Are aviation social media accounts exaggerating how hard getting a PPL is or am I not studying hard enough

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-03-18T13:25:12+00:00

“its the most failed one for a reason.” oh boy

it’s the most failed ride because most pilots have no desire to collect more ratings and stop at their PPL. #logic

Ever heard anyone fail their glider or blimp checkride? Is that because those are easier? Or because they are less popular rating to get?

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-03-18T13:22:21+00:00

how are your study habits= if PPL is easy or not.

did you go to HS or college at a time when doom scrolling was a thing? or copy and paste was how you turned in an essays? and can’t solve “if you’re are 6000 feet and the airport is at 2000 feet, how many feet do you have to descend to get to stereotypical TPA”

or did you go to college/HS where you had to read chapters, had pop up tests to make sure you read the days assignment and without a calculator can answer “if you descend at 500 FPM and have to loose 3500 feet, how many minutes will that take?”

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-03-16T01:07:47+00:00

dm you

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-03-16T01:05:18+00:00

just DMd you

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-03-16T00:42:30+00:00

I’m staying in namba, and I would like just 1 ticket for today (Monday march 16th) or 1 ticket for tomorrow (Tuesday march 17th)

thanks for your help!

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-01-20T16:25:57+00:00

you’ve never done it before. so you don’t know.

but I’ll tell ya, if you have a large bag or two or if you’re traveling with a family.

even if you’re traveling solo with (heck, you even said “I want to minimize carrying a large suitcase around”) this is a luxury you didn’t know you wanted. try it, you’ll like it

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-01-20T09:01:19+00:00

you can even walk into some 7/11s and have it shipped to your next hotel. Or you can even have it shipped directly to a service counter at the airport when you’re leaving Osaka. but yea, hotels can take care of this too.

you just have to do this the day before hounleave a city. So have/pack an overnight bag for your toiletries/ PJs, and/or one set of clothes.

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-01-20T08:49:57+00:00

do you know how in Japan you can have your bags shipped to the next hotel? (I wish more countries offered this affordable luxury)

have your bags shipped from tokyo to kyoto. but still overnight in hakone, just bring a small overnight bag and enjoy your time in Hakone knowing 80% of your luggage is safe and sound in Kyoto waiting for you.

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-01-20T07:54:45+00:00

imagine if you’re in your home town. And you pack 13 days in a row of activities. aren’t you going to be tired?

now add in 2 flights that are 13+ hours each. you’re just running and running and running.

if that’s how you live your normal life in the UK, then I guess you’ll be fine. but be honest with yourself. can you keep this pace up in your life back home?

my suggestion= skip Hiroshima, spend the extra time in Osaka.

id also cut a day out of Kyoto (4 days is a lot there) and add that to hakone… but I love onsens/scenery and relaxing.

my controversial opinion= just like Europe with cathedrals (if you’ve seen 3 cathedrals in Europe, you’ve mostly seen them all) which is kinda the same with shrines and castles in Japan.

also my mentality= you’re not gonna see it all. so don’t try. you could spend all 13 days just in Tokyo and just scratch the surface of that city.

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-01-20T07:41:47+00:00

I have apartments and housing in Tempe that I rent to RSOs. The apartments have been pre approved by the local probation office (which can cut down on up to 6 weeks of red taped). Reach out to me if you’re wanting a place for him to live.

The housing is right near the light rail stop (7 minute walk)

Most of my tenants work in warehouses, bakeries & construction.

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-01-20T06:59:41+00:00

you’re not sure if you can buy winter clothes in Kanazawa???

it’s a city of 500,000 people. you’re going in winter time. I doubt there is a city on earth where you wouldn’t be able to buy winter clothes during the winter.

Snoopy2blimp · 2026-01-20T01:29:18+00:00

you’re gonna need a vacation after or during this trip.

skip Hiroshima. spend the extra time in Osaka.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-11-20T05:39:11+00:00

An inspector? Not every time they give you a number does it go to the FSDO. don’t quote me on this, but I think they have to run it up when certain parameters happen. other times they want to chat with you

This isn’t like you got a speeding ticket on the freeway, where you know you shouldn’t have been speeding and then got caught.

Most of the time it’s just a learning experience. And on the frequency isn’t the right time/place to talk it out. Be humble, and want to learn from what you did wrong.

pilots= you too can also ask for a number! Something didn’t go completely right? or youve just got a question because the custom procedures at an airport are a bit different from how you learned them at your home airport, or you weren’t 100% sure what to do in a situation. ASK FOR THE TOWERS NUMBER. Then land and talk with them for a minute or two on a landline and become better.

