Getting Back in the Game at 42, Looking for Advice!

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Propwashsoup

Filing Flight Plan
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Propwashsoup
Evening!

Well after much, much, contemplation I have decided to finish what I started years ago. Life has somewhat settled down a bit, and now I have the means to participate once more. This falls under the category of "personal fulfillment", I am in no rush.

So, here's the thing, it's been so long, so many things have changed, particularly technology-wise, I want to get a feel for whether or not my train of thought is right up there with smoking crack...!

It is reasonable to fly about once or twice a month, and supplement the time I'm not flying with some sort of meaningful simulator software? Is that just completely unrealistic? Obviously I would try to actually fly as much as possible, but for the moment, I do have some other committments that would prevent me from, let's say, going once or twice a week.

Thoughts? Feel free to heavily criticize, I'm a good sport!

Thank you,
 
Propwashsoup said:
Evening!

Well after much, much, contemplation I have decided to finish what I started years ago. Life has somewhat settled down a bit, and now I have the means to participate once more. This falls under the category of "personal fulfillment", I am in no rush.

So, here's the thing, it's been so long, so many things have changed, particularly technology-wise, I want to get a feel for whether or not my train of thought is right up there with smoking crack...!

It is reasonable to fly about once or twice a month, and supplement the time I'm not flying with some sort of meaningful simulator software? Is that just completely unrealistic? Obviously I would try to actually fly as much as possible, but for the moment, I do have some other committments that would prevent me from, let's say, going once or twice a week.

Thoughts? Feel free to heavily criticize, I'm a good sport!

Thank you,
Click to expand...
I assume that you are getting back into training for the private pilot certificate, not adding a rating to a certificate. If that is the case, and if you do indeed have the means to participate once more, forget about simulation and forget about one or twice a month. Primary training is as much about muscle memory as anything else, and you do not get transferable skills from software. Once or twice a month means you increase your out-of-pocket costs by at least 50% if not 100% because most of each lesson will be devoted to re-learning what you were taught in the previous lesson. Once or twice a week makes more sense.

Bob Gardner
 
Welcome back,get out there and fly. If you've done the financials get real stick time in an aircraft . Enjoy the experience .
 
Welcome to PoA! Where in this land are you based?

And what Bob said was spot on.
 
Yeah, we're just going to spend this thread repeating what Bob said.

I returned to flying after a looong layoff and quickly found the skills very perishable. Once I committed to twice a week it came back much quicker
 
42?!!! You're not only too old to get back into flying, you're too old to fly at all! Not even sure you're safe to drive to the airport by yourself. Oh, wait, I'm 42...

Personally, I fly a lot, but would recommend finding a way to get at least 40 hours a year. Anything less, especially when getting back into the swing of things wouldn't be enough. My opinion, nothing based on facts!
 
JCranford said:
I returned to flying after a looong layoff and quickly found the skills very perishable. Once I committed to twice a week it came back much quicker
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Just like falling out of an airplane.

Wait.... Don't you do that too? :rolleyes:
 
Welcome back! I started my PPL training at 40, so you oughta be OK. You already have plenty of learning latent in your noggin. It'll come back.
 
Welcome back. Listen to Bob, he knows of what he speaks. And if you have to go slow, do that anyway. Just realize you'll forget things in-between lessons and it'll take a while longer to internalize things so they're natural, like riding a bike.

Sims aren't that great for the kinetic stuff your brain needs for the private certificate. Remember it's about looking outside and flying the plane, not flying the instruments at that stage. Sims are helpful for building a scan for the instrument rating later on.

Go flying, have fun!
 
Thank you for all the perspectives, much, much, appreciated...! Bob makes sense... I am in Georgia by the way, Woodstock to be precise, Kennesaw Airport is about a 10 minute drive from my house. Apparently, one of the shops there is offering PPL for $5,900, all inclusive. You know the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true...".
I guess I have to think about it a bit more, but at the same time, I don't see why I can't take a flight or two and see how I feel after such.

For whatever it's worth, I'm also working on a new degree, one I actually like: Aeronautics with a Minor in Economics at Embry-Riddle Worldwide. I start my first class in Meteorology in about two weeks. It's not so much important I get a PPL, rather I realized life is too short, and I'd better start actually doing more of what I like. So, if I can squeeze in a PPL in there somewhere, why not?
 
