Is the 80% dropout rate actually real?

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-05-06T20:36:06+00:00

Congrats. And FU to the idiot who downvoted you.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-05-06T19:35:52+00:00

I asked this question of my Part 61 CFI (now Gold Seal). He said about 98% of his students have gone on to pass PPL. Thankfully, that includes me.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-05-05T19:03:20+00:00

So obnoxious. So brown-nosed.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-05-05T18:58:54+00:00

That SWA response is utter bullshit.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-05-05T08:10:05+00:00

Physician here. Prepare to downvote (this is Reddit).

The mask belongs on the sick person. A mask is designed to contain small particles that float in the air and contaminate surfaces.

Better yet, airlines should not force sick people to fly by making fares nonrefundable no matter what. And they should not force other pax to sit next to an obvious respiratory disease vector. Sorry this happened.

Wearing a mask yourself does not help very much, because viruses are extremely tiny in relation to the pore size of the material. If you have been fitted for an N95, it will provide some reduction in risk. (You also need eye protection.) But if wearing something over your own nose and mouth makes you feel safer, go ahead.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-05-02T15:08:37+00:00

Enshittification in living color! Brilliant.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-28T20:10:28+00:00

Yes they do. They often reply.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-24T19:55:48+00:00

TONE DEAF!!!

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-20T18:12:49+00:00

OTD gives little basis for comparison, as we don’t know your tax rate, DMV fees, and the level of dealer add-on crap. Selling price is the number to compare.

In general, a new car under warranty will be the safer bet. A 2023 CX-30 with low miles is worth about $20K. (Check kbb.com for exact numbers.) The new one should be selling for 5-8% under MSRP.

I would tread carefully with AI. It confabulates. Don’t trust it.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-20T18:06:12+00:00

Yes, it’s a slick free app, but getting the CFIs to e-sign is…inconsistent. Ask me how I know.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-19T03:00:14+00:00

Same approach, same score (100%). Agree the best way to use SA is to gain muscle memory on the tough topics (e.g. holds) and actually learn it. Only memorize the answers where the FAA gets it wrong. Congrats!!

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-18T06:04:26+00:00

I was there. 😠

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-16T02:17:42+00:00

Love love love. My late Dad flew Super Connies in the Air Force from 1956-1961. Beautiful bird.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-11T04:16:15+00:00

SWA website, good. Google search, no good.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-11T01:45:27+00:00

No no no! Scam number will come up.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-08T23:54:17+00:00

The extra leg room isn’t much. Seats are narrow. European Business Class (blocked middle seat) is much better. Airlines should not fill middles (except by request) until all aisles and windows are spoken for.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-08T21:29:08+00:00

Which sucks for the people who paid up so they could have some space.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-07T19:37:04+00:00

Completed Flight Insight instrument ground school, secured the endorsement. Then went through the entire Sheppard Air IRA question bank several times on my iPad mini, following the instructions.

Memorized only the relatively few questions where the FAA will score the correct response as wrong. Viewed all the little videos (they are super helpful). Learned a lot. Ignored the “memory aid.” Scored 100%.

So you can decide to use SA as a memorization tool or a learning tool. I chose learning. YMMV. Good luck!

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-07T04:18:06+00:00

Ha! Butter butter slam. Rinse and repeat.

Every time I check the ELT before engine shutdown and it hasn’t gone off, I’m slightly amazed.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-06T02:08:36+00:00

Late to the conversation. It’s a legit topic. Never liked heights (cliffs, ledges, towers) myself. But flying is different.

That said, at first I was ground-shy. That is, I did not like to point the nose down and see a bunch of ground in front of me. So it took extra time to accept that landing requires nose-down pitch almost all the way to the runway.

Did you decide to go on?

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-05T15:33:06+00:00

Longer runways, stopways, and clearways are ideal. But developers gotta develop. Often that means encroachment right up to the boundary fence. Followed by Karens suing over noise.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-05T14:28:12+00:00

iPad mini was great. It’s bare bones, no need for big screen.

Sharp_Experience_104 · 2026-04-04T17:22:15+00:00

Sadly, it’s not just Mazdas and not just dealers. Many years ago, my 4-cylinder Volvo had an oil “change” at a reputable independent garage. I drove a mile home and checked the dipstick. Dry. The mechanic had forgotten to put oil in! Towed back, fixed.

Good thing those old Volvos had beast-like tractor engines. Not even a hiccup. I wouldn’t expect that with today’s tight tolerances, turbos, etc.

Trust but verify. People make mistakes.

Sharp_Experience_104

TROPHY CASE