How many WITP players are aspiring/current aviators?

[rlc27]

While we wait for the patch...(reminds me of waiting for the game to come out earlier this year!)

Two years ago on Block Island (part of RI) I saw some neato Hellcat warbirds that just now made me think of this thread.

I'm currently working on Stage III of my private pilot's license. I originally started this pursuit 10 years ago while in high school but stopped for lack of money/interest. [:-]

Started again 3 years ago, had a bad experience with an instructor, stopped, then started for the last(?) time earlier this year--on the home stretch now. [:D]

Dad was a private pilot, and we used to talk a lot about WWII planes and such. I guess that's where part of my interest comes from.

Any other student pilots or otherwise around? [:)] The difficulty of landing a Cessna 172 with a slight crosswind makes me have worlds of respect for the aviators who did on a 700 foot long carrier deck in a pitching sea. [&o]

[Toro]

I'm considering my Private Pilot license. My brother is a pilot, and instructor (and commercial pilot, and commercial instructor). You'd think I had an in... naw, he lives in a different state. Pah! Maybe the spring.

[rlc27]

Aw, if you got a connection you got to do it. Cut rates! Impress the girlfriend/wife (if you can get them to go with you)!

[kaleun]

Private Pilot here. Haven't flown in a few years though.[:(]

[Cav Trooper]

Private Pilot here: flown 182, 172, 150, Tomahawk and Beech Sundowner (did most of my training in this, and did the final Test ride in it). Working on getting final 19 hours of cross country to meet the basic requirements to start my Instrument training. 131 Hours Total time.

The difficulty of landing a Cessna 172 with a slight crosswind makes me have worlds of respect for the aviators who did on a 700 foot long carrier deck in a pitching sea.

Not a problem, just remember to turn slightly into the wind to maintain runway centerline, once into the flair drop upwind wing into to the wind to keep the centerline between the struts, and rudder to keep nose pointed down the runway. ---Or---- Rudder to keep the nose on the centerline, drop the upwind wing into the wind to stay lined up on the centerline.(think that's a good way to describe it [8|]) .. 172's are a dream to land, crosswind or no crosswind, just takes practice and smooth control movements[:)], and stay calm... You've got the basic skills already to land it in almost anything...

[fbastos]

How much does it cost to get the pilot license?

F.

[rlc27]

That's like saying, how many eggs does it take to make an omelette? [:)]

From all the guys I've talked to it seems there is quite a bit of variation. You can spend more or less depending on the plane you're flying, the rating of the instructor, if you're an aviation club member or not, if you buy block time, if the plane is rented wet or dry (with or w/o fuel included), your own aptitude, etc. A few people will come in an get their license in 50 hours, others will go over 100. One current estimate I hear a lot is about $5500. Not too bad when you consider it a lifetime investment, but I also think that number is kind of low, if you add in ground school, testing fees, supplies, etc. Maybe a little over 6g's to make sure?

X-country with an instructor is the single biggest hit so far, a 3 hour flight costing 350 buckaroos.

[fbastos]

Thanks, RLC.

Sometimes I think of taking some classes just for the fun of it. $6K is kinda hard, though. Perhaps when I'm richer!

F.

[herbieh]

Out of currency glider pilot, the cheapest and most challenging way to fly[:)]

[tigercub]

I am a aerial photographer and flyer still working on pilot's license work comes first over 500 missions! lol flights that is..in.Cessna 172.. 152..210..skyfox ..tigermoths all high wing.

[von Murrin]

I'm going to see if the military will give me lessons this winter.[;)]

[2Stepper]

While not an aviator, I am a weather forecaster in the air force. Have been for my entire career of 17yrs. I'm what any of you flyers would recognize as the military equivalent of the weather part of a flight service station. Though considerably more involved.

