How old were you when you starting flight training?

[leftyxl]

First flight @ 18
18 years later workin' for the teal team

[niss]

First Fam flight @ 13

PPL Groundschool @ 16 been training ever since....no $

18 Had a co-op at the local airport, got some good time.....unfortunatly none could go in my ptr but still good experiance

Now I have 14k$ saved up and am thinking about buying a PA28-140 to train in.

Hopefully hitting the bush...

[rotateandfly]

Intro flight and the occasional lesson @ 13
started training @ 15
soloed @ 15
Recreational flight test @ 15
Private lessons and flight test @ 16

dying to finish school and make flying a living...now

[Hedley]

dying to finish school and make flying a living...now

Argh. You're probably a nice kid and everything, but I can't help but roll my eyes when people insist on flying for a living, because they enjoy it.

I understand you like flying, but why do you have to earn your primary income from it? There are a lot of other acitivies that you can earn a lot more money for a lot less effort. More money means way better toys.

I really like sex (no, I mean I REALLY like to screw) but I'm not trying to earn a living as a porn star.

I have 3 friends, each worth in excess of $100 million, and they have some of the coolest aircraft you can imagine, and NOT ONE of them is an airline pilot, or a porn star, for that matter.

Airline flying is really boring. Home life sucks. So does airline management. So does living in hotels. It's not for everyone. Honest.

Just try to take the airline pilot/porn star blinders off, and realize that there are other choices. Esp since deregulation, the big money is out of the business. The days of earning USD$300,000 a year are long gone. Just ask anyone that flies for United or Delta about their pension.

[niss]

The reasoin I want to earn my primary income from flying is simple. I want to fly all day everyday. The only way to really do this is for a living. If I keep my ppl and do it as a hobby, I have to support it. But if I get a job flying my hobby supports me.

[Rowdy]

Hedley, thats some great advice!

If you enjoy flying get a degree, go into business or law or something else that pays well and buy your own airplane for ENJOYMENT! In the long run it'll better serve you. You'll have more money, more free time and won't have to worry about getting into some shit hole treated gravel strip at minimums in blowing snow at -25 for the 4th time that day. You can just hop in your pitts/beech/cessna/lancair and skip off on a nice sunny weekend to play in the friendly skies without pressure.

"I'm here because I'm lazy and don't want a real job" is the reason most try aviation only to fail miserably with a huge amount of debt from the flight training, or piss and moan for the rest of their careers.

I've been in and out of airplanes from birth. My goal is to own and run my own charter operation or be a partial owner at some point down the line as I like the industry and a lot of the people involved in it. Definatly not here for the money (or lack thereof)

Best advice ever... Work smart not hard

[TI-ANB]

Hedley,

It's interesting how all depends on which side of the fence you are. I have a non-aviation job that is paying the bills. I have a commercial license but I only fly for fun once in a while. I read this forum every once in a while and my conclusion is always the same....

I would trade my job, including salary, for an Instructor job....anytime

Anyway, I respect your point of view. All kids planning on getting into aviation must think very well before making that big decision.

Leo.

[Hedley]

I would trade my job, including salary, for an Instructor job....anytime

Remember that the grass is always greener on the other side ...

I see you have a commercial licence. Keep your day job, and get your class 4 instructor rating, and start instructing part-time, evenings and weekends.

Note that this may severely piss your wife off, to the point of divorce, and if you have any kids, you will be spending a lot less time with them.

Welcome to aviation. Most serious pilots have been divorced at least once. I know one pilot, he has SIX ex-wives. Optimist, I guess.

In the meantime ... if you hate your day job (99% of the human race does) then do something about it to change it, which probably will have nothing to do with aviation.

Aviation is a hard activity to pull money out of. It is inherently a capital-intensive commodity business, which is MBA-speak for "financial suicide".

Anyways, if the pay cut doesn't bother you, you might consider switching from part-time instructor to full-time instructor, but unless you're CFI at a larger school, you're likely going to starve, because you're competing for hours against young people who are essentially willing to pay to build instructor hours.

A better idea is to develop a niche as a part-time instructor - say tailwheel, instrument, aerobatic, float, etc. And I can't emphasize this enough: BECOME A JACK OF ALL TRADES. Specialization is for insects, not pilots. If someone wants a 180hp Lake Amphibian ferried from Victoria to Gander, you're our boy.

Until you're a member of a union, you can't afford to be picky in this business.

Just remember: don't fly anything you wouldn't put your kids into.

[TI-ANB]

Remember that the grass is always greener on the other side ...

Ok, I don't want to hijack the thread, so I'm just gonna say I agree with you in the 'grass is always greener' comment.

Same way as I see it better to work in aviation (BTW, I don't hate my current job) you might see it better to work in a non-aviation-better-paid-job. Any kid getting into aviation (or computers) has to make sure he/she will enjoy their job. I'm glad a place like this exists because many people get to say what they think.

Just remember: don't fly anything you wouldn't put your kids into.

That's a great quote... you are 100% right....

[rotateandfly]

Just try to take the airline pilot/porn star blinders off, and realize that there are other choices. Esp since deregulation, the big money is out of the business. The days of earning USD$300,000 a year are long gone. Just ask anyone that flies for United or Delta about their pension.

I am indeed a nice kid and happen to have a lot of friends flying for the airlines. I've been jumpseating about enough to have made myself a picture of what it's really about and trust me it's what I want to be doing more than anything else. I'm looking to get into a European airline where pilots are still being treated for who they are with adequate salaries. Aside from that I'm not all about the money foo, it's about loving the job, never seen Office Space??

Aside from your pornstar comparison (which had me rofl), your comments make you sound like a real jerk, taking into consideration you don't really know me.

[rotateandfly]

So listen to those of us who have done it and not the frustrated "Walter Mitties" on the outside and enjoy a great life in aviation!

Thanks for your support clunckdriver!

Now back to the real thread

[MAD DOGGY]

Started at 15 with a $25 intro flight. I started a snow plowing business with my 3 wheeler ( Honda, Remember them?) and got Grandma to drive me to the airport. 15 ,.... and I've been an addict ever since! Ha,Ha,Ha.

[KenoraPilot]

16 was my first intro flight then again at 17. Started my commercial journey at 18, been flying ever since. Nothing better and better than i had imagined.

[av8tor_assrope]

Back to the thread...hey cat driver...who gave you your first flying lesson......was it orville or wilbur?

cheers

[Cat Driver]

I,m not that old.

My first lesson was in a Cessna 140 on June 23 1953 at Central Airways Toronto Island airport....

..so that is not really that long ago..

Cat