Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for life?

N918KT

N918KT

Line Up and Wait
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Philadelphia, PA
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KT
I know that on the last thread I posted back in last January, I was worried that I would not have time to continue sport pilot training because of life getting in the way sooner than I expected. I was wrong because I got a summer job at Newark Airport and made enough money to spend it on flying twice a week during weekends. But now, I am coming to this situation again and maybe this one is real. I am looking for aviation jobs (non-pro-pilot jobs) right now before I graduate in May. I told myself over the summer that I wanted to continue and hopefully finish sport pilot training during the one month winter break from college, but I feel that I should save up my money to prepare for getting a job and living on my own. Plus I am somewhat likely to live in New York City or on Long Island as I am trying to get a job at one of the 3 major airports in New York City. The flight school for sport pilot I go to currently is in Allentown, PA, and I have to see whether or not I would have the time or money to drive there and continue taking flight lessons while juggling a full-time job and paying for a car and apartment.

I don't know if I lost my motivation or desire to fly just because I want to prepare for living on my own or am I kidding myself again knowing that I would spend every chance on flying lessons in the end.

I just hope on whether I make a final decision to continue/finish my sport pilot training or giving up on flight training for now to get ready to live independently, I hope that I will make a decision and not change it.

Did you guys have to make a hard decision when you had to choose between starting to live independently or finishing getting your pilot certificate? What decision did you make and did you keep that decision or changed your mind?

Sorry for the long rant.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

Life always gets in the way, KT.
I'd choose living independently, first, as I did during a distant time in a seemingly far away galaxy. Flying will come your way again. The love never leaves :)

Anyway, you won't get into any real difficulty until you have a serious GF.....
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

bbchien said:
Life always gets in the way, KT.
I'd choose living independently, first, as I did during a distant time in a seemingly far away galaxy. Flying will come your way again. The love never leaves :)

Anyway, you won't get into any real difficulty until you have a serious GF.....
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

I was out of flying for 30 years for a multitude of reasons and got back into it.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

bbchien said:
until you have a serious GF.....
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Ahhh, yes... the most significant financial reduction agent known to man....

I agree with Bruce... the desire to fly will always be there. Taking the time to set yourself up for independent success is worth it and better for you in the long term.
 

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Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

LOL Aggie! Loved that MSDS you made up!

Thanks for the responses so far, I think I am not actually losing motivation or desire to do flight training. I think I am making excuses not to do flight training just so I could live on my own. Excuses for not flying in my opinion is not a good thing.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

N918KT said:
LOL Aggie! Loved that MSDS you made up!

Thanks for the responses so far, I think I am not actually losing motivation or desire to do flight training. I think I am making excuses not to do flight training just so I could live on my own. Excuses for not flying in my opinion is not a good thing.
Click to expand...

I made lots of excuses and I regret I let it slide.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

Unfortunately, like the Purity Test or the story of the $2 bill at the Taco Bell in the mall, I can't claim that MSDS as my creation...
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

I started at 36 when my son was in private high school. I worked a part time job for extra cash but never seemed to have enough for much flying. Kept at it though. Got the PP, lots of toys, and a plane. Hang tough, live solo, fly when you can.
I'd bet this is the same advice you got in January.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

asgcpa said:
:yeahthat:

I was out of flying for 30 years for a multitude of reasons and got back into it.
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denverpilot said:
I was out for eight years also. It's a common story.
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Similar story.

Got my first student pilot certificate in 1991. Didn't get around to earning the private certificate till three years ago.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

If you don't finish it now you will regret it until you do. IMO you're in the most flexible part of your life.. Single, no kids, just graduating college. Now is the time to finish before you have big commitments.

You can always live with a roommate or two. I live with two, and even though were all in our mid 20s we don't need to live alone.. Why live alone when you can split expenses with your best friends?
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

Z06_Mir said:
If you don't finish it now you will regret it until you do. IMO you're in the most flexible part of your life.. Single, no kids, just graduating college. Now is the time to finish before you have big commitments.

