Don't Stop Me, I'm Going To Fly

Kelly Rountree

Kelly Rountree

Filing Flight Plan
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Jan 10, 2022
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BushDaddy
Hi everyone... My name is Kelly, I'm 62 and I live just west of SLC in Utah.
This is my first post and I'm looking for encouragement and advice on beginning flight training. Including what to look for in an instructor, what plane provides the ideal training environment, how often should I schedule lessons, ground school, all of it. All comments welcome.
Thanks, I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you.
 
asicer said:
Whichever you prefer and can get you in the air most often.

As often as you can.

Whichever can get you your best score on the written the fastest.
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See those are all great answers ... thanks
 
Good on you. For guys our age, it’s important to get the 3rd class physical over with early. Your collection of med's build, the road miles are hard on some of us.

In fact, join AOPA at the higher level & work with their med folks to identify any issues & address them BEFORE the physical.

here’s the kicker: if you take physical & are turned down, you can't fly as a Sport Pilot using a state DL as a physical--permanently barred. If, however, you never officially ask the question (by getting a physical & failing), then you can fly as a sport pilot on a DL. (Weird, huh?)

So to keep your training options open, work with AOPA beforehand (or book a preliminary advisory visit with an AME) & then get the physical. If you are not going to qualify for a 3rd Class for the private pilot, then start taking sport pilot training.

winter is the perfect time to get the next stumbling block out of the way: the written. You can either attend a group class in person, or do classes online. I've taken Sporty's, Fly8MA, & Angle of Attack classes in the past. All are good. But I particularly liked the Fly8MA courses. All have previews on YouTube.

which Airplane? Doesn't matter, but I'd choose the one with the least whiz-bang cockpit, at least at first. 90% of private pilot training is about looking outside thru glass, not at the glass on the panel. Where is the horizon, where is the horizon on the cowling, what does the plane sound like, what does the plane feel like?

Good luck.
 
Kelly Rountree said:
Hi everyone... My name is Kelly, I'm 62 and I live just west of SLC in Utah.
This is my first post and I'm looking for encouragement and advice on beginning flight training. Including what to look for in an instructor, what plane provides the ideal training environment, how often should I schedule lessons, ground school, all of it. All comments welcome.
Thanks, I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you.
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Yep, I'll echo Medical, make sure you can pass it before you submit, its not what you'd think a medical is. You can play ice hockey, run marathons, win iron man competitions and fail the medical.

On the plane, whatever will be most available to rent. Frequency, as often as you can, keep in mind a lot of them will be canceled due to weather or maintenance. Unless you live in a perfect weather area, I don't know about Utah.

Don't try to do to much in one day, your brain needs time to marinade after the lesson. :)

Instructors, don't feel like you're committed to stick with the first one. If you don't feel like your personalities mesh, try another one. They are your customer too. My first discovery flight left me underwhelmed, luckily I didn't give up and tried another instructor at another school, it was night and day difference.

For ground, I did all self study, my CFI would give me chapters to read in the FAA pubs before lessons. For the written test, I used Sporty's Study Buddy and ASA Written test prep book($15ish bucks) to pass with a ninety-something.

Good luck.
 
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Kelly, we’re delighted to have you here. I hope you find the resources you’re looking for!

Welcome!
 
i resumed my training at age 62 after a 30-yr break. i went for Sport Pilot instead of PPL. don't know about you but as an older adult I learn differently from someome 40-yrs younger. my first CFI was impatient and had poor commumunications skills. that was not a good combination so i switched to a different CFI who was the polar opposite of the first and he took me all the way through to the checkride.

suggest you interview the available CFI's at the school and maybe fly with each to assess compatibility before selecting one.

as for aircraft...keep it simple...select a basic trainer like the C-172 or a comparable Piper if you prefer a low wing. i did a discovery flight in each and prefered the high wing.

fly at least 2-3 times per week...more if you can afford it and have the time. expect downtime for aircraft maintenance and weather. flying as often as possible will help offset that.

two schools of thought as it applies to ground school. i elected to take classes and get that out of the way before starting flight training. my flight instructor applied what i had learned before and after each flight lesson.

but before you do anything make sure you can pass the 3rd class medical before submitting an application to take the exam. how? ask around for a recommendation for an AME and make an appointment with the doc for a consultation. the doc will want a complete history, ALL of the prescriptions you are taking and maybe even do a "practice" physical exam. when you, and the AME, are certain you will pass then and only then submit the application. why? if you take and fail the exam you are grounded...period...which also eliminates getting a Sport Pilot certificate (which does not require a medical as long as you have a valid drivers license).

good luck.
 
