What should I look for in getting flying lessons

[BeginnerPilot]

Im 16 and want to start flying. What should I do to get lessons. What is the average price per lesson? Please help me. I am really interested in becoming a pilot.

 

[garf12]

Go to the local airport and see what is available. Most places will let you do a 30 minute intro flight for around $50. Lessons on average will probably cost about $100-$140 per hour including instructor and plane. You have to have a minimum of 40 hours to get your certificate.

 

[English]

Start here....www.beapilot.com


Have fun!

 

[wakeboard]

The most important thing is to find an instructor that you click with. 40 hours (minimum) is alot of time to spend sitting next to someone you don't get along with. Go on an introductory flight to see if it's something you want to do and have the time available (2 to 3 lessons a week) to make it happen. Check out http://www.private2atp.com for more information and what's involved.

 

[bobbysamd]

Flying lessons

I would only add that you should be sure that you have enough money saved up and enough time available so you can fly regularly. Flying is expensive, and if you have only enough money to fly just occasionally it will take more time and cost you more to learn.

One other point would be that you should make sure your parents are in favor of your learning how to fly.

Good luck.

 

[Lead Sled]

I would only add that you should be sure that you have enough money saved up and enough time available so you can fly regularly. Flying is expensive, and if you have only enough money to fly just occasionally it will take more time and cost you more to learn.

One other point would be that you should make sure your parents are in favor of your learning how to fly.

Wise advise.

Let me add a couple of other thoughts...

With all due respect to Garf12, just going to the local airport and seeing what's available is probably the last thing you'd really want to do. Sure, you can do it that way, but if you do it, you're leaving the quality of your instruction totally up to chance. If one of my friends were to ask me the question, I would tell them that when it comes to quality flight training, YOUR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ("CFI") IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF YOUR FLIGHT TRAINING. It doesn't matter whether you select an Part 141 "Approved" or Part 61 "Non-Approved" flight school or use a "freelance" flight instructor the quality of your training will be largely determined by individual flight instructor's skills, abilities, experience and knowledge. The best flight school facilities, training curriculum or the newest, best equipped training aircraft can not compensate for a mediocre flight instructor. Flight schools and aeronautical colleges certainly haven't cornered the market on good instructors - they are where you find them. In fact, because of the nature of the beast, it is often very difficult to find flight instructors with any significant amount of meaningful "real world" experience in many of the popular flight schools.

Finding a good CFI isn't too difficult, but it does take some effort. Get a hold of 2 or 3 Designated Pilot Examiners in your area and simply ask who they'd recommend. These eximiners are the ones who see, first hand, the results of the local CFI's instructional efforts. They know which CFIs turn out good students as well as those whose students tend to "struggle". From their recommendations you will quickly end up with a list of CFI candidates. Take you list of candidates and talk to them individually. As Wakeboard mentioned, you'll find one that "clicks" with you. Also, as you talk with each of the CFIs, keep a couple of things in mind - any CFI on your list would be able to do an adequate job of teaching you the "basics"; but you probably would want more than that out of your instructor. There is an old saying which goes, "You can't teach what you don't know." If possible, try and find a CFI that has a significant amount of real world experience. Those are the guys who have the insights and experience to "flesh out" your training. Take your time, talk to several instructors, you will eventually find the one that will click with you.

This is where you reap the rewards of diligently looking for that "golden CFI", the person who is that special combination of effective teacher and has the background and experience to go with it. Instructors like that aren't under every rock, they aren't at every university or FBO, but they are out there - you have to look for them. The nice thing about taking the time to find that "special" instructor - it won't add one cent to the cost of your flight training.

Oh and one last thing - take, with a grain of salt, any quote that is based on 40 hours of flight time. The average student takes around 70 hours to get their license. Budget accordingly.

Lead Sled

 

[de727ups]

I sometimes rent my 152 for $60 per hour. Instruction is $35. So, you'd be looking a 4K if everything went perfect. Rates vary a lot depending on the part of the country you live in. Where do you live?

Im 16 and want to start flying. What should I do to get lessons. What is the average price per lesson? Please help me. I am really interested in becoming a pilot.

 

[BeginnerPilot]

I live in Florida. Does that affect the price.

 

[mmmdonut]

South Florida? I can recommend a few good places. Just make sure you like your flight instructor. Most of them are good, but a few are pro-Bush conservative nutbags.

 

[de727ups]

There is a lot of flight training done in Florida. I don't know how all those folks keep from running into each other. There are some very expensive, big, academies in FL but I think there are a lot of other smaller schools with good rates. Just go out to the nearest airport and check out the school/schools, see if you can talk to a flight instructor.

 

[garf12]

[/color]
Wise advise.

Let me add a couple of other thoughts...