Love it though... I did get a chance to fly once... Rather impressive once in a lifetime ride in an F15D. 30 mins of pure nirvana. [8D]

[Dunkamoto]

I'm an airline captain for a 121 operator. I am also a flight instructor. The new FAA sport pilot rule should make getting a pilots liscense a lot cheaper once the program gets rolling. Even though their are some limitations on the license it is a great start. You are limited to an airplane with a max gross takeoff weight of 1320 pounds. The airplane can only hold two people and you are pretty much restricted to day VFR. Most recreational flying falls into this category anyways. Once the new Light Sport Aircraft start coming into flight schools the rates to rent these planes should be significanty lower than your average Cessna or Piper. Plus they will be brand new aircraft. The EAA has an excellent web site with sections on this subject.

http://www.sportpilot.org/

[Stilletto]

I have about 20 hours into my private pilot's license. Ran out of money, then got married and never finished. I will someday, though.

I had quite an eventful first 20 hours. On one of my training flights the radios quit working due to vibration. We had fly around and around and around until we could get them working. Instructor didn't want to attempt to land at the busy field we started from.

1st solo: My 2nd touch and go the engine quit when I throttled it down on final. Scared the crap out of me. We had practiced and practiced "dead stick" landings every flight. Didn't realize I was going to do it on my first solo!

Overall I love to fly and will finish. Just talking about this is making me itch to finish.

[Sabre21]

I'm a retired attack helicopter pilot from the Army, but I have landed on board ships before. I was also a standardization intstructor pilot. Now I'm fully retired and enjoying life.

Sabre21

[PBYPilot]

Private Pilot Single Engine Land and Glider. 700+ hours all on less than 108 horsepower (with a couple of minor exceptions). About half with no horsepower at all, and most of the rest on 65hp (in a J-3 Cub).

As for crosswind landings, wait til you try them in a taildragger. [X(]

I second Dunkamoto's suggestion re: Sport Pilot license. Should be less expensive, and all hours are applicable against higher ratings. Still waiting for some of the details And the Light Sport Aircraft category should produce some very interesting aircraft ready to fly in the mid 5 digits.

Michael

[ZOOMIE1980]

Instructor Instrument Multi engine rating, but no longer current. Roughly 800 personal hours, mostly Piper Arrow, Commanche and twins in Beach Baron and Piper Seneca. A lot of that done on the government subsidized dole via Air Force Aviation clubs way back int he early 80's. Was able to transfer a lot hours from various stints of military pilot training while a cadet at the Air Force Academy and a failed stint at UPT....

3150 hours as an Air Force Navigator and Electronic Warfare officer on the RC-135 V/W's.

Family, job, other pursuits took the place of flying for me many years ago. I'd rather have someone else fly me around now so I can look out the window!

[rlc27]

These are great responses. I kind of figured there were a lot of flyers around here. Didn't know there were so many with such experience though. [&o] And it's neat that we've got a forecaster here as well. [&o]

I'm supposed to go up on a short x-country this Friday but if my darn ear doesn't clear out I don't know if it'll happen. My instructor just got hired on with an airline so now I'm on my 6th instructor since I started more than a decade ago! He left after my last dual x-country but forgot to sign me off before he suddenly left, so now I get to demonstrate my x-country skills (and shell out $300 more) to my new instructor before he can sign me off. [:@] But then it's only a few more hours and retake my written (old one is expiring) till the checkride. What me, nervous? [X(]

[jcjordan]

Been a pilot for over 10yrs was working & had enough hrs for IFR ticket but then came 9/11 & the flight school took a big tumble after that so just haven't been doing much for the past couple of years.

[Dunkamoto]

I got to do my first takeoff in a taildragger yesterday. I'll second PBYPilot's opinion on crosswind takeoffs in them. I have over 4500 hours and it was very humbling. It was in a friend's 1943 Howard DGA-15P. I don't much of the WWII history of this aircraft but it was quiet unique going from a modern airliner to a vintage aircraft. A lot has changed in 60 years.