What Does it Take?

When co-workers and other acquaintances learn I fly they are momentarily speechless. The question runs like a parade across the front lobe of their brains: "How do you do that?" and the corollary, "You don't look the type..." (the "type" in mind drawn from movie scripts and various images spliced together over a lifetime)

Ted Williams was a pilot...

After a short conversation the distinction between private, recreational flying and airline career becomes clear. About a quarter wistfully say, "I've always wanted to do that..."

So do I begin the sell or just say, "It's well worth the effort..." and move on?

As in all things aviation, it depends. While the good folks at AOPA won't like me admitting it, not everyone is able to be a pilot. It takes a certain combination of characteristics to succeed in aviation. The good news is these qualities are fairly well distributed and none are required in heroic proportions.

So here's my list of qualities that help determine whether someone should start flight training (and whether he/she will succeed as a pilot):

Knowledge

The aspiring pilot has to be able to acquire and retain knowledge. There will be a knowledge exam, a verbal exam, and the constant need to refer to memorized items while in flight. Flying is one of the few activities in which complete mastery is forever out of reach. The best pilots are able to constantly grade themselves against the high bar of perfection. The only way to know where that bar is is constant increase in knowledge -- what you "know"-- and compare that to what you do.

• If you can read a book, absorb facts, and relate those facts to other situations you have the ability to acquire, retain, and apply knowledge.
  

Skills

The person has to be able to acquire and execute a set of motor coordination skills. This means they must be able to react with correct physical responses without prompting or thought before the action (for example, a baseball player can't think "Swing!" and then swing) -- the stroke must be reaction based on sensory perception.

• If you can safely drive a car and carry on a conversation you likely have all the motor coordination required for ordinary flight.

Judgement
The person needs to be able to weigh alternatives, consider impacts, and be able to decide among contradictory and equally painful choices. While a great emphasis is placed on Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) during training, it is simply a refinement of the ability to judge that a person either has or doesn't. People who lack the ability to assess and predict the consequences of their actions can't be expected to do well as Pilot in Command. People who cannot make a decision or constantly backtrack on existing decisions will also have difficulty. Sadly, for many folks flight training is the first activity they've ever engaged in that has absolute "must do's." Some thrive as they adapt to the hard rules of physics. Others continue to apply the "It's not fair"model with disappointing results. (This may be why celebrities come to grief in airplanes -- they've never had to deal with a firm "no"). Flight training can be a great school for those who haven't yet honed the ability to decide or judge between equally compelling alternatives, but it must be understood going in that learning judgement is part of the training curriculum, and often there are multiple correct answers.

• If you have a history of bad judgement (DUIs, legal and relationship problems, constant money problems) you are not a good candidate for flight training.
  

Physical condition

Here's where the news is surprising for most folks: 20-20 vision, super reflexes, and nerves of steel are not prerequisites! For the private certificate you need to pass a Third Class medical (Class one and two are for vocational flying). The Sport pilot only needs a state driver's license (and no history of failing previous exams). There's plenty more information available in the resources linked below, but the bottom line is that most healthy people can fly. Even people with significant disabilities can fly. Here's one amazing case: Tammy Duckworth

• If you plan to fly professionally, get a good evaluation by a Physician who understands Flight Physical requirements. It's far better to learn you have something that will prevent you being issued a Class 1 medical before you spend thousands of dollars. If there is an issue you are aware of, seek a respected Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). Find them here. More on the different class medical certificates here.
  

Funds (Money)

Ask any airplane owner "What keeps an airplane in the air?"and the response will be "money." Despite what your uncle told you, flying has never been "cheap." It's always required money to fly -- fuel, maintenance, parts, fees, taxes, instruction, hangars -- all add up. Those of us that own airplanes know it's not "cost effective," but we do it anyway. Flight school have to at least make a pretense of being fiscally responsible, so the charge per hour has to at least cover costs.

And there are many, many costs.

Consider that an older but good condition Cessna 152 costs $25,000. If the purchase price was financed, figure $400 for month for payments. If the airplane flies 20 hours per month, $20 per hour goes towards paying for the airplane. Fuel burn will be 4-6 gallons per hour at $5.50 (or more) per gallon for $27.50 per hour with another 2.50 an hour for aviation oil.

