Let's see...about me...
All too typical story really. About 6 years ago I started down the path towards a private, did my 3 solo takeoff/landings, was starting on cross country flying, took and passed the knowledge test...then things came unglued. My 1st CFI took a job with a regional airline, the school went under and was bought out, I had a chain of different CFIs all with different ideas of what to teach and teaching the same things over...~10 somewhat frustrating hours added to my logbook, then I wound up moving half way across the country and had other concerns for awhile. So, with about 25 hours in my logbook, flying took a back seat.
The goal was fun flying...I have a career already so no dreams of airlines or anything. My interest at the time was especially focused on two seat experimental planes. I really liked the CH701 (this was before the 750 was available) and I actually got all the tools and built an empennage for a Van's RV-8.
Fast forward to now... I've got an itch to get back in the air. I started checking the local flight schools about finishing my private... but a bit of reflection pointed me towards the sport pilot license as a better fit. In the short term I think it'll get me into the air in the sort of fun planes I'm interested in... in the long term, well, we'll just see, right?
I'm currently checking out my instruction options in the North Texas area. I visited Denton/U.S. Aviation recently (I'm a bigger guy and the Remos seems wise) but I'm a bit concerned about some of the stories I've read about congestion at DTO. Looking for any and all options, but would like to start soon and fly 3-5 times a week.
Cheers!
Hi all from DFW area!
Moderator: drseti
HI
I trained at KFFZ Falcon Field in Mesa Az 3 years ago. At the time it was in the top 5 busiest GA airports. There were students from all over the world training there. Most you could hardly understand on the radio. I feel it was an advantage to train in a congested area. A lot of people who train at un towered or slow airports become very intimated if they need to go to a towered or busier airport. It really helps with pattern and radio work. Normally you fly off to a practice area to do your maneuvers so that's not a problem.
Good luck and find yourself a CFI and Sport Pilot DPE and git er done!!
Brian
I trained at KFFZ Falcon Field in Mesa Az 3 years ago. At the time it was in the top 5 busiest GA airports. There were students from all over the world training there. Most you could hardly understand on the radio. I feel it was an advantage to train in a congested area. A lot of people who train at un towered or slow airports become very intimated if they need to go to a towered or busier airport. It really helps with pattern and radio work. Normally you fly off to a practice area to do your maneuvers so that's not a problem.
Good luck and find yourself a CFI and Sport Pilot DPE and git er done!!
Brian
Owner of N3081X (Cover Girl) A Beautiful Allegro 2000 as seen on the cover and inside of several magazines!!
Jon,
I can't offer you any recommendations for instruction in North Texas.
I have a lot of time teaching primary instruction and my opinion is that if you schedule 3-5 times a week you'll fly 2-4 times and this is the cheapest way to learn. Your "muscle memory" and your brain don't have to be renewed each time you get in the airplane, so your skills don't decay between lessons so much. My own personal opinion, but I think you have it right.
Sport Pilot will get you flying soon, no doubt. It should only take a few hours - 5 or so perhaps (no guarantees) - to get you back in the swing of things and progressing.
There may be discussion that you should go ahead and get your private or do this or that. I won't go down that road. I'm happy to see you flying and it sounds to me like you can figure it out for yourself from there.
If there is an EAA chapter in your area, I encourage you to join it.
All instructors are individual, just like students. The kids may be more comfortable with the glass panels (or not), the old timers may have seen more and teach from a wider experience base. I'd say the instructor is as important as the environment.
A busy environment can take more training but it can also be good experience if you need to operate there. But, if you're only going to snake hunts and jackrabbit shoots in rural Texas, do you need to know how to go into DFW, anyway? I'd say take it like it comes and don't worry about it. A good instructor will get you through whichever.
Good luck and hope to see you in the air soon.
I can't offer you any recommendations for instruction in North Texas.
I have a lot of time teaching primary instruction and my opinion is that if you schedule 3-5 times a week you'll fly 2-4 times and this is the cheapest way to learn. Your "muscle memory" and your brain don't have to be renewed each time you get in the airplane, so your skills don't decay between lessons so much. My own personal opinion, but I think you have it right.
