Hi aviators,

I'm a low time PPL. Did it part time and got it done in about 6-7 months without a loan. I work full time and now I am considering moving up in my ratings. The end goal is a flying job.

I am in a position to use my entire salary to pay for flight training w/o touching savings, or taking a line of credit and paying that off with my salary. I'm planning to go all the way up to the FI rating. My spouse works full time and her salary is enough to pay the bills and put food on the table without the help of my salary. I know part time with instrument, commercial, so on will take me a long time as opposed to taking a leave of absence from work and taking a hefty loan that would take me longer to pay back. My job would be guaranteed at the end of this leave of absence if something were to "happen". My hours at work are great. No late night shifts or weekend work.

Would I be better off enrolling in a structured aviation program such as BFC, or is it in my best interests to pursue it with flexibility of doing it "on the go" (example, book scheduled flights?). I have two degrees already. I have no kids and not planning on it for a few years. Keep the job and do it part time? Or the leave of absence? One piece of advice I received was to do it consistently in one go.

If I were you I would buy an airplane, and sell it
when you were done your training/time building.
And find the right (min class 3) instructor.

But that's just me.

Colonel Sanders wrote:If I were you I would buy an airplane, and sell it
when you were done your training/time building.
And find the right (min class 3) instructor.

But that's just me.

Colonel Sanders, one option I've been considering is block time.

Another option would be to take two or three lessons a week, that way you may be able to avoid the leave of absence. The more you complete in a week the more you will retain and will save you money in the long run.

Regardless of what aircraft you use, you really
need to find an experienced, organized instructor
that has done this sort of thing before, and can
get it done in an efficient manner.

Most flight instructors are not very organized
and not efficient at all, because neither TC nor
the FTU gives a sh1t about the instructor providing
good value to the student (see previous grumblings
of mine about 100 hr PPLs).

Doesn't matter if you do this at an FTU or not.
You need to find an instructor that has done this
before, and is not about to leave you to fly some
clapped out twin in Manitoba (his dream job).

If the instructor flat-rates your training, that is a
very good sign, because he has confidence in his
ability to get things done efficiently - he is willing
to put his money where his mouth is.

Why are you looking to get a flying job? Seems like you have a pretty good job now and have other options. You have two degrees already. What are they in? Incidentally, it also seems like your wife has indulged you so far, just because she can shoulder the expenses burden doesn't mean she wants to, and is going to be less happy when she finds out what it was for. Look up AIDS.

Colonel Sanders wrote:
If the instructor flat-rates your training, that is a
very good sign, because he has confidence in his
ability to get things done efficiently - he is willing
to put his money where his mouth is.

Thanks for this piece of advice. This is what I am on the look out for!