To all real pilots nad to all who is learning......

[Guest Iron_Eagle]

To all Real pilots : I'm an 18 years old , flying is overtaking me and i can't stand anymore so i would like to know how can i learn to fly ? how much does it cost and how many hours do i have to spend for flying and learning... How is the life of commercial pilots ? do they spend a lot of time with their families ? or all the time they are traveling ? i'd like to know everything ! :-) Thanks

[Splash_One 0]

Hey Iron Eagle,>so i would like to know how can i learn to fly ? how much does it cost Depending on where you live it can cost you anywhere from $3000-6,000 or even greater, depending on what you fly and how often you fly. I currently am flying every weekend in a Cessna 152 and it runs me about $120-130 a lesson on average.>how many hours do i have to spend for flying and learning... The FAA requires you to have atleast 40 hours, however I believe the national average is around 65 hours or so... You must have atleast 20 hours logged with a flight instructor and atleast 10 hours solo time. It also depends on what type of flight school you go to. You have two types- Part 141 or Part 61. Part 61 flight schools in simple terms teach you what you need to know in order to get your ratings (Such as Instrument which I'll tell you about later), in a "relaxed" atmosphere, you go at your own pace. Part 141 schools are periodically visited by the FAA and must have detailed, FAA-approved course outlines. Also, before you solo or get your license, you must have a Class III Medical, its basic stuff such as vision and all that good stuff... :(After you get your Private Pilots License, if you are after a commercial aviation job, you would then pursue getting your for Instrument rating, then Commercial, followed by CFI, then your ATP (airline transport pilot) then apply and get ready for whatever the feature beholds. As for the rest of your questions visit www.jetcareers.com - its an excellent website which will give you tons (and I mean tons!) of information about your questions from several points of view about the life of a commerical pilot. There are probably a few factual errors in here, so if anyone see's them, feel free to point them out, as I'm tired as anything...I'm about to be 16, in 19 days- which is when I can legally solo- fly the plane without and instructor(at the age of 16)... I've been taking lessons for about a year now...11.5 months to be more exact :-lol I have about 32 hours... :)If you have any further questions feel free to ask as there are thousands of guys around here willing to help. :) I won't be able to reply for about 16 more hours- sleep then school :)Welcome to the wonderful world of flying,Jason :-waveEDIT: Just saw your from Venezuela, disregard all my facts...

[Guest Ken_Salter]

What he said...I am just getting into my lessons...I have 8 hours. I calculate on avg $100 / lesson. So for forty hours = $4000. The plane I rent is a Cessna 172 Skyhawk with 180HP engine.The class 3 medical will cost about $60.Also, you will need to buy books (FAR/AIM, PTS) and other items (fuel checker, E6B flight computer, tote bag, sectionals, etc.). I have spent about $200 on these items and still need a few more.The big thing you will want to get is a set of really good headphones. I have some David Clarke's which I got off Ebay for $200, and I love 'em.Plus you will have to pay for your check ride to get your license, which I think costs around $300.Of course all of this is in the USA and with USA dollars.But the reward of being able to takeoff, control, and land a plane by yourself is well worth it! Can't wait until I solo!

[Guest Iron_Eagle]

Thank you guys i really appreciate your help :)

[brucek 38]

I fly the same a/c as Ken (172SP?), and am currently doing my instrument rating. It rents wet for $97 an hour, CFI or CFII is another $40 per hour. I fly out of a busy Class D airport (see sig below) in the Denver area.I think it took me around 70 hours to get my private. I actually took a 10 year hiatus while a student pilot so I'm trying to factor out the hours that I needed the second time around to get re-acquainted with real flying (yes, losing those bad habits from FS as far as visual perception goes :) ).Once a certificated pilot, I then flew my required 50 hours cross-country as PIC (a pre-requisite for the instrument rating), and tried to go to as many different airports as possible and use VOR/NDB nav as much as I could. All at $97 an hour.Now I'm flying with a CFII, and need at least 20 hours dual under the hood for a minumum of 40 hours under the hood total as another pre-requisite for the instrument rating. And if I can shoot approaches and enter holds and do steep turns by instruments alone and on partial panel, all within the required tolerances in those 40 hours, I'll be very pleasantly surprised! So, the cost soon mounts up, and the time required is intense- not only flying but the visualization required between lessons, not to mention the theory exams required. I must say that, for the instrument rating, FS really shines as a practice tool. I still think it sucks for the private though, just my opinion.It's well worth it, but lots of $$ and time, and lots of frustration as you plateau and don't seem to move forward at times. But never a better reward than being PIC in the skies, with all the freedom, authority and responsibilities that this brings. Priceless!Good luck,Bruce.

[Guest prichards]

I'm almost done my PPL in Australia. I fly late 70's C172's and pay AUD$180 dual ( with instructor ) and AUD$120 solo. Thats US$123 Dual & US$82 Solo.The BAK & PPL books here will set you back around AUD$150 and charts, flight computers etc.. about another AUD$150. My Class 2 ( PPL ) Medical was AUD$105 and is good for 4 yearsPete