About to get started! (Again)

hopmedic

hopmedic

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
1,412
Location
Flowery Branch, GA
Display Name
Display name:
Rich
I joined PoA about 12 or 13 years ago, and kind of fell away because it turned out that I wasn't able to get started on flying at that point, and I got discouraged. Got laid off, and money was an issue for a long time after that. But now, I'm about to get started - again. YES!

I took a couple lessons in Ohio in 1999, then later in Illinois in 2007, but finances didn't work out. Been in the EAA for 20+ years, and am a lifetime member, including having been an officer in one of the largest chapters, so I've stayed involved in aviation all these years. That's good for the knowledge part.

Took a discovery flight with a sport pilot instructor last August, and have been on his wait list ever since. Found out early this month that I'm next on the list. They have two students about to check out, and I'm next, so he figures sometime in July I'll get started. Already scored a 98% on the sport pilot written, so that's out of the way. I've been attending an informal ground school for several years when able, put on free by a friend who is an AGI. The past few days I've been looking over the video I made of the discovery flight, so going over things like the checklist and procedures that we did on that two-hour flight, and also have read through the POH and made my own laminated copy of checklist to look over and keep with me. And the other day I started reading through the manual for the glass panel (GRT something or other for LSAs). Basically doing everything I can to minimize wasting the time that I have to pay for.

I'm anxious to get started!
 
Welcome. Do all of your cross country work to PPL requirements so if you decide to get it, you won’t have to redo them.
 
Sounds like you're hungry for it! That makes it even funner ... :biggrin:
 
hopmedic said:
I joined PoA about 12 or 13 years ago, and kind of fell away because it turned out that I wasn't able to get started on flying at that point, and I got discouraged. Got laid off, and money was an issue for a long time after that. But now, I'm about to get started - again. YES!

I took a couple lessons in Ohio in 1999, then later in Illinois in 2007, but finances didn't work out. Been in the EAA for 20+ years, and am a lifetime member, including having been an officer in one of the largest chapters, so I've stayed involved in aviation all these years. That's good for the knowledge part.

Took a discovery flight with a sport pilot instructor last August, and have been on his wait list ever since. Found out early this month that I'm next on the list. They have two students about to check out, and I'm next, so he figures sometime in July I'll get started. Already scored a 98% on the sport pilot written, so that's out of the way. I've been attending an informal ground school for several years when able, put on free by a friend who is an AGI. The past few days I've been looking over the video I made of the discovery flight, so going over things like the checklist and procedures that we did on that two-hour flight, and also have read through the POH and made my own laminated copy of checklist to look over and keep with me. And the other day I started reading through the manual for the glass panel (GRT something or other for LSAs). Basically doing everything I can to minimize wasting the time that I have to pay for.

I'm anxious to get started!
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An 11 month wait list?
 
Excellent! I got my SP cert and flew as a SP for a couple of years before doing Private. You're going to love it. What plane will you be flying?
 
Clip4 said:
An 11 month wait list?
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Yes. Sport Pilot training is in demand but the supply isn't great here.

There is another place, actually about 10 minutes away, that has an LSA, but the stories I've heard about their maintenance issues on the plane, the way they hold people back, and their cost ($185 for Skycatcher, $105 for the cheapest instructor, unless you join their "club" which I heard is $2500 up front), and their general reputation, all led me to make the decision to wait on the wait list for the plane and instructor that is an hour and 15 minutes away. That Jabiru J250 and instructor together are $205 an hour, and the guy isn't some punk kid puffing out his chest (words I heard just the other day describing two CFIs at the first mentioned flight school), but an older guy somewhere around my age (I'm 56), who is doing it because he loves flying, not to put numbers in his logbook.

For me, the choice wasn't hard, and the wait worth it.
 
Your story sounds similar to mine. Glad to hear when someone is able to start back. Welcome back and enjoy!
 
hopmedic said:
I joined PoA about 12 or 13 years ago, and kind of fell away because it turned out that I wasn't able to get started on flying at that point, and I got discouraged. Got laid off, and money was an issue for a long time after that. But now, I'm about to get started - again. YES!

