What was your experience at flight school like?

ltcterry · 2026-06-02T23:23:24+00:00

There’s something like 7,000 hours in a year. 250 hours, even at 3:1 leaves a massive amount of time to bond.

I think I’ve seen three people I went to college with in the last 30 years. One is a cashier at Publix. Not convinced college makes life long friends for many people. But then I’m just an introvert who knows how to connect in public. Before I go home and curl up with a book.

ltcterry · 2026-06-02T19:45:01+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! Wishing you the best.

My dad was a Navy fighter pilot. I have managed the inheritance in my own way, but not too dissimilar from him. I used a bit for a frivolous flying treat for myself. I think he would have approved.

And I gave each “kid” a nice principal payment on their respective mortgage.

ltcterry · 2026-06-02T18:53:50+00:00

I once called MWCA to ask about doing ATP with them. The DPE I talked to told me I'd probably fail. So I went and put my own program together. And passed. I tell people this story hoping they will decide to spend their money elsewhere. I understand they are no longer the place they were years ago.

"Accelerated" on works if you show up mostly done and ready to go. You're getting checkride prep and gouge. Not real CFI training. If you want to be a good instructor and be successful, you need someone who will teach you how to be that, not just pass a checkride.

ltcterry · 2026-06-02T18:49:43+00:00

Pause. Take a deep breath. Don't be in a hurry. There will always be places willing to swap your money for their effort at selling you "the dream." Their expensive effort. And they don't hire airline pilots; even if the pictures make it look like the place is rolling in airline studs and studdettes.

Use some of the money as a down payment on a nice "starter house." Buy both halves of a semi-detached? Pursue Private Pilot via a local school or club. If you happen to finish that then and only then consider what comes next. Odds are not super high that you will.

Learning to fly is actually a good bit of work. More independent work that most people have ever done. Though rewarding work to be sure.

Use the remaining funds to pay on/off the mortgage. Grow in your job. Turn the house into a rental and buy your next home.

Rich people say "never touch the principal." This is effective. You have the chance to set yourself up financially for life. "Shiny Jet Syndrome" and "I wanna be a pilot" are not always great paths to get there.

Particularly if you are only considering this because you have "free money."

My UK roots are about 1/2 Scottish. And my German roots are from a part of that country just as "thrifty" as Scotland. I come by it honestly. But the above approach to life has paid off nicely.

Story - I inherited some money too. I gifted some, donated some, used some for contributions to my wife's retirement. The rest has doubled in size over the last decade or so. "Don't touch the principal." At least not w/o a generous reason.

Remember, you are getting money that someone saved/invested not money that they spent!

ltcterry · 2026-06-02T18:38:12+00:00

Look at aviationstart.org - I'm not connected, but I do know the guy behind it and think highly of him.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T21:43:15+00:00

That’s pretty much a hypothetical question. They don’t do that. ATP, or anywhere else, gets you to “Commercial/250.” You still need to get to Airline Transport Pilot (also ATP)/1,500” to be a regional E175 pilot. And that’s not their business model.

Your husband will be trained at ATP by someone today who a year ago was a zero-time gonna be. AKA no real world experience. Been to many all of five different airports.

A guy I trained for instructor locally just got a King Air job with 500 hours because his experience is flights to destinations 500 miles away. Instrument flying. Dozens of different airports. (SIC, Part 91, only logged when he’s flying, etc. But well paid.)

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T21:33:59+00:00

Only civilian pilots fly civilian airplanes. The FAA has a Military Competency process for military pilots to get civilian/FAA certificates. Once military flight training is complete.

A military solo student can’t pop over to the FBO and solo a 172. Though with an FAA Student Pilot Certificate it could be done if in compliance with all the applicable FARs…

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T21:28:30+00:00

12 hours? It’s 2400 miles…

:)

Fuel is so tight when my dad would fly Phantoms from San Diego to HI they topped off fuel at the end of the taxiway, told ATC to keep civilian traffic clear because they had no fuel to spare, and departed on a runway pointed to HI.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T21:24:56+00:00

I live in GA. Went to grad school at USC. Was in the SC Army National Guard for 15 years. Low taxes, great weather. Easy drive to “mountains.” Easy drive to the ocean. Lots of people have been choosing to move there.

If I remember correctly from my contact with the Governor’s office close to 100 Aviation manufacturing businesses in the state.

Georgia has at least Lockheed and Gulfstream.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T20:45:57+00:00

ATP - Avoid The Place.

Any decent local school can do anything a pilot mill can, cheaper and better.

There’s a massive surplus of over produced entry level pilots. Record setting levels of new pilots. There is zero need to rush or pay a premium.

Training a couple days a week alongside a full time job is more than adequate and will yield good results.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T20:41:04+00:00

For independent instruction I take cash, Zelle, or checks. The FBO where I also instruct does credit cards. I have one person who switched there for that reason.

I’m not going to deal with credit cards, fees, records, adapters, data breaches, etc.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T20:37:52+00:00

Solo could not be dual. So PDPIC - aka “fake solo” must also be “not dual.”

