The flying bug

[ysteinbuch]

Greetings,

This may be a bit off the FS2002 subject, but there is a tangential connection ...
I took an introductory flight lesson today in a Cessna 172, believing that I'd finally get one chance to fly a real plane and then return to simming (which is faaar more affordable). Well, now the flight bug has really bitten me and I want to go for the license. I'm sure many of you can identify.
The FS2002 connection lies in the fact that the instructor made a point of saying that all his students that had prior experience with the program fared much better than those who did not. He said the program is so realistic that some people who are very proficient in it make a seamless transition to actual flying.
Have any of you also decided to go for lessons based on your enjoyment of FS2002?

[BFMF]

Yes, the principles are the same. Flightschools around the world even use FS2002 so you can't go wrong.

I've been using flightsimulators for almost as long as I can remember. I think the first one I had was the Chuck Yeager's Flight Simulator.

When I can i'm gonna get my license, even if I'm not going to make a career out of it.

Also, seeing that you've been 'bit' by the flight 'bug', that's why there's Simviation, It's a support group for all of us who are incurable

[Brett_Henderson]

I did it in reverse order,,,  (flew first,,then discovered FS), and I have yet to find a pilot or instructor that has anything but good to say about this simming stuff. The only thing missing  (outside off 360 degree, real-time viewing) is the "sensation" and g-forces.

My cousin (Bell 206 for a living pilot) thinks it's the best/cheapest way to grasp "flying a pattern" and learning to "scan" the panel.

I know one pilot who over-came his mental block about IFR flight using the sim,,,that alone is a testimoial    ;)

[Bazza]

I had the same experience .. my family paid for 2 Cessna
"hands-on" flights for me having seen how much fun I had been having over the years with the FlightSim.   My first flight was a 150 Aerobat and the second a 172. , the moment I sat in everything was there and I was basically comfortable with it.      I had gone to the trouble of noting the altimeter height and direction of the runway before I went to the Airport from the FlightSim and found it was perfect when I sat in the plane.     Flying the plane, (short of landing it) was really quite simple, all the relevant speeds and flap selections were in my head.

Unfortunately I feel I am a bit passed getting a licence for age reasons mainly, but I thought hard about it.   All I can say is  go for it and good luck, you'll never regret it.

[microlight]

Because of my simming enjoyment, my wife booked a microlighting lesson for a recent birthday (hence the name), and I flew this 2-seater with an instructor from Popham airfield near Basingstoke (England) down to Portsmouth and back. It was a terrific experience, and I hope to do more of this kind of thing when I get back to England from the US.

[ysteinbuch]

Thanks, guys.
The main constraining factor is financial, particularly now that I have a baby. The instructor told me that the average amount to be spent on getting a license is about $12,000. That sounds high -- various flight school web sites mentioned amounts closer to $6,000. Apparently, you can finance the tuition, though. That would translate to almost $200 a month for six years! Ouch! Yes, I agree that experience on FS2002 makes everything more manageable in the air. But when we descended toward the runway, I wanted to reach for the F7 key for the flaps!!  ;D

[Tequila Sunrise]

Ouch, i heard it was cheaper to learn in america (over here it can be done for abour

[BFMF]

The instructor told me that the average amount to be spent on getting a license is about $12,000. That sounds high -- various flight school web sites mentioned amounts closer to $6,000.

Ouch!

That does sound a bit high. I talked to the flight instructor at my local airport and she told me it would probably cost $6,000 at the most for me to get my license

[ysteinbuch]

I'll call some other flight schools and see if they charge considerably less. The flight school I mentioned is based at a rather large county airport. I suspect that schools based at strips without control towers may be more affordable. Hooray for barnstorming!!

[steve3471]

wow nice to see such a interest in reallity flight after virtual flight. i too got the bug, flying virtual for 2 years now, i start flight school in about a month the cost for me is about $5,500 Canadian (plus tax) for PPL with possible endorsments. upwards to $19,000 for CPL.
Its one of the fairest rated places to get licence on Vancouver Island British Columbia.

Here's a URL to the Victoria Flying Club.if you wish to check out
http://www.flyvfc.com/

[KennyJC]

I'd love to have a go at flying a plane but I wouldn't trust myself, If I keep crashing in fs2002 then what chance do I have in a real plane  :o

[lil_shitah]

i get my license for cheap, but it is a restricted lisence, when i get it i will be 16.

thats why i like FS2k2 so much because it is so realistic that if i practise enough i will pass

[Brett_Henderson]

If you do a little (allot actually) of research and leg-work,, you can get flying for next to nothing and with a little luck, profit from it.

Here's a scenario:

Three people get together and purchase a C172 (price is irrelevant as, unless you crash it, it will hold it's value)..

You then get with a CFI and arrange a "package deal" for his services. In return for a steady flow of "paid" time from 3 people, you negotiate a discounted rate. Outside of one of you needing an "inordinate" ammount of training, this works out well for everyone.

In the mean time, you make the plane available for lease to other students,, or pilots in general. (this ususally off-sets the cost of insurance and routine maintenance)(or helps with it anyway).

After a predetermined time period, you either agree to keep the plane or sell it and walk away, certificate in hand  ;)

With a little luck (and maybe some effort "fixing-up" the plane, you sell it for more than you paid,,  well you get the idea)

Even if all doesn't go smoothly, it would still be less expensive than just "renting" the plane for the 100+ hours it would take to get 3 guys airborne...


++special note:  this scenario assumes you plan to "expidite" your training and jump right into flying and building time. Remember,, you'll be making payments on the plane and if it sits idle ,,it defeats the purpose.

[Bazza]

Following on regarding costs.........

I am in New Zealand and you would spend about 4000 English Pounds (no pound sign on my keyboard ?) or
$6000 US to qualify here (all approx of course.

Interestingly I can qualify on a glider for a fraction of that cost,  about 400 pounds or $600 US.

Watching the fun the glider club were having recently
made me wonder - however they were overflying a beautiful piece of the world.

[ysteinbuch]

Interesting point about buying a C172 as a group and leasing it.
I checked on another flight school and the cost would be roughly $7,000 to get the license. The only added cost is a Cessna training kit ($300) and the headset (anywhere from $200 to several hundred). Ground school is self-taught using the kit.
One way I can rationalize doing this is thinking that perhaps, one day, I can move up to instrument rating, multi-engine, etc. etc., and maybe become an instructor. Hey, I can dream, right??  ::)