| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 594.1 | Related conference - ANYWAY::FLYING | HYDRA::ECKERT | Jerry Eckert | Wed Sep 28 1988 19:16 | 6 |
| Bonnie,
You might want to post this note in ANYWAY::FLYING (KP7/SELECT,
and all that jazz...) as well.
- J
|
| 594.2 | =flying is the better conf., but let's be anarchists | HACKIN::MACKIN | How did I get here? | Wed Sep 28 1988 21:04 | 13 |
| Oh yeah, flying is a *real* trip! I don't see why age should make
any difference at all, anymore than being in your 50s would be a
problem in learning to drive a car. You just need to pass the
FAA physical and eye exams. Which shouldn't be any more a problem
at age 50 than 20 or 30.
The cost is big time, though. It probably runs between $2500 and
$3000 and that's just for your private pilots license. If you are
going to do any serious travel you really want an instrument rating
so you don't get fogged/rained/clouded in. Read: more $$$. Not
to mention the cost of taking a plane out for a day or a few hours
-- which you need to do periodically to avoid having your license
expire and thus need to be recertified: more $$$.
|
| 594.3 | Quite the experience! | NEXUS::CONLON | | Wed Sep 28 1988 21:15 | 15 |
| Bonnie,
Boy, do I remember the thrill it was for me the first time I
went up in a small plane!! My brother was the pilot and he
let me fly the plane by myself for awhile (after showing me
what to do.) I was 16 years old at the time.
It was wonderful!!
Unfortunately, I like flying less now than I did then, but I
do remember how it felt the first time.
Go for the lessons (at whatever age you can afford it!)
Suzanne :)
|
| 594.4 | try hanging! | DPDMAI::BEAN | Attila the Hun was a Liberal | Wed Sep 28 1988 21:26 | 8 |
| bonnie...
i have flown in light planes a few times...once across country.
there is NOTHING like slowly drifting between the cumulus and watching
all those tiny, tiny people on the ground look up... 8*)
that's why i wanna take up hang gliding!
tony
|
| 594.5 | Soar like a bird... | EUCLID::FRASER | Amor vincit Insomnia | Thu Sep 29 1988 12:56 | 12 |
| Bonnie,
When I was flying sailplanes (gliders) back in Scotland a few
years ago, one of the student pilots was a man in his 70s! He
soloed successfully after about 30 dual launches, which is
reasonably typical - why not try gliding? Cheaper by far, and
no noisy smelly fan up front!
Andy
PS. One of my early instructors when I first began around 1961
was a woman in her 40s, who I understand is still flying.
|
| 594.6 | What flying means to me | SSDEVO::ATKINSON | NC2693V | Tue Oct 04 1988 19:54 | 51 |
| Several years ago, I decided that I wanted to learn to
fly. I had been up in small planes before, but never had
tried to get my pilot's license.
One Saturday afternoon, I went out to the local airport
to inquire about lessons. The instructor sat me in the
left seat of a Cessna 150 and before I knew what was
happening, we were airborne! Needless to say, I was
hooked. After five months of two to three trips a week
to the airport, I had my license. I must say that
passing the check ride was one of the most satisfying
experiences of my life.
Since that day, I have gone on to earn my instrument
rating and commercial pilot license. Currently, I am
working on completing my flight instructor certificate.
Flying has been good for me socially as well. I have
made a lot of new friends and met many interesting people
at the airport.
Soon after I began flying, I became acquainted with a
lady pilot, who was also working toward her private
license. We became very good friends, and spent many
hours discussing our mutual interests. We eventually
became joint owners in a vintage 1948 Cessna 170.
The best part of the story is that our first wedding
anniversary will be next Monday!
What does flying mean to me? The following poem by John
Gillespie Magee, Jr. pretty well sums it up.
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun split clouds--and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of--wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
-Wil
|
| 594.7 | Slipping the surly bounds | MUSKIE::JAMES | | Wed Oct 26 1988 10:59 | 99 |
| RE.2,.6
Bonnie,
I was pleased to read your note. I think that you should go out
to a good and decent Flight school in your area (namely Cessna or
Piper Flight training centers) and see about an introductory Flight
lesson. There are a couple of good reasons for doing this first.
