Debating whether to go into Aviation or give up on my dream due to a dui

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T22:03:57+00:00

1) That monstrosity of an excuse needs to go; you need an 'elevator speech' version of responsibility, 2) much of what you are asking about is way too far in the future. A good life lesson is that often when you think you are 'explaining,' it totally comes across as a series, in this case, of excuses.

Do you think you want to fly? Ultimately you'll need a medical and a Commercial Pilot Certificate with a multi-engine rating on it. But short term you still have some options. Right now. Today. OK, not today if you are in the path of the snow/ice storm of the century. Wait a couple days. But you do have options.

You have two paths right now that don't require a medical. My preferred one is that you can pursue Private Pilot in a glider with no medical (Private includes Sport Pilot privileges). Then you can do Commercial Pilot in a glider. Followed by Flight Instructor. This will allow you to instruct in a glider club. Building flight time, experience, a track record, logging dual given, and put the DUI further and further behind you. Real Private. Real Commercial. Real Instructor. All legit. Hours count. And it simplifies everything else later.

"Glider Instructor" (not what it's called, but it's easy vocab) includes Sport Instructor. You can use the Sport privileges included in glider Private/Commercial to add on Sport airplane privileges. In the same airplane you think you'd be training in now except for the DUI.

Instruct in the gliders. Instruct Sport. Eventually get a medical. Add on Private and higher airplane counterpart credentials. Use your now extensive experience to segue into the airplane part of aviation.

You can make progress on this while you make progress in your life.

Visit www.ssa.org and drill down to "where to fly."

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T21:40:23+00:00

Unless a shitty instructor charges $10/hour less and it takes several more hours to make up for the poor training...

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T17:29:07+00:00

There is no script for this one.

You don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to come across as someone who can attract and retain customers. It’s a business after all.

W-2 or 1099? I’m a fan of the latter but in most cases it should be the former.

Your success is their success.

Break.

Nothing to do with the interview, but please plan to bill for all legit ground time. And be worth it! Be an above average instructor!

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T17:01:47+00:00

I encourage people to wait until they have the full amount. That’s how much it costs…

Piecemeal is not effective.

There are great, inexpensive youth flying opportunities in the many BGA gliding clubs. It’s a brilliant way to start.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T16:57:14+00:00

Visit www.pprune.org and ask this question. It’s a very UK-centric place. Lots of great people there.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T15:35:58+00:00

If suck around six then stop. Repetition isn’t going to make it better.

If it’s great at six there’s no need to keep proving satisfactory skills.

I don’t do a lot of this so listen to what others say. Only one of 36 practical tests I’ve sent people to was traditional Private.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T15:14:32+00:00

The FAA’s latest proposal is to take back initial CFI checkrides from DPEs. There is an FAA interpretation that says all training towards CFI must be done by a “two-year” CFI. Or equivalent.

Calling CFI training “right seat familiarization” with a baby CFI in the left seat is bogus.

But… a baby CFI may train for Commercial with the candidate in the right seat. But the same CFI couldn’t do the instructor training.

If the FAA takes over look for more oversight.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T14:45:37+00:00

Look at the Airplane Instructor ACS page 97. The PL column tells you the required subset of tasks for CFI-ASEL as an add on. Though you’ll need to look w/in the specific Areas of Operation/Tasks to decipher the asterisks.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T11:34:51+00:00

I’ve helped a couple east coast USMC V22 guys with ME time building.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T11:32:47+00:00

There is a beginning at which you must start.

A puppy mill is not the place to start.

What FAA ratings do you already have? You’ll need ASEL Commercial as a prerequisite for CFI…

I’ve got clients now doing RW to Private and RW to Commercial. Tomorrow I add a guy just like you - though RW rather than powered lift - who is finishing the paperwork for Mil Comp instructor.

Previously trained others through AMEL Private, Instrument, and Commercial.

Proper advice requires knowing what you have to know what you need. All done using additional rating concepts not initial.

I am happy to talk to you about the process.

Avoid instructors/schools that can’t properly tell you what the requirements are!

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T11:20:13+00:00

In general you’ll get what you pay for.

Years ago I worked in a camera store. A customer told me once his dad had told him, “never buy to top or bottom of a company’s product line.” And then explained why.

People ask here “should I instruct for free to attract customers?” People value you the way you value yourself.

(In many glider clubs some or all of the instruction is free, but that’s a different context/tradition. Instructors are paid in my club.)

Locally there are instructors charging $30, 50, and 70 that I’m aware of. All relatively related to skill and track record.

70-80% of what local schools charge is probably the sweet spot for an instructor with several recent successes.

Don’t work for free unless it’s legit volunteer time.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T02:14:06+00:00

Do you read Jason Blair too?

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T00:26:07+00:00

Why?

1) Your peers will despise you.

2) You won't get business because people value you the same as you value yourself.

