How to start flying?

sourdough44 said:
I don’t see where you live, maybe one of us can take you up on an intro flight?

Yes, units vary, you won’t learn to fly there, give some thought to the CAP.

You have plans for Airventure in Oshkosh this Summer?

https://www.eaa.org/airventure

Yes, stay out of trouble. Find other ways to sooth yourself besides prescribed head-meds.

You saw the latest Too Gun movie, right? Someone has to do it.
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I live just north of tuscon Arizona, I don't have any plans to go to Oshkosh unfortunately.
 
Jessethewannabepiloet said:
I've looked over the paper and the only thing I have is adhd do I think that's good.
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If it is in your medical records, you should send Dr Bruce a message with the details so you can find out what is likely to happen. www.aeromedicaldoc.com "how to start'
It could significantly delay getting a medical and significantly increase the cost of getting your medical. But Dr Bruce will be able to ask you the right questions and give you accurate answers for your specific situation.

Brian
 
Has a doctor actually said you have adhd? Like put it in an insurance code with blue cross or Aetna etc.?

Ask your pediatrician for a copy of your diagnosis codes. I hope they wouldn't put that code in, especially since they didn't prescribe meds.

I didn't catch if you are male or female but all 14 yo males are distracted. Almost by definition. It's better if ADD is not in your medical records.

***I 3rd the glider suggestion! Find a glider or sailplane club near you and see if they need runners/helpers. You can trade your time wing walking, cleaning etc for instruction.

Sailplanes are awesome and you can solo one right now. The experience will be perfect for Private and a career in aviation.

Google search Sully Sullenberger. Glider pilot.
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
Has a doctor actually said you have adhd? Like put it in an insurance code with blue cross or Aetna etc.?

Ask your pediatrician for a copy of your diagnosis codes. I hope they wouldn't put that code in, especially since they didn't prescribe meds.

I didn't catch if you are male or female but all 14 yo males are distracted. Almost by definition. It's better if ADD is not in your medical records.

***I 3rd the glider suggestion! Find a glider or sailplane club near you and see if they need runners/helpers. You can trade your time wing walking, cleaning etc for instruction.

Sailplanes are awesome and you can solo one right now. The experience will be perfect for Private and a career in aviation.

Google search Sully Sullenberger. Glider pilot.
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I am infact diagnosed with ADD and it's in my records however the doctor doesn't prescribed any drugs.
 
Jessethewannabepiloet said:
I am infact diagnosed with ADD and it's in my records however the doctor doesn't prescribed any drugs.
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That diagnosis may present a problem. Start a thread in the medical subforum and seek the advice of POA’s house docs, @lbfjrmd and @bbchien before filling out any medical paperwork or having an examination. As you’re a minor, you will probably need your parents to participate when you speak to a doc.

Be cautious. There are traps here that can wreck your plans before you even get started.
 
That used to be disqualifying but I understand there may be a pathway to issuance.

Was it a pediatrician or a psychiatrist that diagnosed ADD? If it was your ped, you may likely be able to have it reversed.
 
Half Fast said:
That diagnosis may present a problem. Start a thread in the medical subforum and seek the advice of POA’s house docs, @lbfjrmd and @bbchien before filling out any medical paperwork or having an examination. As you’re a minor, you will probably need your parents to participate when you speak to a doc.

Be cautious. There are traps here that can wreck your plans before you even get started.
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Thanks, will do!
 
EAA young eagles flight, see if you can get a mentor. The ADD will cause some aggravation, but not being on meds probably makes it easier, so will good grades in school. You will need a lot of determination, getting a pilot's license is not as easy as getting a driver's license, or learning to sail. Just be determined.

If you have really good grades and are in good physical shape check out a military aviator career. My friend's son is an F-18 pilot for the Navy, he is having a blast. He is a smart kid, top of his class.
 
Flocker said:
+1. Spend your money now on flight training and the women will come later at minimal expense. (so I've been told) ; )
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They may come cheap, but they tend to be VERY expensive to get rid of. :D

And if you want to fly and have a woman, make sure she truly understands where she fits in YOUR priority ranking.
 
Jessethewannabepiloet said:
I live just north of tuscon Arizona, I don't have any plans to go to Oshkosh unfortunately.
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You’re in a great area to get into aviation. Arizona is a very aviation rich environment, especially Phoenix and Tucson. I have heard there are some great EAA chapters in that area, and I know they are constantly restoring aircraft at the Pima Air and Space Museum. The museum would be another place to go to meet and talk to people about aviation. And the retired vets/museum volunteers will talk your ear off if you let them.