With all due respect to Garf12, just going to the local airport and seeing what's available is probably the last thing you'd really want to do. Sure, you can do it that way, but if you do it, you're leaving the quality of your instruction totally up to chance. If one of my friends were to ask me the question, I would tell them that when it comes to quality flight training, YOUR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ("CFI") IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF YOUR FLIGHT TRAINING. It doesn't matter whether you select an Part 141 "Approved" or Part 61 "Non-Approved" flight school or use a "freelance" flight instructor the quality of your training will be largely determined by individual flight instructor's skills, abilities, experience and knowledge. The best flight school facilities, training curriculum or the newest, best equipped training aircraft can not compensate for a mediocre flight instructor. Flight schools and aeronautical colleges certainly haven't cornered the market on good instructors - they are where you find them. In fact, because of the nature of the beast, it is often very difficult to find flight instructors with any significant amount of meaningful "real world" experience in many of the popular flight schools.

Finding a good CFI isn't too difficult, but it does take some effort. Get a hold of 2 or 3 Designated Pilot Examiners in your area and simply ask who they'd recommend. These eximiners are the ones who see, first hand, the results of the local CFI's instructional efforts. They know which CFIs turn out good students as well as those whose students tend to "struggle". From their recommendations you will quickly end up with a list of CFI candidates. Take you list of candidates and talk to them individually. As Wakeboard mentioned, you'll find one that "clicks" with you. Also, as you talk with each of the CFIs, keep a couple of things in mind - any CFI on your list would be able to do an adequate job of teaching you the "basics"; but you probably would want more than that out of your instructor. There is an old saying which goes, "You can't teach what you don't know." If possible, try and find a CFI that has a significant amount of real world experience. Those are the guys who have the insights and experience to "flesh out" your training. Take your time, talk to several instructors, you will eventually find the one that will click with you.

This is where you reap the rewards of diligently looking for that "golden CFI", the person who is that special combination of effective teacher and has the background and experience to go with it. Instructors like that aren't under every rock, they aren't at every university or FBO, but they are out there - you have to look for them. The nice thing about taking the time to find that "special" instructor - it won't add one cent to the cost of your flight training.

Oh and one last thing - take, with a grain of salt, any quote that is based on 40 hours of flight time. The average student takes around 70 hours to get their license. Budget accordingly.

Lead Sled

I understand what you are saying, I was just saying go see whats available, like if they even offer instruction. It will still take some work to get your CFI picked out. I just happened to get the first CFI I saw, and it is a 22 year old female, worked out great for me.

you could also try www.airnav.com and see what is avialable in your area, and read reviews.

 

[Lead Sled]

I understand what you are saying, I was just saying go see whats available, like if they even offer instruction. It will still take some work to get your CFI picked out. I just happened to get the first CFI I saw, and it is a 22 year old female, worked out great for me.

I hear ya. It's too bad about your 22 year old female CFI. She won't be around long, as soon as she gets 500 hours TT she'll get her big break flying for one of the majors or a G-something for a fortune 500 corporation. I'd give her a year.

As I reread my post, I could see where it might come across as a bit biased against low-time CFIs. I didn't mean to be - the steps I listed will help a student find a CFI with a good track record and hence is probably a pretty good instructor. When you've been around this as long as I have you will have seen plenty of burnt out CFIs that would rather be doing anything else besides spending yet another hour in the pattern if you know what I mean. I practice what I preach. I'm looking at adding a helicopter rating in the near future. I will be doing the same steps that I mentioned to BeginerPilot.

Lead Sled

 

[garf12]

Yeah she will be gone within 2 months I bet, allready has 1000 TT, but only 40 multi.

 

[minitour]

No one brought up the "Guaranteed job when you're done" ???

 

[flyifrvfr]

I understand what you are saying, I was just saying go see whats available, like if they even offer instruction. It will still take some work to get your CFI picked out. I just happened to get the first CFI I saw, and it is a 22 year old female, worked out great for me.

you could also try www.airnav.com and see what is avialable in your area, and read reviews.

This is an excellent point. With all due respect to leadsled, if you took his advice you would be looking for a CFI who be be too busy to take on new students because everyone wants this CFI to work with them. If a new CFI is sitting on the couch and continues to see that he/she keeps getting passed up for the CFI who was recommended by the DE, how does the new CFI get his/her experience. I am a new CFI who advertises my CFI services on the back window of my truck. I picked up my first student thanks to this advertisement, and my student is on the verge of soloing. I also advertised in a community paper which resulted in many, many phone calls. I picked up another student from that ad, and both students are happy with thier new, unknown, non-recommended CFI.

 

[Flyguy2k8]

If you live in the Daytona Beach area try Falcon Flight Center. I go to Embry Riddle, and the students who are not enrolled in the pilot program who want to fly, go there. A lot of Riddle students instruct there!