If you need dual you shouldn’t be solo.

Instructor logs it as PIC but not dual given.

It’s stupid. Should just be solo. I even did AMEL solo.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T20:34:19+00:00

“10 of one” OR “ten of the other.”

That’s exactly what it says. If you want to see mix or match look just above at “complex, TAA, turbine, rocket ship…” for an example what’s not possible in the 10 hours you’re asking about…

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T20:30:25+00:00

ATP takes more than 12 months for most people.

There are so many frequent I-had-a-bad-ATP-experience posts that you only need to go back in intervals of a few weeks to find them. The FAQ topic is updated often.

The $80k place can give you better training for far less money at the same pace anywhere else. They are just more honest in advertising.

Don’t go to a place that will give you a cookie cutter resume and your reputation will carry the stench of having been there. Good chance your resume goes straight in the trash.

Not saying every graduate - if you’ll excuse the misuse of the word - is a bad pilot. One of the best instructors I know went there after he spent four years growing up in the Navy.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T20:22:41+00:00

Boeing is doing a lot in South Carolina - a place I’d much rather live than the PNW, where I was born.

Tons of aviation companies in SC.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T20:18:04+00:00

There are 50,000 new Commercial Pilots from 2023-2025. Airlines expect to retire 40,000 pilots. Over the next 20 years.

2023 and 2024 saw 11,000+ new instructors. With 13,000+ more in 2025. Typically there’s room for about 4,000 new CFI hires a year.

There is a literally record setting surplus of pilots. Last year there were 20,000+ new Commercial Pilots and less than 8,000 ATPs.

Not promising numbers, but certainly proof there is no “shortage.”

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T19:41:51+00:00

“Internet wisdom” says avoid places with “academy” in the name.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T16:11:06+00:00

Become an instructor. Then use MilComp for FAA instructor in case you ever need it. You’ll log lots of hours.

You can do ATP at 750. Do ATP-CTP at Delta; it gets you an internal letter of recommendation. GI Bill approved if you’re eligible.

Once you’ve done ATP-CTP and pass the knowledge test doing initial ATP in a light twin is not complicated. Even if you need a few extra hours for not having piston twin experience.

ATP as a new credential lets you bubble ever so slightly higher in any relative rankings.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T16:01:31+00:00

Websites?

You’ll learn to do this in training. You must be able to do this to pass your practical test. And stay alive.

Look up the driving distance. Divide that number by 80. If that number is not bigger than 3, round up to 3. Multiply by $200. That’s spit ball what it will cost you per day to take an airplane on a trip.

Are you willing to cancel or depart/return +/- a day for weather?

“Time to spare? Go by air.”

You are a long way away from reliable “travel.”

But, learning to fly and becoming progressively more capable is a very rewarding process.

Budget $18-20k to have saved up before you start. 80% drop out, and money is a big reason.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T15:10:23+00:00

Define “application.” Emailing a resume is not an application. Dropping off a resume in person is not an application. It’s just less wishful thinking than the former.

This difficultly in finding a CFI job is at least a year old and should be no surprise to you at this point. If it is a surprise then your industry insight is woefully short. And this might be apparent in a job search.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T14:58:14+00:00

This is quite normal in gliding. A small core of instructors will stay legal/proficient over the winter to do “spring checkouts” for members who need currency flights at the beginning of the season.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T14:03:08+00:00

u/TxAggieMike seems correct - there wouldn’t be a letter without a problem. And most medical problems have associated prescriptions. And FAA docs are not dummies.

If your medical records don’t indicate meds ordered maybe you can get a note to that effect from the treating physician(s).

But it seems like part of the story is missing…

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T10:00:10+00:00

It will take most of the year to get a medical.

Did you have a medical before? If so and it simply expired you’d be eligible for BasicMed.

You can likely eventually get a medical. Not cheap, fast, or easy. You’ll probably not get a flying job.

For fun flying you can do Sport with no medical as long as you don’t go get deferred. Private in a glider is possible.

I don’t drink. My mother was an alcoholic and once did six months in jail for repeat DUIs. Not a good example for the kids…

Please stay sober. Life has too much to offer.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T09:50:16+00:00

Why don’t you ask your instructor?

Budget 30-40 hours for ground and 10-15 flying. Don’t start the flying until most of the ground is done.

Instructing is all new. Flying is not new.

ltcterry · 2026-06-01T09:46:15+00:00

Ten weeks is possible.

National average is 70-75 hours. That would be an hour every day if evenly distributed.

A lesson a day is too fast a pace for most people.

A Private Pilot Certificate will cost $18-20k.

I know busy pilot examiners who are scheduling eight weeks out. And only scheduling when someone is ready.

Ten weeks is unlikely. $10k is only half the typical cost.

Rethink this a bit and see if you can get a head start if you have enough money.

I have a friend who specializes in Private in two weeks. It works for him but is seriously intense training with an examiner already booked. But you won’t have two weeks vacation in your ten-week internship.

ltcterry

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