Chasing dreams - mine is aviation

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Matt89

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Hello all.

Just wanted to share that I'm taking a big plunge here and pursuing my private pilot's license. I have a block of time off so I'm headed down to FL to train full time for a few weeks. The place I'm going seems like a really professional outfit with the latest planes from Cessna, integrated curriculum etc.

This is a big leap for a conservative guy like me...spending lots of money, potentially getting killed etc. Maybe it's my mid-life crisis early (I'm 36) :) I've always wanted to fly - finally have both the time and money. I'm hoping to fly for my own enjoyment and perhaps roll it into a second career as a flight instructor down the line (I realize that's a huge investment, we'll see). My wife is supporting me 100% even though I can tell she's not big on aviation itself.

Any of you guys take a leap like this (aviation or otherwise)? How did it work out?
 
I say go for it.. Your biggest danger is the drive to Fla.

I did this, I just started too late. Even so, I did good until 9/11/01 which destroyed the business I needed to finance my flying. By the time we got back in the air, the business was gone and we never got it back. Finally, health issues ended my flying for good.

If I had to do it over, I would have started earlier. I soloed at age 62.

My biggest problem, other then the cost, was my wife's irrational fear of my flying. She just couldn't get beyond that.

Anyway, I'm glad I did it. Was a good experiance.
 
You are describing this as a big departure, but it would probably be more accurate to call it a big realization, of the real you.

When we are growing up we listen to everyone else's voices, but not our own. As we get away from those people, our own voices start to emerge, but it is still hard to drown out other people's influences, which are based solely on their personal experiences and values. They think their values are rational and universal, but there is actually no such thing. All values are personal.

I think your true self is speaking to you, and you should listen to it!
 
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Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
You are describing this as a big departure, but it would probably be more accurate to call it a big realization, of the real you.

When we are growing up we listen to everyone else's voices, but not our own. As we get away from those people, our own voices start to emerge, but it is still hard to drown out other people's influences, which are based solely on their personal experiences and values. They think their values are rational and universal, but there is actually no such thing. All values are personal.

I think your true self is speaking to you, and you should listen to it!


I hope that you are right on the money here. My decision to pursue this now is because I recently had a career setback that, while it didn't leave me unemployed, made me really reconsider my 'plans' and what I want out of life. It also left me with some free time.

I am very excited to do this and I just hope that I can keep up with the accelerated curriculum once I get down there. I've been studying the ground school material hard...it all makes sense to me, there's just a lot of it!

As for the cost...I priced out about 55 hours of flight + instructor time at the local FBO, and it came to about 7500 bucks. Given my schedule (once I get settled in my new duty station), who knows if I would ever finish just because of the rest of 'life' getting in the way?

So, I'm enrolling in a program in FL that is supposed to be 'doable' in 21 days or less because it's focused. We'll see how that shakes out - cost is approx 10.5K, including computer based training materials, lodging etc. Throw in my travel down there and incidentals and maybe it'll be 12K. For me the 2 clinchers are getting it done all at once and the late-model Cessna 172s they have.

So, that certainly is a lot of money...and even though I can't give a strict cost/benefit calculation I'm thinking it will be worth it to me. I hope it is something I can share with my 6-yr old daughter in a few years - I already got her measuring stuff on the Sectional chart :) What a cool thing for a kid to be able to do with her dad.

Thanks for your support - stand by for an update in May!
 
Congrats, I hope you enjoy it. What part of FL will you be in? I grew up in Jacksonville, went to ERAU in Daytona, now I'm in the USAF. I'd fly for free if I didn't need food or a place to live. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you need any extra help while you are down there.
 
Originally Posted By: 98LS-WON
Congrats, I hope you enjoy it. What part of FL will you be in? I grew up in Jacksonville, went to ERAU in Daytona, now I'm in the USAF. I'd fly for free if I didn't need food or a place to live. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you need any extra help while you are down there.


Hey - thanks! I'll be down in Orlando.

I was stationed in Mayport back in the day - that was a great time. I'm in the CG...wanted to fly C-130s but my eyes weren't good enough when I applied. Of course that varies, some years you need to be able to see THROUGH things and other years they'll take you wearing an eye patch. Anyway, I've enjoyed ship driving and I hope some of that transfers to the cockpit!
 
Life is too short to waste your time day dreaming about flying.

You don't want to look back 10 years from now and say to yourself....


'I could of, I should of, I would of'

Go for it !!!!!!
 
Matt, Your profile says you are military. Does the VA still pay for flight training after you get your private ticket? Go for it either way. I was in the aero club and got an assignment overseas to a base without an aeroclub. When I returned to the conus I went to a year long school and never got back into it. Now I'm 65 and too old to get back into it.
 
Originally Posted By: Bob Woods
Matt, Your profile says you are military. Does the VA still pay for flight training after you get your private ticket? Go for it either way. I was in the aero club and got an assignment overseas to a base without an aeroclub. When I returned to the conus I went to a year long school and never got back into it. Now I'm 65 and too old to get back into it.


I'll have to look into that Bob...not sure. Thanks for the tip!

In the mean time I'm studying the ground school stuff. Looking at the charts...who knew there were so many airports (and types of airspace!).

Matt

PS- to the rest of those who replied, thanks for the support!
 
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