Add in hangar and office rent per month at $15-20 per hour, plus insurance at $3500/year for a flight school airplane which works out to about $15 per hour.

We still haven't covered the cost of parts or maintenance labor which can range from $60 (change oil) to $20,000 (overhaul engine). Parts for certificated airplanes must be approved (an expensive and bureaucratic process) or owner-produced to the same standards (unlikely for most unless the owner has a fully-equipped machine shop).

So that's the flight school's costs, but the selling price per hour will need to be competitive with other flight schools in the area (which might be cutting corners on insurance or maintenance in order to be sustain low prices). So the "going local rate" is usually what you'll pay, and these days there's not much available for less than $100 per hour.

NOTE: There is no requirement that you learn to fly in a rented airplane! In fact you may even save money buying your own airplane for training. There are also flying clubs that permit flight training (though precious few permit primary training as it's very hard on the aircraft). I'll explore those options more fully in another post.

You also need to pay for instruction. Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs) must have commercial certificates and instrument ratings, maintain instructional currency, and fly often enough to demonstrate all maneuvers with skill and recover from student mistakes. Very few CFIs actually fly (and are paid for) 8 hours each day. Most CFIs instruct part time as few people have the means or stamina to live on $12,000 a year for long.

Don't forget to add the cost of books, flight computers, charts (maps), and tests. You don't have to buy everything and in fact most students buy too much -- your instructor can probably save you several hours worth of flying by limiting your shopping spree.

Here are the costs at Adventure Flight Training

But you need to count the cost ahead of time and decide if you are willing --and able -- to foot the bill.

• Talk to flight schools and get realistic estimates for the total costs and then either save or set aside the needed money to start and continue your training. Nothing delays progress like gaps in training due to insufficient funds.
• Most Americans with full time professional jobs can fly -- but there may be sacrifices. Bumper sticker often seen at airports:

Time
Flying takes time. You'll need to study before and after lessons, drive to and from the airport, prepare for the knowledge exam, and schedule around work and other priorities in life. The best progress is made when you schedule a minimum of two lessons a week (I flew at least twice a week when I started and earned my Private Pilot in a little over three months). So be sure you have the "free" time before committing to aviation (reducing television viewing will open up many new hours).

• Most people have plenty of "free time." The problem is allocation. If you want to fly, dedicate the time required to train consistently and frequently.

Desire 
The key factor to success is desire. Flying isn't easy (if it was, everybody would be a pilot). You'll need internal motivation to get through the tough times, the disappointments, and the frustrations. For many successful people flying is the first activity encountered that isn't easily mastered. Even after you "get it," you'll botch a landing, forget a checkpoint, or wonder where that airport is. Every pilot has felt at some point that she's forgotten how to land, how to handle a crosswind, or how she got into this life threatening predicament.

Yet you'll know you have sufficient desire on that day when it's cold and windy and everyone else is home, you're out practicing crosswind landings. It takes desire to earn the certificate, but some would say it takes even more after the  goal is achieved.

Many pilots achieve the Private Pilot's Certificate only to leave aviation after giving rides to friends and flying over the house gets old. This is when the new pilot needs to learn how to create her own goals and challenges, and work towards them. This is the only way to stay in aviation over the long haul. Some pilots keep up the challenge by participating in mission-based organizations such as the Civil Air Patrol, Veterans Airlift Command, Animal Rescue Flights, or Angel Flight. Some seek further ratings. All who stay active have desire that see past immediate goals into something deeper -- the will to fly.

• You have to want this -- you'll lose interest or be unable to persevere when it's tough.
  

So that's what you need to fly:

• Knowledge
• Skill
• Judgement
• Physical ability
• Money
• Time
• Desire

Many people have learned to fly despite great physical, financial, or other challenges. But a weakness in one area means an extra commitment in another (if you're really not into it bring lots of money. If you will do this no matter what you'll find the money. And so on...)

One truth is certain -- if you never try, you'll never know.

Postscript


Most people new to recreational flying should start with the Sport Pilot program which lets you meet a milestone using lighter, less expensive airplanes that will still provide all the training and good habits needed to fly heavier or certificated airplanes. Nice brochure here.


The FAA has put together a nice New Pilot's Guide that will answer more detailed questions.