aid for flight lessons

Nathan · **Posted:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:31 am

Are there an aids or financial help out there to help those that want to get their wings? I see AOPA has some sort of Financial support. I'd give them a call but I have to work all day today so I wont have the chance.

As for me personnally I am making(cough) $8.25 an hour with about 26-30 hours a week! :oops:

I also mow lawns on the side so would it be viable for me to try and finish up my lessons?

Thanks in advance,
Nathan

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:47 am

Nathan,

If you're serious about flying, start listening to Dave Ramsey so you get ideas, and keep taking those side jobs as much as possible. You also need to figure out if it's just for fun (ie. you don't intend to go all the way through the commercial rating) or if you really want to do it full time.
$8.25 is low, but doable IF you're really frugal and thrifty. It also helps if you can stay at home while you're doing it, or in VERY cheap lodging. I think at some of the points where I was doing my PPL I was only making $6-7.50/hr. DON'T go into debt for it - three bad things can happen there. Emergencies, you find you don't like the flying, or get done and can't get a job using it.
I KNOW how expensive it can all be. I failed the CFI checkride last month and am having to save up to try again. I could've gotten a loan and tried right away, but looking at the situation decided to save up so that if I were to fail again (hopefully not!), I can save up again and retake within the 60-day retest period without also having to worry about a loan.
Oh, and stop smoking :wink:

. It's bad for your health long term, reduces your blood's ability to absorb oxygen (needed at altitude), and is a serious drain on your wallet that you don't need at the kind of money you make!

Ryan

airknocker · **Posted:** Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:07 pm

Have you approached your local FBO to consider a position as a lineman/counterman in exchange for reduced rates on flight time? While in college, I flew many hours at discounted rates and once licensed ran errands flying to pickup parts working as a fuel lineman. This also resulted in many pleasurable hours hangar flying and getting paid too. This is another avenue in becoming a familiar face to local pilots and possible flights in their aircraft. After washing several a/c, I was offered right seat time in complex and twin-engine types. Good luck!

Nathan · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:57 pm

thanks for the input.

But I might need some lessons on what FBO stands for? :?:

I am sure I know it just not in that term. :oops:

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:46 pm

Nathan wrote:

thanks for the input.

But I might need some lessons on what FBO stands for? :?:

I am sure I know it just not in that term. :oops:

Fixed-Base Operator - like a gas station and courtesy stop / terminal for GA and corporate aircraft.

Ryan

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 7:21 am

RyanShort1 wrote:

Nathan wrote:

thanks for the input.

But I might need some lessons on what FBO stands for? :?:

I am sure I know it just not in that term. :oops:

Fixed-Base Operator - like a gas station and courtesy stop / terminal for GA and corporate aircraft.

Ryan

I'd love to get a job down at my local airport. But there are only three jobs available there and they are already taken: airport manager, desk clerk, and grounds keeper.

But thanks for the job idea!

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:31 am

Nathan, bit of a blunt bit of advice from someone a bit older - it appears you don't want it badly enough. If you did, the call to AOPA would've happened; you'd know (or have found out by looking for yourself) what an FBO is (first answer on Google - I checked) and you'd have some results of effort to show, not excuses that there's 'no jobs at the airport'. If you need your fellow WIX members to tell you what an FBO is, you are looking for others to do your thinking and planning for you - you aren't going to get to being a pilot from there.

You've had some good advice, and I'd back that up. In addition, you are in an affluent first world country, and we are repeatedly assured that the American dream is available. The difference between people who live their dream and those who just talk about it is the successful ones made it happen - it hurt not to succeed, because they wanted it bad enough to work smart, do the hours, see the opportunities and make the chances work for them. Luck and money help, but if you haven't got either on tap, graft and thinking will substitute.

A practical bit of advice. Go hang round at the airport and make yourself useful for free. If that sounds like it's a) difficult or b) impossible, then, again you don't actually want it bad enough.

Straight talk.