Here is a link to EAA chapters search. Just select AZ and scroll down. Probably the 2 closest would be EAA chapter 81 based at Ryan field there in Tucson, or 766 in Sierra Vista. You might give them a call, email, or Facebook message and get more info for meetings and Young Eagle flights.

https://www.eaa.org/eaa/eaa-chapters/find-an-eaa-chapter

There are a few air shows and fly ins coming up very soon around Southern AZ that are open to the public and are usually a lot of fun. Buckeye Air Fair is the soonest in February 17-19, although Buckeye would be a bit of a drive as it’s on the west side of Phoenix. Then March 25-26 there is Thunder and Lightning over Arizona, and that’s going to be right there in Tucson at Davis-Monthan AFB. There are other fly-ins throughout the area that will also be open to the public.

There are many great suggestions in this thread. And you are in a great area to completely immerse yourself in aviation. There are tons of aviation opportunities available.
 
aterry1067 said:
You’re in a great area to get into aviation. Arizona is a very aviation rich environment, especially Phoenix and Tucson. I have heard there are some great EAA chapters in that area, and I know they are constantly restoring aircraft at the Pima Air and Space Museum. The museum would be another place to go to meet and talk to people about aviation. And the retired vets/museum volunteers will talk your ear off if you let them.

Here is a link to EAA chapters search. Just select AZ and scroll down. Probably the 2 closest would be EAA chapter 81 based at Ryan field there in Tucson, or 766 in Sierra Vista. You might give them a call, email, or Facebook message and get more info for meetings and Young Eagle flights.

https://www.eaa.org/eaa/eaa-chapters/find-an-eaa-chapter

There are a few air shows and fly ins coming up very soon around Southern AZ that are open to the public and are usually a lot of fun. Buckeye Air Fair is the soonest in February 17-19, although Buckeye would be a bit of a drive as it’s on the west side of Phoenix. Then March 25-26 there is Thunder and Lightning over Arizona, and that’s going to be right there in Tucson at Davis-Monthan AFB. There are other fly-ins throughout the area that will also be open to the public.

There are many great suggestions in this thread. And you are in a great area to completely immerse yourself in aviation. There are tons of aviation opportunities available.
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Thanks for the info I've infect been to Pima air and space museum but that was a few years ago and now they have a 747 so I'll visit soon, are discovery flights typically free?
 
Jessethewannabepiloet said:
Thanks for the info I've infect been to Pima air and space museum but that was a few years ago and now they have a 747 so I'll visit soon, are discovery flights typically free?
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Unfortunately, discovery flights usually costs around $100 to $125…maybe more now that fuel prices are up. The good thing about a discovery flight is that you can find one that can fly on your schedule, so if you wanted to go for one this weekend you could probably find a flight school to give one. That said, because of your age some flight schools may decline your offer. But there will be some flight school that will be happy to help, and then some may be willing to take you up as long as a parent is on the flight as well. You’d just have to call them and see.


The Young Eagle flights hosted by the EAA are free though, although you may be sharing the plane with other Young Eagles, unless of course the airplane happens to be a 2 seater, then it’s just you and the pilot.

If you take a flight though, and decide you’d like to start training right away, you ARE old enough to do glider/sailplane training, and there are some sailplane schools very close to you. Getting a glider cert is on my to-do list, and would be great training.
 
Again, look into your local Civil Air Patrol Squadron.

As a cadet, you get 5 power aircraft orientation flights. Normally, there are two cadets in the plane, so you get to sit right seat and fly for about 1 hour and get to sit in the back and listen and watch the other cadet for a hour. Also eligible for 5 glider orientation rides.

You can apply to the National Flight Academy, where you spend a week in the summer, flying every day, and most solo during it. This is also FREE. And then you can apply for additional programs to get your Private Pilot certificate, and all at no cost for the flying.

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/

You can enter your zip code and find the nearest squadrons.

For the older ones here, that had been associated with CAP in the past, it is not the same organization as before. Not perfect, but much less of an old boys club.
 
jesse said:
Don't worry about the flying yet - worry about figuring out how you work and save lots and lots of money. You can't start training if you can't pay for it. Earlier you can start on that, the further you'll be ahead once you are old enough.

Signed,

A guy that paid for it when I was 16 by fixing computers at Best Buy.
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I went on a discovery flight when I was 19 late 1980's I asked how to pay for flight school was told by the CFI to wait until I was 40-50 years old when I had the money and time to fly no internet or anyone else to talk to I took his dumb advice. Now that I'm 50 something I can't pass a medical without jumping though bunch of hoops, and a wife who is so terrified that will end up dead is not exactly supportive of the idea. If I had not listened to that CFI back then I would be much happier today.