First of all, it's inexpensive (<$25. generally for a lesson and
ride ) , second the time counts towards a rating since you are with
an instructor and is logged in a log book as dual time.
There are three basic kinds of time logged when you are first beginning
to fly. The first one is dual. That's where you and the instructor
go up for a lesson together, usually for about an hour and he/she
gives you a lesson on that days objective.
The second kind of time is solo, which you get to do after a number
of hours of dual (anywhere from 10-15 hours) where you get to go up
alone. You can't carry passangers yet (need a private license for
that) but you can go up by yourself and practice things your
instructor has taught you in preparation of your FAA check ride.
The check ride is the equivalent of a drivers test for a car license.
The third kind of time is time you spend in a simulator. The simulator
is just what it sounds like, an on-the-ground simulation machine
which looks, and handles almost like a real airplane (it's quieter
though) where you and the instructor practice a lesson together
or work on things when the weather outside is scuzzy and too poor
to fly in.
The current FAA minimums for a private license are 35 hours. You
need 20 hours of dual instruction and 15 hours of solo in order
to qualify for the exam (Flight Check). This is the minimum number
of hours needed according to a class of teaching school called Part
141. A Part 141 school is like a college that has been acredited
by the FAA. It is generally a very organized and structured program.
The benefit to a student is that they always know where they are
in the program because there is a sylabus that is followed, all
the instructors have to teach the same curriculumn in the same sequence
and it can cost you less money by having an organized program to
follow and be mutually committed to with your instructor.
Learning to fly is not a trivial event. It takes generally three
things to do it successfully: commitment, time, and money. The
commitment is your part. You absolutely have to want to do this
more then anything else in your life right now. Starting it and
then taking a break is no good. I know, I did that once and had
to go back to the beginning and start all over after I had decided
that I wanted to do it bad enough. The time part is next and that's
usually not to bad to deal with and plan. It's just a matter of
sitting down with yourself and saying that "I'm going to be in ground
school class on Wednesday night and I'm going to fly Thursday's
and Sunday's" or whatever fits into you personal life. The money
part is another matter. You will learn soon that there are two
things that keep an airplane in the air. The first is a scientific
principal derived by an Italian physisict by the name of Bernoulli.
He found out that if you curve a surface and blow air over it fast
enough it will float in the air. This is true of almost anything
including barn doors (witness one in a tornado sometime). The second
thing that keeps aircraft in the air is lots of pictures of dead Presidents
(ie American currency). However, this can be managed. The Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has a program where they will
lend you the money and you pay it back like a student loan. They
keep the rates low and it will help you with the money management
if you don't have the available cash. You soon find out though
that you give up other things in lieu of establishing the Flying
budget. The money is there you will see it's just you are probably
spending it on other things. The AOPA number is 1-800-872-2672
and you can talk with them M-F 8:30-5:00 eastern time. They are
located at 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701.
In order to get a private license you need to do four things. The
first thing you need to do is get organized and signed up with an
instructor at a good ground school. Check around in your area and
ask who is good and who is not so good. The flying notes conference
could help you here. The second thing you need to do is fulfill
the flight and ground school time with the school. The third thing
you need to do is get a medical exam from a physician who is licensed
to give these types of exams. Your instructor can help you here.
And finally the fourth thing is you have to pass a FAA written exam,
along with a FAA administered Flight check and oral exam. It's not
that hard because you have done all the preparation up to this point. In
fact all the test questions are public and published in a book for
your review with your instructor. If you are agressive enough you
can get this done is 4-6 months.
If you want to talk more about this I would be happy to discuss
this with you off line. You can send me mail at MUSKIE::JAMES,
(Minneapolis, MN) or call at DTN : 442-2381.
You are never too old to do this. Enjoy!
Bill
N2870N
Piper Archer
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