Download the FAA medical form and work thru each question.
When you make the appt with the AME for a class 3 - don’t. Make it a consultation. Go over the paper form. If the AME sees no problems, then fill out the real online MedXPress form and visit the AME again for the class 3.
If the AME feels there are issues, they will tell you what tests and/or paperwork you will need to get the class 3.
Follow the AME’s instructuons, get the tests/paperwork then visit the AME for the class 3
 
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murphey said:
Download the FAA medical form and work thru each question.
When you make the appt with the AME for a class 3 - don’t. Make it a consultation. Go over the paper form. If the AME sees o problems, then fill out the real online MedXPress form and visit the AME again for the class 3.
If the AME feels there are issues, they will tell you what tests and/or paperwork you will need to get the class 3.
Follow the AME’s instructuons, get the tests/paperwork then visit the AME for the class 3
Click to expand...

You might ask around to see if there's an AME that comes recommended. Some AMEs are "occupational health specialist" who got their AME ticket to add additional traffic through their practice. They budget a few minutes for each patient, are quick to "defer", and don't really want to help you wade through the FAA bureaucracy.

But, there are some AMEs that seem to specialize in helping folks get and keep their FAA medical certificates, that's the kind of doc that you want to go see for a "consult".

A great place to start looking in your area is this facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FATMSW
 
Based on the title of the thread, I thought we were going to be discussing the FAA's five hazardous attitudes, lol.

Welcome Kelly. Your energy and enthusiasm will be rewarded in due time. Flight training is a marathon, not a sprint, with plenty of highs and lows. A strong commitment to learning and a commitment to safety are the hallmarks of a great aviator.

P.S. we're all student pilots, whether we realize it or not...
 
can you get a medical? That's what I would look into first. Plenty of conditions that are benign can ground you with teh FAA
 
I would forget the medical and get a light sport certificate. Downside is you won't be able to fly in the dark and in the clouds with a sport certificate. But you might be surprised at the number of private pilot certificate holders that don't fly at night or in the clouds. A caveat is that sometimes sport training can be difficult to find and renting a sport plane can be a challenge in most places.

I agree with those saying to fly at least twice a week. A close friend just got his sport certificate and it took him much longer (and more $$$) than it should have because he would sometimes go a week or more with no flying. During training it's important to get on a program and stay with it.

A great flight instructor makes all the difference. Flying isn't difficult but aviation is terribly unforgiving of those that do not learn the rules and obey them.

Welcome to the madness ... :)
 
Again medical first. If you have any answer on the medical that indicates a problem, stop and get a consult with the AME to figure out what it means. Some of the questions ask “ever in your life” and honesty is required.

You’ll notice a lot of people said medical. The reason is a lot of innocent things can trip you up and nearly every day someone posts here asking about something that disqualifies them. The ones we see most are past DUIs or SSRI use ever, but there are others like recent or recurring kidney stones, uncontrolled diabetes, or heart issues. The FAA is very serious about pilot health as they should be. You have to get a medical before you solo, but if you cannot qualify or cannot afford the testing the FAA wants, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on training.

After the medical, the fun begins. Fly as often as you can and at least twice a week. Every day is not too much, although weather and maintenance will prevent that.

Welcome aboard!
 
I agree with all the advice about making sure you will pass the medical before you take the medical, for the reasons stated, but I don’t agree you have to have the medical before you start training. I enjoyed my flight training and would have done it even if I couldn’t fly solo due to medical reasons. Flying with an instructor next to you is still flying.
 
Hey Kelly, welcome!

Everyone is different, but for me, flying VERY often got me my pilot's license quick! (two weeks). I took 2 weeks off work, and flew 3 times a day, all 14 days. It worked for me, but, I should say, I was in my 20's at the time (a long time ago) and up to that point, I lived aviation, so the ground portion was done as self-study, and a breeze. At my age now (close to yours), I don't think I'd go at quite the same rate, but I still think flying often is better than sparingly.

But, as others have said, get that medical first.

