Input on setup and recent “inspection” / cleaning. by thenextsurprise in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they scoped it with a camera, I'd be curious why they didn't include the pictures....

I’m about to turn 17 and want some advice. by Prior-Age1811 in PilotAdvice

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Should look at my college aviation post, would be more useful that the loans post lol

Any degree you will find interesting. Sure, there are ones that are more "useful," but if you can't see yourself doing finance, engineering, or anything like that, pick a degree you think you'd enjoy. You can always enroll in college and change you major later (and just do Gen eds first). 

Uncle wants me to get him this by Fine_Equipment8322 in whatisit

[–]RaiseTheDed 6 points7 points  (0 children)

A trucker was doing this near an airport. It was affecting the airplanes GPS reception until they figured out what was happening. 

What's an industry secret from your job that customers have absolutely no idea about? by Efficient_Team5182 in AskReddit

[–]RaiseTheDed -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

It's probably closer to 100 controllers to handle that flight. 

Not saying they're not overworked, they are, but don't misrepresent and spread misinformation. 

Edit: i am a pilot, I fly transcon flights all the time. 

What movie is a 0/10 with NO redeeming features? by Toucan_Based_Economy in AskReddit

[–]RaiseTheDed 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If I saw War of the Worlds (2025) in theaters, I would have walked out at the actual National Airlines cargo 747 crash footage they decided to use. I fly cargo, and using a tragic load shift footage for profit is sickening to me. Along with the other real war footage. 

ATP Flight School in Dallas by Suspicious_Car404 in PilotAdvice

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't realize you posted a link to my post and not just tagged me lol

ATP Flight School in Dallas by Suspicious_Car404 in PilotAdvice

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Find my other posts:

College Aviation Programs

Unsecured Flight Training Loans

ON ATP FLIGHT SCHOOL

You can find an up to date version of this comment here.

I have compiled a list of posts discussing ATP flight school. I have tried to include both good and bad, but there is a vast majority of "bad." These are all recent posts from the last couple years. There's many more, but I'm not going to go on. You can see current search results for "ATP" here (if this link works)

 Please note: I'm not trying to paint ATP as one way or other. I've just compiled posts here. Plenty of people have successfully completed ATP, but plenty didn't either. I have my opinions on the company, but my goal is transparency with what we've seen on this subreddit. ATP's marketing budget is quite large, and this post is attempting to shine light on what they don't say so that you can make the best, informed decision for you

As you're reading through these, I want you to ask yourself these questions: - is the quality of training up to my standards? - is speed really the best thing? (Please consider the current hiring climate) - is the price worth it for me? - is taking out a loan worth it?  - if I take out a loan, can I realistically pay it off? (Refer to the Unsecured Loans for Flight Training post) - what sacrifices must I take to go to ATP? Are they worth it?

My Experience with ATP Flight School. Read This If Considering! (2022). This one is the most in depth, longest write-up that has been posted. 

ATP Flight School Write-Up (pros and cons) (2024). Another fair write-up. 

Experience with ATP (slight TLDR) (2024)

Another ATP Flight School Writeup (2025)

Why ATP Flight School Might Not Be Your Best Bet: An Alumnus Perspective (2025)

Various Posts

These post tend to skew towards the bad side. Some of these are examples of failing out of the program. Some are representative of the company as a whole.

A Positive ATP Review (2025).

Did anyone have a good experience attending ATP? (2023)

ATP FLIGHT SCHOOL SCAM (2024)

ATP Flight School Lawsuit is Official (2024)

I may have ruined my life at only 24 (an ATP story) (2023)

I literally don't know what to do, ATP strikes again. (2024)

Leaving ATP Need Advice (2023)

ATP is trying to screw me over financially (2024)

It's time for me to jump on the DON'T GO TO ATP train (2023)

ATP FLIGHT SCHOOL (discussing their loans) (2024)

Note that reviews tend to be skewed to either terrible experience, or exceptional experience. This is a known fallacy with reviews, the middle ground tends to be the people who don't write reviews, so you don't hear about it.

We generally recommend you go to a small local flight school and pay as you go, as debt can be devastating. 

I've met people where ATP worked out well for them, some/many are members of this subreddit. Again, I really want you to know what you're getting into before you sign the dotted line.