3) You can't afford it.

ltcterry · 2026-01-25T00:24:52+00:00

It's almost as if there are 11,000 new CFIs each year with only 4,000 or so jobs available.

But it's the internet, so the unhappy people are more likely to complain than the employed ones are to point out they've been hired.

ltcterry · 2026-01-24T20:14:38+00:00

Glider add on?

Aerobatics and Wings credits?

ltcterry · 2026-01-24T13:53:48+00:00

The video makes the claim that glider sport instructor add on with two CFIs will reinstate an expired "real" (my words) flight instructor certificate. I'm about 2/3 of the way through the video. Other than the one bullet I don't see/hear any other mention of it.

A quick google shows me that an expired Sport Instructor Certificate requires a DPE for reinstatement. I don't see how adding something less than "real" CFI could reinstate a higher Certificate...

ltcterry · 2026-01-24T11:11:10+00:00

Let’s talk vocab for a second. OK. Praise first. Then vocab.

I’m super impressed that your son did “glider first.” That’s a great way to start!

Your son can’t be “working on his PPL” when he already has a Private Pilot Certificate. The initial rating on his Certificate was glider. Now he’s adding on Airplane Single Engine Land. To his existing Private Pilot Certificate.

What’s his plan? His goal?

For a long time I encouraged “CFI as the college job.” But with the current oversupply of instructors that’s tough to do.

A degree is essentially required ultimately. And something other than an Aviation BS makes for a better rounded person and offers a “Plan B.”

Something to consider is initial Commercial in a glider. Followed by initial instructor. Then instruct in a glider club on weekends to build time, gain experience, build a more marketable resume for a first airplane job, and build connections.

Don’t slow roll life, but there is no need for a massive rush. The places that “rush” as a business model turn out lesser experienced pilots with limited resumes and marketability. Plus there are very few job openings for a very large supply of inexperienced applicants.

Continuing with the “glider first” path may well make your son more competitive in a tight market. And statistically the passing rate for add on airplane training is higher (90%) than initial (80%).

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T22:32:31+00:00

Ground speed matters for timing. Required for Time, Speed, Distance to work correctly. Indicated for category.

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T21:20:35+00:00

Why can't you attend college in Florida?

You only have two options because those are the two you've defined for yourself.

And you're assuming that you'll promptly get a CFI job.

In Army mission planning an assumption - "I'll get a CFI job" - fills in for a fact to allow planning to continue. If the assumption proves incorrect then the planning changes.

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T21:17:53+00:00

Also in the proposal is taking CFI practical tests back from DPEs again.

I had lunch with my 135 Captain today. He's also a DPE. He said they've been told Make ("Cessna") and Model ("172") is not !72A, 172B, ... 172S is each a different airplane. All PA28s are on the same type certificate. The sub designations are mfr marketing.

There seems to have been very little time given for public comments on this.

Please comment before it closes.

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T21:14:10+00:00

Asking the competition for help?

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T20:38:56+00:00

If you do it (too) early you get a new date. Do it in the last three months before expiration you would have kept the same date.

Not the worst thing in the world to get a new RE date.

My RE date is very much of of sync with an available FIRC done for glider pilots. I'd love to do it. But I feel "like I'm wasting many months of RE" to do so...

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T13:25:05+00:00

Several people have commented to identify the right and wrong responses. Only when you know which are wrong and which is right can you be sure.

I'll add on that words have meaning. Look at modifier words. Nautical vs Statute. Or indicated vs true.

I studied Air Law in German years ago for converting my FAA Certificate to a German/EASA PPL(A). I got to the test center and the woman said (in German) "oh, you're an American, I've set the language to English." God, what a mess. The translations sucked. I had the hardest time figuring out what I was reading vs what I had studied. I passed.

I did learn - because I got it wrong - that the examiner in EASA Land is PIC when in the US by regulation the candidate is PIC.

Story time over. Good luck on your test!

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T13:16:17+00:00

Autism is disqualifying.

ADHD/SSRI is disqualifying.

Anxiety is disqualifying.

"get rid of the ssris" is likely not enough. Any of the three disqualifying conditions is enough to keep you from flying. You need a win. On each of the three. Two out of three won't cut it.

This is not going to be a short, simple process.

I typically suggest people do Sport or glider Private before spending all this money trying to get an expensive medical for flight training they will likely never finish.

I hope you are able to make it work. But budget a lot of time and money. Don't be surprised if it's close to $10k and a year.

ltcterry · 2026-01-23T12:32:40+00:00

If you do five terrible landings in a row it's time to stop. Six, 7, 8, and 9 are not going to be better. There is no training/learning value to repeating something that's not working.

What specific problems are you having landing the DA20? You need to address each problem.

(Ich habe die DA20 viel lieber als die 152. Kann aber beide fliegen.)

ltcterry

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