I took a couple lessons in Ohio in 1999, then later in Illinois in 2007, but finances didn't work out. Been in the EAA for 20+ years, and am a lifetime member, including having been an officer in one of the largest chapters, so I've stayed involved in aviation all these years. That's good for the knowledge part.

Took a discovery flight with a sport pilot instructor last August, and have been on his wait list ever since. Found out early this month that I'm next on the list. They have two students about to check out, and I'm next, so he figures sometime in July I'll get started. Already scored a 98% on the sport pilot written, so that's out of the way. I've been attending an informal ground school for several years when able, put on free by a friend who is an AGI. The past few days I've been looking over the video I made of the discovery flight, so going over things like the checklist and procedures that we did on that two-hour flight, and also have read through the POH and made my own laminated copy of checklist to look over and keep with me. And the other day I started reading through the manual for the glass panel (GRT something or other for LSAs). Basically doing everything I can to minimize wasting the time that I have to pay for.

I'm anxious to get started!
Click to expand...
That's excellent.
Sounds like aviation never really left your mind even if circumstances made the license a little difficult to pursue. Glad things have changed and you're able to go after it!
 
Half Fast said:
Let us know how you like the Jab. They seem like neat planes.
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I flew in it for two hours last August, and the only thing that I found to be a pain was the trim. It seemed like there was no precision to it, but maybe that will come with practice using it. We'll see. Other than that, I enjoyed the plane. I only have flown in a couple of LSAs to compare it to. A Fantasy Allegro 2000 back in 2007 and the Aeroprakt A22 and A32 last year at Sun 'n Fun.
 
Crashnburn said:
Welcome. Do all of your cross country work to PPL requirements so if you decide to get it, you won’t have to redo them.
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I don't know yet what the CFI's plan is, but I have already been hoping to do this. I'll never do PPL unless they eliminate the medical requirement, but just in case it ever comes to that...
 
Half Fast said:
Did you have a medical back in 2007 when you took lessons? If so you can go Basic Med.
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Nope. Will never apply for one. Attempted suicide in 1998, so no go.
I am aware of Basic Med, and not only that, tried last summer and fall to get people to write their Congressmen to make a change to the reauthorization bill, but my attempts didn't go anywhere. The bill amended the very line that requires a prior medical, and was going to remove something like "10 years prior to the date of this bill's adoption" or something like that, and replace it with "July 14, 2006" (off the top of my head, I think that's the date, anyway). My letters to Congress asked that they delete that line instead of amending it, the rationalization being that a medical obtained 18 years ago now means nothing, and it doesn't make sense to require it at that point. Maybe next time.
 
hopmedic said:
My letters to Congress asked that they delete that line instead of amending it, the rationalization being that a medical obtained 18 years ago now means nothing, and it doesn't make sense to require it at that point.
Click to expand...

Makes sense to me but what do I know?

Seems strange that if MOSAIC passes with the proposed changes that a Sport Pilot can fly a Cessna 172 without a medical but a Private Pilot can't unless they have a medical or Basic Med that required a medical nearly two decades ago. The inconsistency in this reasoning is a bit confusing. Of course I know that Basic Med is a congress thing and the FAA has to deal with it ...
 
Daleandee said:
Makes sense to me but what do I know?

Seems strange that if MOSAIC passes with the proposed changes that a Sport Pilot can fly a Cessna 172 without a medical but a Private Pilot can't unless they have a medical or Basic Med that required a medical nearly two decades ago. The inconsistency in this reasoning is a bit confusing. Of course I know that Basic Med is a congress thing and the FAA has to deal with it ...
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A private pilot is free to exercise SP privileges and fly under SP restrictions without a medical.
 
Yeah, back in 2016 was it when they were talking about implementing Basic Med, I was writing Congress then, pointing out that a 10 year old medical was worthless, but didn't get anywhere then, either. It is important to note that FAA cannot remove the requirement of a prior medical for Basic Med, since it is legislated. Only Congress can do that.