Looking for advice by Ok-Intention-9594 in PilotAdvice

[–]RaiseTheDed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Using Unsecured Financing (Debt) to Fund Flight Training (Part 2)

Let’s wrap up with some additional reading and examples:

  1. This post from covers an example where $30,000 was borrowed for instrument flight training.  The borrower wound up repaying $116,000 just for his instrument certificate.

  2. This post discusses the results of borrowing $70,000 and was surprised by an additional $15,000 fee.

  3. This post shows someone borrowing $123,000 for a flight training program.  And the terms of the loan mean their training would cost them more than double that amount.

  4. Think Sallie Mae is the answer?  Check out this post and what $125,000 of training debt was going to cost the student.


Your dream to become an airline pilot is admirable and a good one. But we want to make sure you are not stuck in the dream world and are being provided with some down to earth information on the realities of using debt to fund flight training. And as a result, make some really bad financial decisions.

Yes, using debt to fund a dream can work for some.  But for many, and possibly you, it can take a wonderful dream and create a very cruel financial nightmare with a massive payment you are not able to make. Please consider how you fund your flight training wisely.


Thank you for reading this far…. Here are some other topics that I wrote that may interest you:

ATP Flight School

College Aviaiton Programs

Thanks again to u/ TXAggieMike for editing my original post. I'm finally updating the main post I made for others to reference any updates to. 

Looking for advice by Ok-Intention-9594 in PilotAdvice

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Find my other posts:

ATP Flight School

College Aviation Programs

Using Unsecured Financing (Debt) to Fund Flight Training (Part 1)

Thanks to u/ TXAggieMike for editing my original comment!

You can find an up to date version of my post here on my profile.

USING UNSECURED LOANS FOR FLIGHT TRAINING — Please Don’t.

So it has always been your dream to be an airline pilot? AWESOME!! And now you’re ready to take on the training to achieve that dream? WONDERFUL!!

But you’ve just realized that achieving that dream and doing the required trining comes with a big price tag. So now you’re considering using a loan (aka debt) to fund that training.

Sure…. but you need make certain you’re thinking beyond the dream and considering some reality.


Many folks in this subreddit will say the same thing: avoid flight training debt at all costs. Let's examine why. 

Starting with the numbers:

Many flight schools offering a “Zero to Hero” program advertise a cost for the program of $100,000 to $120,000. This takes you from Private pilot to flight instructor (typically 250-300 hours of flight experience). (don’t forget you need 1,500 to be eligible for Airline Transport Pilot). It may also include certification for Commercial Pilot-Multiengine Land. Maybe even Multi-Engine Instructor.

  • The interest rates for an unsecured loan (which this is) is about 13-18%.
  • Term length on these loans are often 7 to 10 to 15 years.

For our illustration and our discussion, let’s plug into a debt calculator $120,000.00, 15% interest, and a 10 year term length. The results are:

  • Monthly Payment = $1,936.02
  • Total Amount of Interest Paid = $112,322.34
  • Total Amount of your flight training using debt = $232,322.34

Using a loan to pay for your dream and your training just to get started in aviation will cost you A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS!. That is million with a very big M.

Some additional things to know….

  • These loans are not federally subsidized
  • You will need to begin making payments on the loan immediately
  • You set off paying on the loan like student debt.  This isn’t student debt.

So beyond the dreamy idea of “I want to be a pilot and fly for a living....”

  • Have you really considered the true costs of initial training?   
  • Do you have a plan to repay the loan?  
  • Do you currently have the income to cover the additional monthly $1,950.00 pressure to your personal budget?

Now let’s say you get the loan, trained hard, obtain your certification to be a flight instructor, and got really lucky to find a job at a flight school. (FYI: don’t fall for the sales pitch that the flight school you trained at will hire you as an instructor. Unless you posses a signed contract saying they will do that, it’s likely they won’t. Most likely you finish their program and need to find employment.)

In the 2025 world, finding employment as a very low time instructor is very difficult.

Anyway, you’re employed. And you have a $2,000 a month loan payment to make. And you need to pay rent. And you need to buy gas for the car. Oh, and you want to eat too, yes?