And when it comes to trainer planes, there really isn't a difference enough to worry about from one make/model to the other. As far as instructors (I consider this your most important decision), make sure you "click". I've had some great instructors through the years, and a couple of horrible ones (I've gone back and gotten several ratings/endorsements, plus pilots need a "review" every 2 years).
 
I would suggest 2-3 training flights per week, interspersed with appropriate review and self-study of the books for relevant stuff before each lesson. I did self study for the written, but as an academic I'm used to learning new things on my own. Do what works for you for the written, but review the books along with flight lessons to get the most out of each training flight.
 
…btw, we don’t mean to scare you about the medical, just guiding you around the most painful pothole. Even a “solvable” hitch in the medical is like bending a rim on a pothole. You can change the tire, but it still takes time, money, & effort & it slows you down getting to where you want to go.

Without a medical, you can’t solo in Normal category aircraft (your standard Cessna 150/170 or Piper Cherokee-series aircraft). A minor hitch in your medical has to be routed thru FAA OKC for approval (called a special issuance or SI). SIs trickled out of OKC before the pandemic. Since the pandemic, SIs now barely drip out of the agency.

However, you can solo in Light Sport Aircraft using only a state dl as a medical. In fact, you can get a Sport Pilot’s license without a 3rd class medical, only your state’s DL. You can then train to “upgrade” to Private, if you want.

The first dozen hours or so of flight training is the same for SP or PPL, regardless of aircraft.

A lot of private pilots are downgrading to LSA or LSA-like Normal Category aircraft anyway—1320# 0Cubs, Aeronca, etc. When Southwest Airlines can get you anywhere at 300 KTs, in all kinds of weather, for $300, then owning or renting a simpler, cheaper to operate, more rugged bug-smasher, is liberating. When you fly out for that $100 hamburger, flying low & slow feels more like getting back to the roots of aviation & makes more economic sense than a hot rock retractable.

The slow growth of LSAs & easier home-built experimental aircraft are resurrecting adventure flying through YouTuber videos like Trent Palmer:
, Dewey Davenport
, or the Great Michigan Bush Co:
(and many others). Or builders like Flight Chops: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJOPFT88qcBDwlx8qgKit2RoASZRZQMo- & Kit Plane Enthusiast:
.

At 69, I don’t want to fly any faster than I can think anyway. But, I’m also tickled-pink by toys. So I sold my primitive (hand-propped) Aeronca Champ & I just bought an LSA Bushcat

Well. I digress. Swinging back to the beginning, don’t let the 3rd Class Medical stuff scare you off. Just be prepared & think it through. The med is the only landmine in your path to becoming a pilot.
 
Kelly Rountree said:
Hi everyone... My name is Kelly, I'm 62 and I live just west of SLC in Utah.
This is my first post and I'm looking for encouragement and advice on beginning flight training. Including what to look for in an instructor, what plane provides the ideal training environment, how often should I schedule lessons, ground school, all of it. All comments welcome.
Thanks, I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you.
Click to expand...

Good for you, go for it.
I learned to fly almost 7 years ago at 55. It took me longer I think than if I was in my 20s.
I received a pioneer flight from my wife for my birthday and almost let it expire 2 years later.
I felt sick after that first pioneer flight. I thought about it for a few days and called the flight school back and got on their schedule. After a while the air sickness went away.

I took maybe 2 lessons and then the school gave me a reference to a local AME.
The school assigned a instructor. I had 4 different CFIs during my training because the instructors move on when they get enough hours to get a job somewhere. I used a good sized school that had 4 airplanes for me to train in. In 2015 they were not that busy and I did not have any trouble getting on the schedule. When I was finishing my instrument training it was much busier at the flight school.

I went and got my 3rd class medical in under a 1/2 hour. Luckily I was in good health and did not have a problem with that.
The flight school provided the materials for ground school, we would do 30-45 mins ground school and 45-1 hour flight each lesson which were 1.5-2 hours each.

16 months and 95 hrs later I earned my private pilots license. I scheduled at least 2 flights a week and the weather cancels some of those dates. Must fly at least once a week otherwise you are wasting your time. I was able to get off work a lot that year to get it done. It takes dedication and money. I hear only about 20% or less actually earn the license.
I flew for 200 hrs and then started instrument training. That took 12 months and finished that.

Now I own my own 172 and fly 3-7 days a week. Fricken love it!!
 