Prove me wrong by succeeding.

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:45 pm

Hi James,

Well you see WIX spoils me when I know I can get the answer from someone.

I have been helping out my local airport for their fly-in breakfast that is next month. I have been organizing the breakfast and I have been successful. I have been making non stop calls to aircraft owners and operators and I have been successful in their interest in coming to the event to help boost the airport. No one else at the airport is doing it besides me because THEY are the lazy ones for not doing a darn thing except make a few pancakes for the morning. I even got a USCG helicopter coming and I did the paper work, myself, for an A-10 fly-by from the PA Air National Guard. I visit my local airport about twice a week and talk to all my friends down there and I have helped taxi a few aircraft the other day..well, airplane anyway! :lol:

I also witnessed a R/C plane go down and I helped look for it but no luck with such a large corn feild around the airport.

I also work at Geneseo when I can and have been up there a few times volunteering this year. I got my girlfriend her first airplane ride in a Stinson Reliant a few months ago and I got to fly it myself for a wonderful 10 minutes.

Also currently collecting donations for the B-23 project Geneseo has.

I work two jobs and I save money when I can. I practice photography also when I can and I have fixed up my apartment so that it is better for me and my girl. I called the nearest Regional airport(an hour drive for me) a few weeks back and asked around for any jobs available. There were non. The fact is James there is not that big of an avaition interest in my area and that makes it hard to find a job in that feild. I will keep searching and calling. AOPA is my next call soon. I promise! :wink:

So yep, I have been busy. All doing these things for free and enjoying every minute of it.

Regards,
Nathan

muddyboots · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:12 pm

Nathan, is there something precluding you from joining the air force for a couple of years? It's a great way to see the world while you set aside some cash. Short of that you ought to look at getting financial aid by finding a reputable school and signing up for student aid.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:56 pm

muddyboots wrote:

Short of that you ought to look at getting financial aid by finding a reputable school and signing up for student aid.

Not to disagree for disagreement's sake (honest MB!), but that's a really bad idea in my opinion. I've seen 3 different flight schools close that seemed OK and I don't recommend to ANY of my friends that they do the borrowed money route. If you get halfway through and something happens, you'll be without the licenses, ratings, etc... and still have to pay the bills.

Ryan

muddyboots · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 6:12 pm

student aid doesn't mean loans necessarily. You might be able to use the FAFSA to find student aid in the form of scholarships, etc...I know if you do flight school through a uni you can. Counts as basic hours.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 6:29 pm

muddyboots wrote:

student aid doesn't mean loans necessarily. You might be able to use the FAFSA to find student aid in the form of scholarships, etc...I know if you do flight school through a uni you can. Counts as basic hours.

Ok, true! But please don't do any loans you have to pay back!

Ryan

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 7:14 pm

muddyboots wrote:

Nathan, is there something precluding you from joining the air force for a couple of years? It's a great way to see the world while you set aside some cash. Short of that you ought to look at getting financial aid by finding a reputable school and signing up for student aid.

I tried joining the airforce last year but got rejected!

I appreciate the input guys I Really do. :wink:

Overall I was just curious if there was any aid in getting lessons. Not everyone is rish and some have to help support themselves and others. :wink:

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 7:23 pm

Nathan wrote:

I appreciate the input guys I Really do. :wink:

Overall I was just curious if there was any aid in getting lessons. Not everyone is rish and some have to help support themselves and others. :wink:

Think I'm rich??? If I was, it wouldn't have taken me a month to get ready to retake a checkride... :roll:

I know it's nice having a girlfriend, but it might be more responsible to just live by yourself or with your mother until you have yourself on a better footing and are able to go on and marry her. Living with your mom or some relative would save some money you could put into those flying lessons as well, and I'd be willing to bet that if your host saw you putting serious effort into the education, they'd be willing to help! Did you get my PM???

Ryan

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:39 am

https://www.aopa.org/flightpath/?priority=T09FP1

Ryan

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