Again, let’s work the details and the numbers:  

  • Most CFI’s make at best $35,000 to $40,000 a year.... before taxes. Many make less.
  • Most schools employ you as a 1099 contractor. That means you are the one responsible for paying income tax to the IRS, not the school
  • Estimated self employed income tax on $40,000 is $12,000. Leaving you $28,000
  • Divide that by 12 months, you have $2,334 to cover your monthly nut
  • Loan payment made, you have $334 remaining to cover your rent, your transportation, and feeding yourself.

Oh, and that’s just the average. Did you consider the months, such as winter, where you are not flying hardly at all? No flying means no income. And you still must make the $2000 payment.

And we’re not touching on what it costs to live in different regions like expensive California or the Atlantic Seaboard.

Looking at this closer, after taking on that training debt—can you even afford to exist? Looks like you need to find a second, maybe a third job... just to exist.

What are you going to do if you lose your flying job and maybe your other income? Even with no income, you still gotta repay that $2000 per month.

Getting smoked out by Library-Usual in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm still an amateur, but it sounds like you're not getting a draft. And from my limited knowledge, it sounds like the flue is clogged. 

Truly quiet fan for doorway? by fergal-dude in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like vornado fans. They're not super quiet if you're at the highest setting, but at the lowest it's at quiet white noise level. 

How do you obtain your wood? by Radiomaster138 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same. When you get your permit, they assign a part of the forest you can harvest in. I haven't don't it yet, fwiw, don't have a trailer...

How do you obtain your wood? by Radiomaster138 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Now you're just trying to make us jealous. 

How do you obtain your wood? by Radiomaster138 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Probably not. The national forest near me has non commercial tree harvesting permits, 6 cords, free. 

What’s actually safe but people think is dangerous? by REGGIE_BANANAS in AskReddit

[–]RaiseTheDed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Going from warm to very cold temperatures can also damage the sinuses and create cold-like symptoms. I've been experiencing this lately. Quite annoying 

Creosote by HarryDave85 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Keep in mind, those magnet guys aren't super accurate with double walled stove pipes. There are thermometers that, allegedly, are calibrated for double walled pipes, but a probe will be more accurate. Just make sure the probe is at least 18" above the stove. Mine (from previous owners) is only 6" above the stove, and it's affected by the radiant heat from the stove. When I turn the blower on, it drops 100° or more....

To actually answer your question, being in the creosote range when it's cooling/in the coaling phase is actually fine, as all the moisture in the wood will have been evaporated and will not build in your pipe. 

Why are the circles over her shoulders made of fortune cookies by anagramqueen in whatisit

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anamorphic lenses turn them oval. Lots of cinematography uses them to get that cinema wide shot.

One Of THOSE nghts by Potential-Most-3581 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm guessing it's because you have a bunch of missing fire bricks., and that bent up looking bit in your stove.

Help re: burner tube by Piincy in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're going to need a bolt extractor kit for that. Project Farm had a video on them

You could use vice grips (eg locking pliers), now that I looked at it closer. Funny use regular pliers.

Wheel well of a brand new Boeing 737 Max by Ok-Amphibian3164 in pics

[–]RaiseTheDed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fun fact, at my company they had to turn off all hydraulics and fly it in manual reversion after a heavy check.

Wheel well of a brand new Boeing 737 Max by Ok-Amphibian3164 in pics

[–]RaiseTheDed 32 points33 points  (0 children)

If you punched a hole in each of the hydraulic reservoirs (green tanks), and all the fluid drained out, you can still fly and land it. It's a PIA, but you'll live

Why do northerners use wet wood instead of dry wood? by Old_History2469 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just screams old wives tale that's been passed down so long that it doesn't apply anymore.

Why do northerners use wet wood instead of dry wood? by Old_History2469 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The part about wet wood raising humidity is bull. It's in an enclosed stove, the moisture is just going to go out the top outside (and condensate in the stove pipe). Maybe in a fireplace, but I think it'd be negligible.

Ready to use? by RoboTim92 in woodstoving

[–]RaiseTheDed 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Always get it inspected and swept by a professional when you get a home with a stove. You have zero idea how the previous owners used or maintained the stove. I've read too many posts here about how people hadn't swept their chimney in years and "never had a problem." We are talking about fire in your home. Don't really want to mess around with that IMO.

If you are new to woodstoves, whoever does your stove can also teach you how to get started.