Please schedule a consultation with an AME, first, not a flight phyiscal.
Please also do and just short of submit, do a MEdxpress so that you can glean what information is going to be required. You can always complete it when your consultant sez you're readly.

Or, you can do the Medxpress and submit it but don't present the confirmation code (It is also at the bottom of the PDF obtained at the "completed Application" button). That way you and the consultant have something to discuss, e.g a "form directed" discussion. Without the "confirmation code" none of it is live and self expunges in 60 days.
 
Don’t go to a fancy flight school… go to local little airports and talk around. Find that crusty old cfi who could fly a kitchen table if ya screwed wings on it. Far better IMO to learn from someone like that than three different cfi’s at a fancy school who are just building hours to the airlines.
 
I would imagine at 62, you have no plans to fly commercially and will also not likely be hauling the family around. So if you have any concerns about not passing a medical, follow the advice of others and go Sport Pilot. It will probably cover 98% (SWAG) of the flying you will ever want to do.
 
Kelly Rountree said:
Hi everyone... My name is Kelly, I'm 62 and I live just west of SLC in Utah.
This is my first post and I'm looking for encouragement and advice on beginning flight training. Including what to look for in an instructor, what plane provides the ideal training environment, how often should I schedule lessons, ground school, all of it. All comments welcome.
Thanks, I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you.
Click to expand...

Well Kelly, I ain't gonna stop you and nobody else should either!

I'd say go for an orientation flight with an instructor nearby and see if you get along.

Then fly as often as you can reasonably afford both financially and allowing for your life outside the airport.

The less often you fly, the more you'll be re-learning each lesson. The book work is often more challenging than the flying. Buy a good test prep kit from King Schools or Sporty's or such. Set a time aside each evening to work through a lesson or two.

You'll be fine! Welcome to the flying community!
 
Kelly, everybody's talking about the medical, but to take a step back... What kind of flying interests you? The answer to that will affect what kind of plane is best for you to train in, and what kind of instructor is best. They run the gamut from Huskster79's crusty old CFI with a beat up Cub who will teach you to land in short grass fields and starting the plane by hand propping it up to the glitzy modern flight schools with computerized lesson plans, glitzy modern planes and clean cut young CFIs with epaulets who will teach you to land at large airports with control towers... and everything in between. Any of them can be OK or even "best", depending on what you want out of flying.
 
I hope @Kelly Rountree comes back. Gone since this initial post.

Kelly - read bbchien’s post about 6 up from here. He’s a senior Aviation Medical Examiner who works closely with the FAA and pilots.

Follow his advice. NOTE: Sport Pilot allows you to fly a 2-seat plane in the USA up to 1,320 lbs and 120 knots in day VFR only.

Instead of passing an FAA physical, you only need to hold a valid driver’s license. That’s what folks are pointing to above.

If you go for an FAA physical and get denied for any reason (in pursuit of a Private Pilot’s License vs. Sport Pilot) - you can no longer qualify for the Sport Pilot. That’s why folks are warning you about the medical.

If you want to carry more than one passenger, fly at night or in clouds or faster than 120 knots . . . You’re looking for the Private.

If you think 2 seats at 120 knots in nice daytime weather will put a smile on your face, skip the medical and look to Sport Pilot.
 
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Welcome!

I'm 59 and starting on the adventure myself.

For ground school, I did mine all self-study. I'm very used to technical learning by that method, and we regularly take tests in my line of work, so you may be very different. I found that the FAA handbooks were an excellent source of information. I have the FAA Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, and the ASA Pilot's Manual 2, ground School. Once I went through each one and was absolutely sure I understood the concepts as presented, I ordered the ASA 2021 Private Pilot Test Prep book. It was money well spent. It has questions similar to what you'll see on the test, and it gets you used to the FAA testing format. This is not merely memorizing answers either. It has an explanation of why the correct question is "the most correct", and explains why the distractors ("wrong" answers) are "not as correct". I did the self-study regime for about three months, going over material during lunch (and discussing topics with old pilots at work), reading on my time off, and taking advantage of any other free time to hit the books. After I was sure I knew the material, I started the Test Prep book. After a week of going through that, I took two of their online tests. You had to make above 80 on any two in order to receive an endorsement from their online CFI. I made 90 on the first one, and then hit the books again. 95 on the second, and I got the endorsement overnight. About a week later I was able to schedule the test. I was nervous, but confident that I'd pass. I missed two questions (97%), and one of the questions I changed from right, to wrong - three times. I knew to trust my instinct, but nerves. I really wanted to crush the test.