You can always live with a roommate or two. I live with two, and even though were all in our mid 20s we don't need to live alone.. Why live alone when you can split expenses with your best friends?
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Not looking forward to the Bears game tomorrow FYI. I think the Packers will kill my favorite team.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

Punch that ticket now. Having it makes it so much easier to pick up later or dabble in as life allows. You don't know how free you are right now, you think you are time and money challenged but you ain't seen nothing yet. Get it out of the way, then do all the other grown up things and see when you can get back to it.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

asgcpa said:
Not looking forward to the Bears game tomorrow FYI. I think the Packers will kill my favorite team.
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Lions fan here, so I'm not taking sides, but I lived in Chicago for 17 years and when Bears play Packers it's like the Superbowl. Both teams show up in a big way.
As far as your options, I agree with completing your Sports Pilot certificate, especially if you're close. I wouldn't take my apartment deposit to do it, but I'd find a creative way to move towards independence, i.e. share an apartment and complete that goal. Of all of the success stories we've read about, of young men and women returning to flying after yielding to life, what you won't find are the sad stories of promising Aviators who never got back to flying, and still regret it. If you're settling in New York, that independence you speak of might not happen right away anyway. There's plenty of time to be a grown up, but as we can all attest, becoming a Pilot is truly something special.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

LandSickness said:
Lions fan here, so I'm not taking sides, but I lived in Chicago for 17 years and when Bears play Packers it's like the Superbowl. Both teams show up in a big way.
As far as your options, I agree with completing your Sports Pilot certificate, especially if you're close. I wouldn't take my apartment deposit to do it, but I'd find a creative way to move towards independence, i.e. share an apartment and complete that goal. Of all of the success stories we've read about, of young men and women returning to flying after yielding to life, what you won't find are the sad stories of promising Aviators who never got back to flying, and still regret it. If you're settling in New York, that independence you speak of might not happen right away anyway. There's plenty of time to be a grown up, but as we can all attest, becoming a Pilot is truly something special.
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Thanks for the advice everyone.

I am actually still presolo. I was at one point close to my first solo, but actually needed more time with a CFI. Would hope to continue my training during winter break and hopefully finish it then. But the one problem was my CFI survived a heart attack back in late August as I was starting the fall semester. I think he is still recovering but don't know the status of his condition. Hopefully he could still be my CFI if I decide to continue training during winter break.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

Kevin, it took me 38 years to get my certificate. Life certainly does get in the way, but I'm enjoying my flying now and have no regrets.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

Geico266 said:
I didn't even start flying until my kids were through college. :dunno:
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Mine were in college when I started flying, but the problem is still the same. Time and money at the same time. A tough combination, for sure. 49 when I passed my PP check ride and 59 for the IR ride. Don't worry, you won't be too old to learn to fly for a long time. :yes:
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

Kevin why don't you pick an area that is LESS expensive to live in ? There are lots of other major airports in this country that have nearby lower cost housing than where you are planning on.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

FWIW: I still don't have my ticket, and I am not young anymore. BUT.... having pursued my "dreams" in other ways when I was younger, I can say: Set yourself up for saving more money than you spend. Get a career going and have goals for it. Work toward those goals and live below your means. It isn't sexy, but the effects of it multiply as you get older.

If you do this, when flying fits into the equation, it will most likely stay in the equation as long as you want.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

N918KT said:
Did you guys have to make a hard decision when you had to choose between starting to live independently or finishing getting your pilot certificate? What decision did you make and did you keep that decision or changed your mind?
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I chose to not to live independently the year I got my private. I lived with my mother and commuted to college (by public transportation) rather than living on or close to campus. But I was somewhat younger than you and a couple years from graduation at that point.

I can't say whether I would have gone back or not if I had quit in the middle and it's not useful for me to speculate. I know my life would have been a whole lot different, though.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

If you are going to live on Long Island,look into the lsa programs offered on the Island. I would finish up on the Lsa cert. ,and then decide if you want to take some time off.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

frfly172 said:
If you are going to live on Long Island,look into the lsa programs offered on the Island. I would finish up on the Lsa cert. ,and then decide if you want to take some time off.
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I know Nassau Flyers at Republic Airport has sport pilot but after I visited their flight school to check it out, they were really not promoting the sport pilot curriculum and wanted me to get a PPL, which is what I am trying to avoid.

I know Mid Island Air Service also has sport pilot, but don't know how extensive their sport pilot program is or how well do they promote it.

If I am going to school that has sport pilot, they should be promoting it, but at the very least they should not discourage me from doing sport pilot, and they should be very familiar with the sport pilot curriculum and requirements.
 
Re: Don't know if I should continue or finish sport pilot training or prepare for lif

N918KT said:
I know Nassau Flyers at Republic Airport has sport pilot but after I visited their flight school to check it out, they were really not promoting the sport pilot curriculum and wanted me to get a PPL, which is what I am trying to avoid.

I know Mid Island Air Service also has sport pilot, but don't know how extensive their sport pilot program is or how well do they promote it.

If I am going to school that has sport pilot, they should be promoting it, but at the very least they should not discourage me from doing sport pilot, and they should be very familiar with the sport pilot curriculum and requirements.
Click to expand...

As far as I know mid island had an extensive LSA program. They at one time did advertise the program,they also had reps at the LSA show in Sebring.
 
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