How you can help me to obtain my pilots license

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Member for

15 years 6 months

Posts: 3

Please help me to obtain my pilots license. As you probably know, training can cost a lot of money. I am trying to raise as much money as I can to carry out my flight training. Please visit my site to find out how you can help me with no extra costs involved towards you. http://supportmyflying.blogspot.com :D

Click here or above to visit the site. :)

Remember to bookmark the site as I will be updating it with new ways of support me. (hopefully I will get some more that are completely free for everyone, there is already a free one on there so check it out)

Please tell all your friends about my site as well. :)

Original post

Member for

16 years

Posts: 242

I know it's probably not welcome, but here's some free advise. From a newly-minted commercial pilot who'd trying to get his CFI, I would HIGHLY recommend that instead of begging for donations, you find a good job and take the flight training pay-as-you go. In fact, I'd really suggest that you try to take a part time job in a field that you think you might be willing to work in long-term. The reason for this? Well, it's simple really. A LOT of airline pilots (yes and guys I know) end up being furloughed or end up working for an airline that goes under. At those times, it is very important that you have skills in another profession, or have a backup you can revert to. Believe me, I love flying too, and understand how you feel about it, but with three years of effort and work at my back, experience and others have shown me some wisdom. The other best thing you can do to reduce your costs is to always try to finish the bookwork for whatever rating or license you are seeking as early as possible. There's nothing worse than approaching a checkride and not having the bookwork out of the way.
Oh, and PLEASE stay out of debt. It's really frustrating for me to see some friends take jobs that they don't really want, because they owe lots of money and HAVE to take a job since they haven't gotten their dream job yet.
One other idea - if you're persistent, it's still possible to get a job with line service, or with folks who are in the aviation industry. I work the line at the second oldest continuously operating general aviation airport in the US. The folks I work for weren't even advertising but after checking in several times, they were willing to hire a willing helper. Working the line may seem menial, but it puts you in contact with a LOT of pilots, flight instructors, and other industry related folks - which, if you keep a good work ethic and maintain a good reputation can be very valuable in the future.

Ryan - who's spent over $20k on his aviation training thus far but is debt free and happy with progress to this point!

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 1,943

Forgive my ignorence. What is working the line ?

Member for

16 years

Posts: 242

Forgive my ignorence. What is working the line ?

Fueling planes, helping mechanics, etc...

Ryan

Member for

15 years 6 months

Posts: 3

thanks for that Ryan Short. I'm not really asking for donations, there are other ways of helping but anyway getting in debt is the last thing that I would want to do. I would have other jobs to do if it doesnt work out such as freelance AutoCad stuff if i dont get an aviation job. Im going to try and get a sponsorship when i'm old enough to apply. I would love to work at an airport just helpin out but I live about an hour away from a proper airport so I can't really get there. But in the mean time I'm just gonna try and save as much money as possible.

Member for

16 years

Posts: 242

thanks for that Ryan Short. I'm not really asking for donations, there are other ways of helping but anyway getting in debt is the last thing that I would want to do. I would have other jobs to do if it doesnt work out such as freelance AutoCad stuff if i dont get an aviation job. Im going to try and get a sponsorship when i'm old enough to apply. I would love to work at an airport just helpin out but I live about an hour away from a proper airport so I can't really get there. But in the mean time I'm just gonna try and save as much money as possible.

Well, good for you. I wasn't trying to be a wet blanket, just trying to warn against things I often see at the flight school. Oh, and see if there's an "improper" airport - like a little grass strip or a small flying club that would let you help out. The smaller GA airports, if you can be persistent and get on with good folks, are probably more likely to help you in the long run.

Ryan

Member for

15 years 6 months

Posts: 3

theres a small flying club just outside my town that teaches sport flying and microlight training but its a bit difficult to get to if you dont have a car. BTW whats a CFI? when you say pay as you go training do you mean buying each lesson seperately?

Member for

16 years

Posts: 242

theres a small flying club just outside my town that teaches sport flying and microlight training but its a bit difficult to get to if you dont have a car. BTW whats a CFI? when you say pay as you go training do you mean buying each lesson seperately?

A CFI is a Flight Instructor. And by pay as you go, I mean exactly that. If you are pretty sure that a flight school is reputable, then you may do better buying block time, but don't buy too much of it. There have been lots of stories of students losing money after what seemed like a reputable school went out of business. I knew some folks who lost in the tens of thousands of dollars when a helicopter school just shut their doors. Also, if for some unknown reason you decide you don't like it, or have an emergency and need to use your money elsewhere - it's worth the $5-10 an hour you might save by putting it all down up front. I guess some things might be a bit different in Britain, but that's what I've seen around here.

Ryan