Propwashsoup said:
Thank you for all the perspectives, much, much, appreciated...! Bob makes sense... I am in Georgia by the way, Woodstock to be precise, Kennesaw Airport is about a 10 minute drive from my house. Apparently, one of the shops there is offering PPL for $5,900, all inclusive. You know the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true...".
I guess I have to think about it a bit more, but at the same time, I don't see why I can't take a flight or two and see how I feel after such.

For whatever it's worth, I'm also working on a new degree, one I actually like: Aeronautics with a Minor in Economics at Embry-Riddle Worldwide. I start my first class in Meteorology in about two weeks. It's not so much important I get a PPL, rather I realized life is too short, and I'd better start actually doing more of what I like. So, if I can squeeze in a PPL in there somewhere, why not?
Click to expand...

On the too good to be true part. If they are offering training for a fix cost, the first words out of your mouth should be how many hours do you expect it to take. If they respond honestly and say it will take 60 to 70 hours not the 40 that the FAA requires and if it takes you that long the cost is still the same, consider it. I did manage to get my PPL in about 65 hours going on average once per week, it took me a little over 1 year, and we are the same age. Thinking back I estimate that it likely took me 5 to 10 hours longer than it should have if life and weather had treated me better. In real money terms, I spent about $1500 more that I probably should have. Keep that in mind.
 
bobmrg said:
I assume that you are getting back into training for the private pilot certificate, not adding a rating to a certificate. If that is the case, and if you do indeed have the means to participate once more, forget about simulation and forget about one or twice a month. Primary training is as much about muscle memory as anything else, and you do not get transferable skills from software. Once or twice a month means you increase your out-of-pocket costs by at least 50% if not 100% because most of each lesson will be devoted to re-learning what you were taught in the previous lesson. Once or twice a week makes more sense.

Bob Gardner
Click to expand...

absotively posilutely correct. I got back into the game at age 62 after a 30-year interruption in lessons. I went for the Sport certificate but one day would like to accomplish the original goal. I flew on average 2-3 times per week with the same CFI and while I had a teeny tiny bit of a head start due to my lessons from the dark ages I approached it as if i hadn't done any of this before. i took and passed ground school prior to starting flight lessons and passed the check ride the first time out.

so i say to the OP...go for it but don't be timid about it. my only regret is that I waited 30-years to start up again.
 
Lowflynjack said:
42?!!! You're not only too old to get back into flying, you're too old to fly at all! Not even sure you're safe to drive to the airport by yourself. Oh, wait, I'm 42...

Personally, I fly a lot, but would recommend finding a way to get at least 40 hours a year. Anything less, especially when getting back into the swing of things wouldn't be enough. My opinion, nothing based on facts!
Click to expand...

42? You kids! I was 48 when I started and passed my PP ride 2 days after turning 49. IR at 59. Go for it! Have fun!
 
I passed my checkride at 45 after seven years of life (work, kids, deployments, etc.) getting in the way of finishing my training. I will say that the one thing I wish I had done right from the start is found a school or CFI that had a syllabus, rather than progressing along merely on the whims of the various CFIs I went through. I had to recertify to solo three times because I would solo, knock out a cross country requirement, congratulate myself for being a Sky God, then lose focus because I was just going out to practice areas for fun flying by myself without making any progress towards the rating. I wasted a lot of time and money that way. So, my advice to you is to interview a number of CFIs and ask what the plan is to get you through solo, and then to the checkride. Yes, everyone is different/learns differently. Everyone on this board will tell you that. And because of that, it is even more important in your 40s to find someone who teaches in a manner you like, who will never give you the feeling that he or she isn't as committed as you are to getting you to and through a successful checkride. This is airplane flying, not rocket science; it's not particularly hard to do, but if you can't commit to flying twice a week, you will very likely end up spending more time and money than you need to. Good luck and enjoy the journey. I wish I had done this 25 years ago!
 
Propwashsoup said:
Apparently, one of the shops there is offering PPL for $5,900, all inclusive. You know the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true...".
Click to expand...

If you go this route, consider carefully paying the entire amount up front. There are many instances where Flight Schools have gone away in the night with their student's money.
 
dillardrg said:
If you go this route, consider carefully paying the entire amount up front. There are many instances where Flight Schools have gone away in the night with their student's money.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat: A couple of flight attendant friends took a leave of absence to go to a flight school in Florida years ago. Paid up front, school closed, and they were out of their money. Returned to the airline and did their lessons on the side. Got their time and moved over to the pilot side of the house. I left 2 1/2 years ago and they both were still flying. Might be Captains by now.
 
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