Just lot easier to do these things when your young don't have a family at home to worry about you can focus on learning. If I was to do it over, I would go to an aviation school just get student loan figure out how to pay later. Money will be figured out that's how I look at it. I went to college and ran up student loans it got paid for eventually.

If I was 14 had a way to do it either go military, or commercial.
 
kell490 said:
I went on a discovery flight when I was 19 late 1980's I asked how to pay for flight school was told by the CFI to wait until I was 40-50 years old when I had the money and time to fly no internet or anyone else to talk to I took his dumb advice. Now that I'm 50 something I can't pass a medical without jumping though bunch of hoops, and a wife who is so terrified that will end up dead is not exactly supportive of the idea. If I had not listened to that CFI back then I would be much happier today.

Just lot easier to do these things when your young don't have a family at home to worry about you can focus on learning. If I was to do it over, I would go to an aviation school just get student loan figure out how to pay later. Money will be figured out that's how I look at it. I went to college and ran up student loans it got paid for eventually.

If I was 14 had a way to do it either go military, or commercial.
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Yeah I want to go to commercial.
 
Jessethewannabepiloet said:
Yeah I want to go to commercial.
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If you want to go commercial, as in flying for an airline, you will need a 1st class medical. Your ADHD diagnosis could be a huge potential problem, whether you're medicated or not. You should make sure to schedule a consult with the AME you choose to go over the form without giving them your MedExpress number. You want to avoid a "wait and see" attitude with the FAA if at all possible, so if the FAA will want more information from you, you will want to know and have that information before submitting your initial application. At 14, I would hesitate to tell you to get a medical, as you're not allowed to solo until 16 in airplanes, and you don't need a medical until you solo, and the medical will have two years removed from it's duration. However, if you're doing this to work towards it being your career, you really need to know if you're able to obtain and maintain a first class medical.

How are you planning on funding your flying? I personally would NOT recommend loans, as that can really screw you up if, say, the airline bubble crashes again (like it does pretty regularly), and you lose your job before you pay them off. The loans don't care, and you can end up with massive bills that can also mess up your credit score and ability to rent/finance a house or car if you can't afford to pay them. Work as much as you can now to start saving up for flight lessons. You can also look for scholarships and the like for different stages of training. There aren't many of them, but there are some.

Have you ever flown commercially as a passenger before? If you've really never flown, I would go down to the nearest airport and ask about a discovery flight. You don't have to start lessons right away or anything, but you'll be able to get a taste of what it's like to fly. It's obviously different to fly a jet than a 152, but you can still get a taste of flight.

If you afford it and have opportunities in the area, gliding would be a really cool thing to start with, and you can solo those at 14, I think. Otherwise, read every FAA book you can find, and other "study guides". Study how everything works. Go down to the airport when you're not busy and just hang out and watch the planes and talk to the pilots there. Learn planes inside and out. Some of the stuff won't make a lick of sense until you're in an airplane, but just think of it as theoretical information that will click once you experience it. There're some airline pilots on here, too, so if you have questions about that, you might be able get some answers from them. Have fun and good luck!
 
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SkyChaser said:
If you want to go commercial, you will need a 1st class medical.
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Not really. A 2nd class medical is all that's needed unless you want an airline job. I've flown for years as a commercial pilot with a 2nd class.

I do agree with the rest of your advice.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
Not really. A 2nd class medical is all that's needed unless you want an airline job. I've flown for years as a commercial pilot with a 2nd class.

I do agree with the rest of your advice.
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You're right. I changed it.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
Not really. A 2nd class medical is all that's needed unless you want an airline job. I've flown for years as a commercial pilot with a 2nd class.
.
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This is absolutely true . . but my guess is the OP meant "airline pilot" when they said commercial. . . Wrong terms as most never stop at just "commercial"

In terms of the ADHD Dx - I dont think it matters medicated or not. Pretty sure its going to go through Cogscreen. The good thing is that its been overdiagnosed in the past and you are young, so you could potentially outgrow it. The bad news is that the DX is there, and you'll have to prove it to the FAA before they give it to you.

I would agree with others - that you absolutely should NOT pursue loans until you are well on your way. This medical (and other things) could derail you right in the middle, and your loans dont go away. So start saving as much money as you can right now. We have very involved kids at our airport who have soloed at 16 and got their pilots license at 17. Wanna be naval aviators and such. They put through 10-12 high school students a year, so you are just a couple years away from that.
 
