Thumpalumpacus
Colonel
My son took his first flight lesson yesterday.
Flight Training
- Thread starter Leonidas
- Start date
I'm working on making sure my sons get the bug. I hope when they are older they want to get their license too. That way we can be a flying family.
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Thumpalumpacus
Colonel
- Thread starter
- #24
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Find a local EAA chapter (Expirimental Aircraft Association) in your area - they have the Young Eagles program that offers a free ride for young people and from there, you can participate in programs and perhaps they will help you get involved in flight training.
I'm not familiar with the Boise area, but a little searching should get you info on your local EAA chapter and the field they call home.
I'm not familiar with the Boise area, but a little searching should get you info on your local EAA chapter and the field they call home.
Thumpalumpacus
Colonel
Another avenue might be your local CAP. If they can't train you themselves, surely some of the members could steer you to a good instructor. Network!
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Ok, I did a quick check and it looks like the closest EAA chapter is in Nampa (chapter 103) and here's their chapter page:
Chapters | EAA103
It has all the contact info you'll need to get started.
Chapters | EAA103
It has all the contact info you'll need to get started.
special ed
1st Lieutenant
- 7,101
- May 13, 2018
A friend had been a football (US) player and loved the sport. He had pennants, Flags, helmets and other stuff. He could not wait to have a son and get him into football. After a number of years trying, his wife finally became pregnant and produced a son. Don was already planning the boy's future although he couldn't walk yet. I asked Don, "What if he wants to be a concert pianist when he grows up?' Don looked genuinely shocked for a moment, then said, " I'll break his little fingers."
NAS Memphis flying club, 1970; brand new Cessna 150, $8/hour; instructor, $4/hour; E3 pay, $120/month. It never is cheap, no matter how good a deal. My Private license ate up nearly every penny of six months pay. Barracks life and chow hall chow and damn few nights at the EM club.
NAS Boca Chica, 1971; Navy Flying Club Beech T34B Mentor, $10/hour (wet). Now that was A DEAL! Loved that plane, and she taught me a lot in the days of young and foolish.
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I had a couple of lessons, never went for a license, though. Too expensive for me.
at6
1st Sergeant
In high school for a short time we had a Ground School and an Aviation Club. The class was offered for only three years before it was dropped from the curriculum. I would suggest that the youngster attend ground school classes prior to training . When I was a lad I would spend weekends with my step-father at Chandler Field here in Fresno where he did inspections and some maintenance for flight time. My job was to clean the nose gear and wipe the belly down from from nose to tail. He taught me how to read the instruments and how to to do turns and banks. How to keep the nose up, but didn't teach me how to take off or land. Back in 1964 I could have gotten my license for around $500.00 through the CAP. My mother wouldn't let me join them even though I really did enjoy the few times I was allowed to attend meetings there. Good luck Leonidas on finding an affordable way to learn. Once you've flown, you're never the same. My last flight was 21 years ago with one hour on the AT6. The log book reads Introduction to Aerobatics. My one legal hour with an instructor.
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Glider
Major
I was a glider pilot with the Silver award and a gold height gain before I could drive. It didn't help much, as I failed the driving test more times than I want to remember and if I am honest, a prize example of the phrase, pride before a fall.
Thumpalumpacus
Colonel
As a lifelong musician, I would have loved to see my son take up music. Even bought a guitar and amp for him if the snake bit him. It didn't. I was cool with it. I've always wanted him to chase his dreams, not mine; and I'm glad he's doing that.
Introduce your kids to flying, then they'll never have any money for drugs...
I think my son's going to take it up, its not likely he'll want to make a living out of it though. He's got a pretty good income stream at the moment.
- Thread starter
- #35
at6
1st Sergeant
Those of you who are pilots can attest to that fact that flying is not as easy as it looks. Weight and balance calculations. navigation, fuel consumption based on wind direction coupled with engine settings. constant monitoring of the instruments, carb settings so that you don't run the engine too lean or too rich. The pre-flight checking controls, engine oil, making sure that there are no contaminants in fuel and that's before you can even start the engine. The monitoring of the instruments begins as soon as the plane is started. Leonidas will find that it is truly challenging. We used MT. Whitney sectionals and on paper many of us got killed myself included. I can't tell you how many times in theory that I got splattered on the side of Mt Whitney or ended up lost in Sequoia National park due to not compensating for drift. Many of my computations lead to running out fuel before reaching my destination. Thank God that it was all on paper.
Hence why I said he should take his time, and not rush things.
I always was a climber: roofs, treetops, mastheads, you name it, but I found that flying isn't like that at all.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
I also find it interesting how automotive technology has advanced to the point anyone with barely any instruction or experience can hop in and drive away with relative ease.
When I owned my 1919 Metz express truck, it was comparable to an aircraft in the fact that you had to do a sort of checklist before driving it: check brakes, check magneto, check fuel, water & oil levels (and check headlight's water level and calcium carbide stores if you were going to drive at night).
Then to start: be sure brake was set, be sure it was out of gear, adjust points setting, adjust choke, fuel lever position, switch on magneto and then place the crank handle into the tulip-bolt on the engine (positioned to pull, not push, so you didn't break your arm in the event of a kick-back).
Once started and driving, there was constant attention to the points and fuel settings (going up and down hills was a constant challenge) all the while scanning the road for potholes or grooves that would pull the steering out of your hands (the joys of narrow semi-pneumatic tires + straight axle front end) and so on...
When I owned my 1919 Metz express truck, it was comparable to an aircraft in the fact that you had to do a sort of checklist before driving it: check brakes, check magneto, check fuel, water & oil levels (and check headlight's water level and calcium carbide stores if you were going to drive at night).
Then to start: be sure brake was set, be sure it was out of gear, adjust points setting, adjust choke, fuel lever position, switch on magneto and then place the crank handle into the tulip-bolt on the engine (positioned to pull, not push, so you didn't break your arm in the event of a kick-back).
Once started and driving, there was constant attention to the points and fuel settings (going up and down hills was a constant challenge) all the while scanning the road for potholes or grooves that would pull the steering out of your hands (the joys of narrow semi-pneumatic tires + straight axle front end) and so on...
A terrestrial Sopwith Camel.
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