Sport Pilot will get you flying soon, no doubt. It should only take a few hours - 5 or so perhaps (no guarantees) - to get you back in the swing of things and progressing.
There may be discussion that you should go ahead and get your private or do this or that. I won't go down that road. I'm happy to see you flying and it sounds to me like you can figure it out for yourself from there.
If there is an EAA chapter in your area, I encourage you to join it.
All instructors are individual, just like students. The kids may be more comfortable with the glass panels (or not), the old timers may have seen more and teach from a wider experience base. I'd say the instructor is as important as the environment.
A busy environment can take more training but it can also be good experience if you need to operate there. But, if you're only going to snake hunts and jackrabbit shoots in rural Texas, do you need to know how to go into DFW, anyway? I'd say take it like it comes and don't worry about it. A good instructor will get you through whichever.
Good luck and hope to see you in the air soon.
Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
ATP CFI-I/ME/G LSRM-A
ATP CFI-I/ME/G LSRM-A
Thanks guys.
One advantage of the "experience" I have at this point is that it showed me the importance of both CFI and the airplanes/FBO/school. I hope I'm a bit more savvy about what to look for, and what to ask, this time around. It's surprisingly hard to find CFIs or anything for Sport Pilot though.
The biggest part of my problem right now is just my damned weight. I've never been especially light but about a year ago I was touring some back (dirt) roads in Colorado on my motorcycle when I suddenly got the urge to go flying ... well, maybe not urge, but flying happened. Nothing too bad, just a few broken bones (I actually rode back to my hotel, before the insurance company totaled that bike), but recovery time turned into sitting around getting fat time. I honestly never realized a person can put an extra 40+lbs on and not even notice. A humbling eye opener. Had my "oh &#@" moment a few weeks ago and the weight has been going down since, but wow. It keeps me out of a lot of planes unless I find a very light instructor, hence the Remos preference.
To clarify on the congestion comment:
Back in California most of my training was around Chino, which according to AirNav does about 450 operations a day (whatever that translates to) and gave me a decent amount of experience with parallel runways and sharing airspace with a variety of planes. I was just starting to venture into some of the more crowded areas of SoCal (we did one flight to Long Beach, which AirNav puts at about 900 operations a day). By that standard, Denton averages 288/day...not so bad even though Denton has a single runway. I've flown in areas that are technically more crowded. I wasn't concerned until I came across some online CFI discussions indicating that Denton had issues not necessarily shown by the numbers. I've never flown there so I'm not sure.
Anyway, thanks for the comments and I'm looking forward to hanging around here. Especially the EAA chapter idea...I was doing that back in California but I really should re-start here.
One advantage of the "experience" I have at this point is that it showed me the importance of both CFI and the airplanes/FBO/school. I hope I'm a bit more savvy about what to look for, and what to ask, this time around. It's surprisingly hard to find CFIs or anything for Sport Pilot though.
The biggest part of my problem right now is just my damned weight. I've never been especially light but about a year ago I was touring some back (dirt) roads in Colorado on my motorcycle when I suddenly got the urge to go flying ... well, maybe not urge, but flying happened. Nothing too bad, just a few broken bones (I actually rode back to my hotel, before the insurance company totaled that bike), but recovery time turned into sitting around getting fat time. I honestly never realized a person can put an extra 40+lbs on and not even notice. A humbling eye opener. Had my "oh &#@" moment a few weeks ago and the weight has been going down since, but wow. It keeps me out of a lot of planes unless I find a very light instructor, hence the Remos preference.
To clarify on the congestion comment:
Back in California most of my training was around Chino, which according to AirNav does about 450 operations a day (whatever that translates to) and gave me a decent amount of experience with parallel runways and sharing airspace with a variety of planes. I was just starting to venture into some of the more crowded areas of SoCal (we did one flight to Long Beach, which AirNav puts at about 900 operations a day). By that standard, Denton averages 288/day...not so bad even though Denton has a single runway. I've flown in areas that are technically more crowded. I wasn't concerned until I came across some online CFI discussions indicating that Denton had issues not necessarily shown by the numbers. I've never flown there so I'm not sure.