For those reading this thread, do not make decisions related to whether you are, or are not, medically fit to receive an airmen's certificate based on advise from anonymous forum posters. They made be totally right, but you should not risk a career decision based on opinions here. The poster above has provided the form the FAA has you fill out, and before you do (take your exam) you should have a candid discussion with a AME (flight doctor) and not make disclosers that are unwarranted or just flat out wrong. For the poster(s) who either believe they have ADHD, or have been told (by non physicians) they have ADHD, or even had been or are currently taking medications for ADHD, please do not assume you are medically disqualified from holding any or all classes of airmen medical.
 
Hi there, I'm new to this forum
Has anyone heard of a full ride scholarship program for high schoolers? One that not only provides PPL license but funding for the 4 year degree to become a pilot for a major airline?
 
Jo Wells said:
Hi there, I'm new to this forum
Has anyone heard of a full ride scholarship program for high schoolers? One that not only provides PPL license but funding for the 4 year degree to become a pilot for a major airline?
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Air Force Academy, for one.
 
Jo Wells said:
Hi there, I'm new to this forum
Has anyone heard of a full ride scholarship program for high schoolers? One that not only provides PPL license but funding for the 4 year degree to become a pilot for a major airline?
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DaleB said:
Air Force Academy, for one.
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That's a great option, but not everyone is suited for the military. I guess I should give a little background...I am NOT soliciting here, I'm looking for feedback. I'm 57 and just getting my PPL. All of my instructors are young (mid 20's), with one being 19. With the exception of the 19 YO, all of them are strapped down with high interest conventional loans. So they're working as a CFI to pay off the loans and gain hours and ratings, etc., before they move on the the next phase of their career. The 19YO's parents paid for his PPL, which got me thinking: I wonder how many kids in Asher's School wanted to learn to fly but the parents (or single parent) couldn't afford it. I was a single mom, I couldn't have afforded it. I also borrowed everything I could to get myself through college and spent years paying it off. There are a lot of kids out there who have so much potential, but have no support system at home. They are in the system (foster care), or other challenges that would inhibit their exploring a career in aviation. So I decided to start this non profit.
We provide education and resources for mid to low income individuals to become a professional pilot for a major airline. All expenses are paid, from the first discovery flight until they graduate from a 4 year university and are accepted to a major airline as a pilot in command. In return, we ask that the student volunteer 8 weeks of his or her time to a charity that we approve of and they need to complete this within 5 years of being accepted to the airline. I've doing A LOT of research. There are many scholarships that provide part of the education but I haven't found any that is a full ride. Is it simply the cost? If the child receives a PPL scholarship, then what happens? Does the school help them move on? It doesn't seem that they do, but I may wrong about that. Thoughts, anyone?
 
Jessethewannabepiloet said:
I've looked over the paper and the only thing I have is adhd do I think that's good.
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Do not visit the AME for a student or class 3. Visit the AME for a CONSULTATION! The AME will decide what the next step is for you regarding the ADHD.

Who diagnosed the ADHD? When? How? Most family practitioners really don't have the expertise, most just start throwing various drugs at it.
 
aterry1067 said:
The Young Eagle flights hosted by the EAA are free though, although you may be sharing the plane with other Young Eagles, unless of course the airplane happens to be a 2 seater, then it’s just you and the pilot.
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Depends entirely on the chapter policy. EAA301 is 1 Airplane, 1 Young Eagle. No sharing.
If you take a flight though, and decide you’d like to start training right away, you ARE old enough to do glider/sailplane training, and there are some sailplane schools very close to you. Getting a glider cert is on my to-do list, and would be great training.
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For the college side, there is AFROTC also

For PP as a teenager, there is Civil Air Patrol.
 
There are far more unassociated full rides than aviation specific ones.

Most aviation specific are partials, so consider piecemealing if you will. AOPA, EAA, black pilots, gay pilots, women in aviation, dedalions, Ninety Nines, Ray Foundation (which funds many of the aforementioned). All these are open to EVERYONE.

And frankly, there’s TONS of opportunity by just engaging in the local aviation community. I’ve donated hundreds of instructional and airplane hours.

So while you’re looking, take EVERYTHING you can find. I can tell you getting the written done NOW helps a ton for being competitive.
 
Jessethewannabepiloet said:
I've looked over the paper and the only thing I have is adhd do I think that's good.
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ADHD could be an issue. When I was a kid, we called that “being a kid” but today they drug everyone up. Talk to an AME about this. There is a possibility you were misdiagnosed but you’ll have to prove it.
 
DesertNomad said:
ADHD could be an issue. When I was a kid, we called that “being a kid” but today they drug everyone up. Talk to an AME about this. There is a possibility you were misdiagnosed but you’ll have to prove it.
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Real ADHD, when you become an adult, needs to be controlled. I had an employee with this issue; it didn't work out.
 
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