Medical - yes, get that going very soon! There are some conditions that the Aviation Medical Examiner can review and Issue a certificate for (CACI), and others will require FAA Medical branch review. In OKC they are swamped, months behind. It's best to have everything you need up front. That's where I'm at now. I have the CACIs for Hypothyroidism and Arthritis nailed down, but due to a bout of PSVT six years ago, I will need to complete a 24 hour, two-lead Holter monitor study. That will be done next Monday.

As others here have recommended, make absolutely sure that you are aware of the questions you'll be filling out on the MedXpress website.

Look through this manual here: Introduction (faa.gov)

It not only lists the questions, but outlines certain responses the AME should investigate further. It's always nice to know what they are really looking for.

Good luck!
 
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+1 For medical recon first. Look at the MedXpress and follow @bbchien 's advice to not fully go thru the entire AME medical right away. Any doubts or questions just come back and tell us what has you concerned.

Question for you - are you planning to own a plane or more to learn and rent?

You will do great! Start as soon as you possibly can. Expect younger instructors to possibly dissappear right before you finish with them as many are time building towards the airlines. So that is a good interview question.

If yiu have a choice of two flight schools and one has more planes...and renters...it can be advantageous. If you are at a place with just one plane and it goes down your lessons can go on hold for weeks and possibly a month or two.

I would recommend doing a discovery flight as soon as you can. Make sure going up in a plane is for you. No need for a medical or a instructor interview to do that!
 
Listen to the medical advice above before you fill out any forms.

I'd go the part 61 route, as also advised above. Find a couple of places locally, and take a discovery flight with each. Tell them your goal is to learn to fly, not to get your license in X days, and then do that. Basics first, and have fun. My 2 cents, the simpler the plane, the better. The old steam gauge PA-28's, 172's, and cubs if you can find it, will teach you how to fly, without focusing on all the tech. But that's just my view.
 
Most importantly, find an instructor that makes you enjoy flying/training, rather than stressing you.
 
Cessna 172 is a great trainer, easy to get in and out of especially for older people. Make sure that you can communicate and understand your instructor, that you feel he is looking out for you and trying to teach you. I personally would prefer more experienced instructors rather than the young guys who are high turnover, once they get their hours they are off to fly a jet full time.

For test prep, you can get a book off Amazon (I use ASA - prepare) and study the questions or if you learn by videos you can subscribe to Sheppard Air online https://www.sheppardair.com/

Timing wise, at your desire and pace. Don’t rush aviation but you can invest full time in it if you have the time.
 
Interesting point about the old school vs young instructors. I tried both before settling with the old school. Neither were ideal but I felt I was learning at least something with the old instructor while the young one seemed to be mostly disengaged. On the other hand, I felt so relaxed with the younger one and always sweated a lot of with the old one.

There is a great comic video from LewDix on 3 different instructor types. Very accurate. No style is perfect, so you have to choose the one that works for you.

 
CalPilot said:
Most importantly, find an instructor that makes you enjoy flying/training, rather than stressing you.
Click to expand...
CalPilot said:
Interesting point about the old school vs young instructors. I tried both before settling with the old school. Neither were ideal but I felt I was learning at least something with the old instructor while the young one seemed to be mostly disengaged. On the other hand, I felt so relaxed with the younger one and always sweated a lot of with the old one.

There is a great comic video from LewDix on 3 different instructor types. Very accurate. No style is perfect, so you have to choose the one that works for you.

Click to expand...

I agree^^^^^^^^
In hindsight, I am glad I used a mid sized school and got to fly with 5-6 different instructors during my training counting stage checks. I learned something from all of them. My last instructor was older 60s and had 40 years experience to share with me. I learned the most from him.
Then 3 different instructors at 2 different flight schools to finish my instrument training. I think learned more this way.
 
Certainly, the benefit of going with a flight school is that you have a selection of instructors. For a PPL at least, you would ultimately need to stick with someone that works for you because he/she is the one that will be signing you off. Another aspect of it is the airplane/flight scheduling. Chances are you will have to hop from one airplane to another, whatever is available. For many student pilots, this may slow down training.
 
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