Anyway, thanks for the comments and I'm looking forward to hanging around here. Especially the EAA chapter idea...I was doing that back in California but I really should re-start here.
I wouldn't worry about DTO traffic or being in the DFW airspace. DTO is on the northern edge with a 4,000 foot ceiling. Takes maybe 3 minutes from DTO to get outside of the airspace. You won't normally need to talk to FW approach/departure.
DTO is not a busy airport even on a Saturday morning. I fly near there quite a bit and rarely hear more than a plane or two in the DTO controlled airspace.
If you want an non-towered airport, you could try Northwest Regional (52F) in Roanoke. I believe North Texas Flight Academy has a SportStar. Used to have two but low-time pilot put one in the trees south of DTO at night. I used them to cut my teeth on LSA before going the ownership route.
US Aviation has a larger fleet so you would have more options to hit your schedule.
There are other options on the Dallas-side of DFW but I'm assuming you're in the north I35 area based on the original request.
DTO is not a busy airport even on a Saturday morning. I fly near there quite a bit and rarely hear more than a plane or two in the DTO controlled airspace.
If you want an non-towered airport, you could try Northwest Regional (52F) in Roanoke. I believe North Texas Flight Academy has a SportStar. Used to have two but low-time pilot put one in the trees south of DTO at night. I used them to cut my teeth on LSA before going the ownership route.
US Aviation has a larger fleet so you would have more options to hit your schedule.
There are other options on the Dallas-side of DFW but I'm assuming you're in the north I35 area based on the original request.
dave
Good to know about DTO from someone who has flown there. People were making it sound like a nightmare, which didn't really add up.
I'm pretty comfortable with airspaces, or was. I don't know if you've ever looked at a Los Angeles sectional but we had three Cs and a (to me) complicated B to play with. My home airport for most of my training (where I soloed) was a non-towered field under a 2700' C shelf, with B not far away. Of course mostly what we did was head straight to the nearest towered field so I have talked to controllers both in the air and on the ground. I'm sure I'll stumble a bit (mic work was never my strongest skill) but it'll come back/improve.
Horror stories about a dozen planes in the pattern and nobody able to speak intelligible English are worrisome.
My closest airport (by a great distance) is ADS. A sport pilot oriented school recently moved to ADS but they run PiperSport planes. The left seat weight limit will keep me out of their cockpit for a couple of months I'd rather not lose. Love to hear some other options.
Thanks again!
I'm pretty comfortable with airspaces, or was. I don't know if you've ever looked at a Los Angeles sectional but we had three Cs and a (to me) complicated B to play with. My home airport for most of my training (where I soloed) was a non-towered field under a 2700' C shelf, with B not far away. Of course mostly what we did was head straight to the nearest towered field so I have talked to controllers both in the air and on the ground. I'm sure I'll stumble a bit (mic work was never my strongest skill) but it'll come back/improve.
Horror stories about a dozen planes in the pattern and nobody able to speak intelligible English are worrisome.
My closest airport (by a great distance) is ADS. A sport pilot oriented school recently moved to ADS but they run PiperSport planes. The left seat weight limit will keep me out of their cockpit for a couple of months I'd rather not lose. Love to hear some other options.
Thanks again!
Don't know the specs but Max Bolin (http://www.fun2flytexas.com/) teaches in an Ercoupe down at Lancaster. I know one of his Sport Pilot grads and I also did my last BFR with him. Highly recommend. Could also get a Seaplane endorsement with him.
My home field (T31) in McKinney is fun place to fly out of with lots of great airplanes from vintage to experimental to a Soviet-era MiG. Four Winds (http://www.tail-wheel.com/) has a 2007 Legend Cub they use for SP. We have 3000' paved and 1500' turf runways. They fly/teach on both. Don't know them personally. They also teach aerobatics and give thrill rides.
One of my hangar mates teaches PP in his own 172. Nice guy, ATP for a regional carrier. Might take the same amount of time to get your PP finished up as SP.