Now, it would be a different story (I believe), if FAA decided to make a third class medical optional for private pilots. As far as I know, that requirement is not legislated. I do not see (nor want to see) the elimination of a third class medical as an OPTION for private pilots, as other countries (except Bahamas) require a medical, so private pilots who fly outside the US should be able to choose the option, but in my opinion, Sport Pilot statistics have done a good job of proving that people who fly without a medical do not suddenly fall from the sky like rain, so it should be an option. Likewise, the not-so-long-ago death of a pilot with a first class medical during a commercial flight proves that having a medical does not insulate one from the facts of life - among which is the fact that it ends. Sorry - I was a paramedic for ten years, so I pretty much accept that death happens.
 
hopmedic said:
Now, it would be a different story (I believe), if FAA decided to make a third class medical optional for private pilots. As far as I know, that requirement is not legislated. I do not see (nor want to see) the elimination of a third class medical as an OPTION for private pilots, as other countries (except Bahamas) require a medical, so private pilots who fly outside the US should be able to choose the option, but in my opinion, Sport Pilot statistics have done a good job of proving that people who fly without a medical do not suddenly fall from the sky like rain, so it should be an option.
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It would seem that Mosaic will accomplish much of this anyway, right?

In all seriousness, how many people with BasicMed would want to:

> Fly faster than 250 KCAS
> Fly a plane with more than 7 seats
> Fly a plane > 12,500 lbs
> Fly over 18,000 ft
> Fly internationally

Speaking only for myself, the last two are the only ones I would really care about, and I could give them up without much incentive.
 
StraightnLevel said:
It would seem that Mosaic will accomplish much of this anyway, right?

In all seriousness, how many people with BasicMed would want to:

> Fly faster than 250 KCAS
> Fly a plane with more than 7 seats
> Fly a plane > 12,500 lbs
> Fly over 18,000 ft
> Fly internationally

Speaking only for myself, the last two are the only ones I would really care about, and I could give them up without much incentive.
Click to expand...

There’s a lot of SETPs I would love to fly on BasicMed that can be done below FL180, just not efficiently. Really, the RVSM cut line makes more sense for a top line altitude in that space.

International, I could not care less. Bahamas recognizes BasicMed, there’s nothing in Canada or Mexico that attracts me, and PR/USVI are US.
 
Half Fast said:
A private pilot is free to exercise SP privileges and fly under SP restrictions without a medical.
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Of course! I was simply seeking to reiterate the foolishness of requiring a nearly two decade old medical before granting Basic Med if flying with a PPL ...
 
TCABM said:
Bahamas recognizes BasicMed, there’s nothing in Canada or Mexico that attracts me, and PR/USVI are US.
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At SNF, I spoke with travel reps from a few Carib islands and they all told me Basic Med wasn't a problem. Others who have flown the Carib confirm that nobody down there cares if you're using Basic Med.
 
Daleandee said:
Of course! I was simply seeking to reiterate the foolishness of requiring a nearly two decade old medical before granting Basic Med if flying with a PPL ...
Click to expand...

I quite agree, and I'd like to see Congress eliminate that requirement. Unfortunately, it will take an act of Congress to do it, and I don't think there's much motivation.
 
StraightnLevel said:
It would seem that Mosaic will accomplish much of this anyway, right?

In all seriousness, how many people with BasicMed would want to:

> Fly faster than 250 KCAS
> Fly a plane with more than 7 seats
> Fly a plane > 12,500 lbs
> Fly over 18,000 ft
> Fly internationally

Speaking only for myself, the last two are the only ones I would really care about, and I could give them up without much incentive.
Click to expand...
But what Mosaic won't do - at least as proposed - is allow a sport pilot to fill the 4 seats in the plane he'd now be allowed to fly.
 
hopmedic said:
But what Mosaic won't do - at least as proposed - is allow a sport pilot to fill the 4 seats in the plane he'd now be allowed to fly.
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Can we put two sport pilots in the front and let them each put their passenger in the back? They would have to both claim PIC at the same time but stranger things have happened ...

: Just kidding! :)
 
Daleandee said:
Can we put two sport pilots in the front and let them each put their passenger in the back? They would have to both claim PIC at the same time but stranger things have happened ...
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Now that's funny, and I'm disappointed that I hadn't thought of it!
 
Daleandee said:
Can we put two sport pilots in the front and let them each put their passenger in the back? They would have to both claim PIC at the same time but stranger things have happened ...

: Just kidding! :)
Click to expand...

I think one would have to be under the hood and the other acting as safety pilot so both can log PIC.
 
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