Flight lessons.

Jaged · 2003-07-25, 09:43 PM

I would really like to become a pilot when I get old enough(16?). I saw a brief discussion on this matter in the flight sims thread, but I want more info. How much does the plane cost to buy or rent? Are lessons really only around $2000 like someone said in that thread?

Onizuka · 2003-07-25, 09:45 PM

I have looked into it a bit and i can tell you now... if you want to be certified it will cost you a LOT of money.... too bad.

Jaged · 2003-07-25, 09:48 PM

Shit.... How much is alot?

Onizuka · 2003-07-25, 10:02 PM

well, lets just say ill wait till im 40 and well off

Navaron · 2003-07-25, 10:30 PM

To get your Sport Pilot's licence it's about 2500 dollars worth of rental and instruction.

To get your private pilot's licence it will cost you about 4500.

Call your local airport, and ask for their "FBO's" phone number. An FBO is a fixed base operator. They usually teach people how to fly, and should take you up for your "discovery flight" for about 50 bucks.

It's fun and rewarding.

BTW, that's to rent the plane. The tiny planes you'll be flying are almost 180,000$.

Spider · 2003-07-25, 11:18 PM

I want to buy my self an f-18

Bighoss · 2003-07-25, 11:34 PM

I won this contest a couple of years ago and won 3 free flying lessons! I just did it for the fun though, would have never followed through cuz it would just have been too expensive! I did recently get my advanced open water SCUBA diver license though!!!

BUGGER · 2003-07-25, 11:43 PM

what if u wana be a pilot in the army or navy? u still need those $classes or will they provide u separate training an all that?

Navaron · 2003-07-25, 11:44 PM

They will train you, but in the Navy you have to be an officer. IN the army, you can be in the warrant officers program and fly without being an officer.

BUGGER · 2003-07-25, 11:50 PM

an how do ya becom an officer?

shinken · 2003-07-25, 11:52 PM

ROTC

Onizuka · 2003-07-25, 11:56 PM

Originally posted by shinken
ROTC

Rolling on the Tile....cussing???

jk just kidden

BUGGER · 2003-07-25, 11:58 PM

u could put a better word for C if ya think harder.

Mtx · 2003-07-26, 12:05 AM

Originally posted by shinken
ROTC

WRONG

You have to go to college to be an officer.

EDIT

Don't worry. The army has a program called "Green and gold" in which they will pay for your college in exchange for your soul.

Sentrosi · 2003-07-26, 01:50 AM

Actually, if you don't want to pilot, the Navy has a great way to get you up into a plane. It's called Aircrew school. What happens is you go to your basic training, and after 8 weeks of that you go to Pensacola, Florida for 6 additional weeks of training. This school will teach you everything from open water survival to land survival. Plus it's funny to see all the AOCS (Aviation Officer Candidate School) march around being berated even more than you. My class got to "dress down" some AOCS during an inspection. It was fun, but the we had to do 1 pushup that lasted an hour, under the hot Florida sun, on blacktop.

From here, based on your job you want to do in the Navy, you can be a radio operator on Hawkeyes, gunner on Huey's, Search And Rescue at sea, In-flight Technician, and a host of others. One main reason why I only stayed in the Navy for four years was that the aircraft I flew on, the P-3B (Super Bee) Orion, was that they were phasing that aircraft out of service. The P-3C had no room for an enlisted RO, that job went to the Navigator, an officer. They did have a 'program' to instruct AirCrewman to be backseaters on the F-18 Super Hornets. That was shot down just after I left the Navy though.