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Anyone have their pilot licence?

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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
Recently I have been looking into getting my pilot licence. It's always been something I've wanted to do but I don't know how. I figure there are some flight schools and all that in my area which I will look into and shouldn't be hard to find. But I am wondering when it is all said and done how much could I expect it to cost? What can I do with it other than the obvious, flying. Anyone on here making a career out of flying?
Feb 19 2013 11:12AM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
Currently hold my private. I was blessed with a very supportive father that invested in a C-150. I paid for everything else though. But on average, an instructor costs $40 per hour and an aircraft costs $100-140 per hour to rent. You need a BARE MINIMUM of 40 hours before you can get a private license, but the average time it takes in reality is 50-60 hours. Also, youll need books, flight computers, testing fees, plus the cost of your instructor with ground school. Its not cheap. I am looking to make a career out of it, and Im about a quarter of my way through my instrument rating. Im not doing it part 141 FAR so I need to build 50 hours of Pilot in command cross country time. But after that Im going to Colorado northwestern community college this coming year to get an associates in Aviation technology. (Hopefully in a year because I already have AP credits plus my licenses) then Ill transfer somewhere for a 4 year all while flying to get my ATP. Hope this helps, theres a ton of studying and stuff you need to know.
Feb 19 2013 11:23AM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
yes, i do.

look to spend around 6k for your PPL

i went to school for air traffic control, and now work construction as i wait for a job lol
Feb 19 2013 11:23AM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
Youre from PA area? Where do you fly out of?
Feb 19 2013 11:27AM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
haven't flown in a little while, but i did my flying out of KBVI, beaver county. i also went to school at community college of beaver county, and worked live traffic there for half a year. it's one of the best atc schools in the country lol.
Feb 19 2013 11:32AM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
Yup, they have really good aviation programs. I checked it out but I want to move out so Im going to colorado. I got my solo towered landings at BVI. I fly out of 3G9(Butler Farm show apt) and also KBTP which is known a lot better.
Feb 19 2013 11:37AM
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Charlie_Kelly
Posts: 11954 - Karma: 12,297
I'm most likely joining the Marines or Navy after school and will be joining their respective aviation branches. I plan on getting my license through them with hopes of eventually flying ac/c-130's and c-17's.
Feb 19 2013 11:57AM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
Best of luck! Might I suggest ROTC because you could get an education and come out as an officer, they only let officers fly you know!
Feb 19 2013 12:01PM
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Shireshredder
Posts: 331 - Karma: 57
i Dont personally, im going into the business side of airlines, but my dad does and he is one of the chief instructors on the A380 at Emirates Airlines. Infact, here is a video of his first landing at Heathrow in November, thats my grandfather on the grass.


Feb 19 2013 12:07PM
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Shireshredder
Posts: 331 - Karma: 57
holy shit that ended up real big.
Feb 19 2013 12:11PM
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Charlie_Kelly
Posts: 11954 - Karma: 12,297
Yeah i know. I'm currently in a clusterfuck of a situation with almost two years of schooling over with. I'm going to talk to my recruiter and ROTC members up here to see what I can do. And yeah, I plan on being an officer for a variety of reasons number 1 being so I can fly.
Feb 19 2013 12:14PM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6195 - Karma: 2,281
my buddy nick, who is a member on this site but rarely posts. He got his pilots license and is now at the Naval Academy and will have a 95% chance of becoming a pilot after graduating. Like above, he spent around 5-6k for his license.
Feb 19 2013 12:21PM
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Darbyflier
Posts: 26 - Karma: 13
Go here, http://www.aopa.org/ If you are school age, consider one of many aviation colleges or the military ROTC. Privately at an airport flight school, expect around 10k all in. Finding a flight Club can be 20% cheaper and a potentially better experience. I did mine in 2000, with ~60 hours, at a total cost of ~ 6k for all flight hours, training, and supplies. You have to commit or you won't finish. The flying part is easy, the regs, procedures, and knowledge base are the meat of the learning. If you are to stay current and fly regularly, 500 to thousands a month, unless you find a way to do it for a job, like instructing, military, police, cargo, etc.
Feb 19 2013 12:24PM
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MASkier
Posts: 657 - Karma: 704
I have about 20 hours. Hoping to solo this summer.
Feb 19 2013 12:46PM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
lol i used to fly to 3G9 all the time with my instructor, solely cause it was called butler farm show hahah. yeah CCBC is alright, but the area and everything is pretty shitty. nothing to do up there really at fuckin all...move somewhere else for sure haha
Feb 19 2013 1:36PM
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jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
im 16 hours into my PPL and just soloed yesterday. my costs are $200/hr dual and $140/hr solo so it will be around $10000.
Feb 19 2013 4:55PM
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Ben_Mo-Fat
Posts: 328 - Karma: 793
2 of my friends and my brother have theirs.
Feb 19 2013 4:56PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
What are you flying that they can take 200 per hour?!


ALSO ON SIDENOTE: My first solo last spring!:




Feb 19 2013 4:59PM
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jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
in the kootenays in b.c., there's only one PPL instructor in the area so he can charge whatever he wants. totally worth it though.
Feb 19 2013 5:02PM
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sammiedee
Posts: 974 - Karma: 175
This is about on par with what I pay too
Feb 19 2013 6:50PM
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SenorVaca
Posts: 246 - Karma: 25
I was supposed to get mine last year with my friend, but he took of for Honduras. So I'll be getting it this year. Luckily, his mother is a flight instructor/owns a plane; I'll only be paying for my portion of the gas. Stoked.
Feb 19 2013 8:12PM
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grapejuice3000+
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,985
yes my name is chug life i have license polits
Feb 19 2013 8:13PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
I won't write loads of stuff in here as quite a bit of it has been covered but I will warn you that the hardest part of getting your whole pilots license is getting past the studying portion. But as long as your motivated and stick to it then it's a piece of cake. Good luck with her if you do it up man. I might go for my commercial license this summer or at least a night rating.
Feb 19 2013 8:26PM
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skitheWest.
Posts: 2304 - Karma: 1,276
that's dope. I have a cabin in Crawford Bay and a friend I met years ago up there took me for a flight in his dads twin engine
Feb 19 2013 8:40PM
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jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
i fly out of nelson so one of the practice areas is actually over crawford bay haha. it's nice place to have a cabin for sure, my grandparents have a place on the west arm right by kokanee park.
Feb 19 2013 10:31PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
A word of caution: neither the marines nor the navy fly AC-130 or C-17 and those planes aren't even remotely similar.
Feb 19 2013 10:46PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Oh, and this:


Feb 19 2013 10:49PM
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TinyTigers
Posts: 484 - Karma: 213
^Dustin's definitely a good guy to talk to if you're interested in making flying a career, he went to the academy and will be flying F-16's. If your interested in rotc, hit me up. Im a junior at MSU doin AFROTC and I've had my private for a couple years. Workin on my instrument right now. My advice would be to try and crank out your private in one summer, cause you'l be closer to the 40 hour mark without having to come back and do brush up and shit.
Feb 19 2013 11:08PM
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