between here and the New Orleans area. Our trips to the Bahamas usually include about 6 or 7 people flying out of Louisiana. Last time we chartered a Falcon 20, and that was more than enough space...

.

If you can afford to charter a Falcon 20, then who cares where you go?

 

[ALIMBO]

Well I can vouch for a lot of flight schools in Chicago used to work at a couple different places A&M being the better plus even if you have money to burn why waste it you will save at A&M.