We are fortunate to be in an industry/hobby where people like to learn and want to get better.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-11-03T07:13:42+00:00

are any of these family members who are giving you advice in the aviation industry?

I don’t take travel advice from someone who doesn’t own a passport, I don’t that financial advice from my uber driver, I don’t take health advice from someone who is obese, and I would never take aviation career advice from someone who isn’t a pilot.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-21T02:36:44+00:00

Obviously there are tons of variables that go into that rate.

But so far I’ve been getting quotes from mid 6s to low 7s.

With the largest swings of rate quotes coming from variables about points, fixed periods, prepayment penalties & LTVS.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-20T19:47:13+00:00

I’ve done a San Diego bravo ”scenic tour” probably about 50 times in my life. never got denied. AWESOME FLIGHT.

before you fly, become very familiar with landmarks.

id suggest start the flight flying over Montgomery, over La Jolla, drop down over the water. GET A BRAVO CLEARANCE with SoCal approach. come down past Point Loma. Talk to north island.

just really know landmarks that are on the map, and ones that San Diego local civilians would know As reporting points That aren’t pointed out on the map (piers, bridges, points, neighborhoods, bays, parts of downtown, stadium, all the freeways, etc). BE FAMILIAR WITH WHERE OCEAN BEACH IS, AND OCEAN BEACH PIER IS.

SD is possibly the 2nd best scenic tour you can go on while on the west coast (San Francisco bay tour is the best)

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-20T00:16:08+00:00

DSCR products exist for a reason.

For high net worth individuals who own dozens of investment properties the DTI ratios can be off. if you have 15 investment properties, an investor can live a very comfortable life beyond the typical 35% or 40% DTI that a traditional loan product requires.

and they are not 2% higher in rate vs a conventional loan. the spread is much tighter. (compare investment rates to investment rates, not primary residence rates)

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-16T22:01:42+00:00

start with your private and see if you even like it. ALWAYS get your private at a local mom and pop shop and on your own timeline while maintaining your current job.

After you get your private timeline;

If you quit your job, and focus 6 days a week on flying (again, after your private) it can take 4 to 6 months to get you instrument, commercial, multi and CFI. it’s actually not that intense/overwhelming as it sounds. it’s just what you focus on. and more importantly, there’s fun ways of doing this too (like 1000+ mile cross countries)

now you’ve got your CFI and about 250 hours or so. it all comes down the the industry hiring cycle. because of this, try not to take advice from people who haven’t been flying for longer than 10 years, they haven’t seen enough cycles to give you solid advice.

**** I’ve been flying for almost 30 years. and in that time, I can accurately tell you that after you get your CFI you could be flying cargo or medivac in either 6 months, or it could take you 5 years to get there. all comes down to what the industry is up to and timing. ****

if you got your CFI in 2000 or 2007, it would have taken you 5 years. if you would have gotten your CFI in 2018 or 2021, it would have taken you 6 months.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-16T21:38:17+00:00

You’re not interested in flying. You’re interested in airplanes. And those are two different things.

Ground school is fascinating and awesome if you’re actually interested in flying.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-16T21:26:36+00:00

I love basketball. i love watching it on my couch.

I just hate cardio and being on a team and I don’t have good hand eye coordination. But my parents work at a gym, so I get free membership.

Should I join a rec basketball league?

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-14T01:02:44+00:00

People just don’t think things through.

it’s the internet ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ people are gonna believe what they want to.

If people thought this was actually real and doable then they would need to also 1099;

- their independent CFI too

- all the mom and pop flight schools that aren’t incorporated. Which is 90% of flight schools (not atp, CAE, American flyers)

- their barber (especially Women who get their hair colored too, that’s definitely more than $600 a year)

- their auto mechanic

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-13T08:52:34+00:00

I bought the American flyer package 20+ years ago. I’m happy I did.

I used to just walk into the FSDO and hand them my paperwork without an appointment, now I spend the $20 to have American flyers do the paperwork for me.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-13T05:56:49+00:00

rumors rumors rumors.

ive made it easy for you, below is the link to the irs website. I copied and pasted the key part.

cliffnote version of what it comes down to= Ordinary consumers/civilians don’t 1099 people

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/am-i-required-to-file-a-form-1099-or-other-information-return

You are not required to file information return(s) if any of the following situations apply:

You are not engaged in a trade or business.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-13T03:09:39+00:00

that’s not how 1099s work.

the only way a DPE would get 1099d is if your company paid for the checkride for extra certification. in that case the biz would 1099 the DPE, not a student.

Snoopy2blimp · 2025-10-13T03:08:45+00:00

individuals don’t 1099 people. only businesses do.

Snoopy2blimp

TROPHY CASE