I would NOT fly out of ADS. Typically the highest 100LL in the US. Extremely congested with all take-off/landing practice being done at KTKI (or other airports). You waste a good 30+ minutes a flight getting to practice areas. Flying in/out of there on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning is a zoo! Lot of corporate jets in/out in the late afternoons. Not fun spacing a final at 55 kts between two jets. Been there, done that, would rather not.
My home field (T31) in McKinney is fun place to fly out of with lots of great airplanes from vintage to experimental to a Soviet-era MiG. Four Winds (http://www.tail-wheel.com/) has a 2007 Legend Cub they use for SP. We have 3000' paved and 1500' turf runways. They fly/teach on both. Don't know them personally. They also teach aerobatics and give thrill rides.
One of my hangar mates teaches PP in his own 172. Nice guy, ATP for a regional carrier. Might take the same amount of time to get your PP finished up as SP.
I would NOT fly out of ADS. Typically the highest 100LL in the US. Extremely congested with all take-off/landing practice being done at KTKI (or other airports). You waste a good 30+ minutes a flight getting to practice areas. Flying in/out of there on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning is a zoo! Lot of corporate jets in/out in the late afternoons. Not fun spacing a final at 55 kts between two jets. Been there, done that, would rather not.
dave
I'm going to check out Four Winds, actually just left them a voice mail though I don't expect anything back soon (holidays and all)...I would honestly love to switch to a conventional gear plane, though I don't know what the max pilot weight is for the Legend Cub. If it's safe I'll pursue it.
I agree on ADS. I took one PPL training flight there (from American Flyers) years ago and the ratio of engine time to practice time was bad. They were actively knocking my previous instruction because I had several <1hr training flights in my logbook, but the actual amount of practice was probably higher in the shorter flights. It is frustrating since I work literally at the airport (my office is in one of the hangar/office buildings on the west side) and live nearby.
I'm torn on getting the PP finished. A few weeks ago I was 100% sure that's what I'd do. Then I decided the SP ticket was a better fit anyway. Then I got on a scale again... ugg.
Part of me wants to get the SP ticket just to be obstinate, since it seems like so few want anything to do with the class.
I agree on ADS. I took one PPL training flight there (from American Flyers) years ago and the ratio of engine time to practice time was bad. They were actively knocking my previous instruction because I had several <1hr training flights in my logbook, but the actual amount of practice was probably higher in the shorter flights. It is frustrating since I work literally at the airport (my office is in one of the hangar/office buildings on the west side) and live nearby.
I'm torn on getting the PP finished. A few weeks ago I was 100% sure that's what I'd do. Then I decided the SP ticket was a better fit anyway. Then I got on a scale again... ugg.
Part of me wants to get the SP ticket just to be obstinate, since it seems like so few want anything to do with the class.
Last edited by Jon V on Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A better reason for going SP is that it truly represents the future of GA, and you can be at the cutting edge of the new wave (thumbing your nose at those luddites who haven't caught on yet).Jon V wrote:Part of me wants to get the SP ticket just to be obstinate, since it seems like so few want anything to do with the class.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Who cares what they think? Sport pilot flying is fun and at a much cheaper cost.Jon V wrote:Ha..yes, the future, though I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
I'm not one to thumb my nose at anyone, as long as we're all having fun. Even if it is kinda annoying when you ask about SP training and get a derisive, "Why would you want to do that?"
Exactly! Who cares.
Anyway... Four Winds looks really cool. Coolest flight school I've seen anywhere. I talked to a CFI there (didn't get his name) a bit yesterday. Nice planes. Good guy to talk to. Most expensive school I've seen but it sounds like you get what you pay for.
He didn't come out and say it but it sure sounds like someone stood the cub on its nose recently. New prop, they are in the process of breaking in the engine with ~750 hours on the hobbs, etc... sounds like someone had a bad day to me. I probably should've probed a bit more but his student arrived so I let him go.
The problem is the useful load of the cub. The guy I spoke to didn't think it was a big problem but I'd rather not push things.
At this point I'm going to see what 10-15 hours at USAA/Denton does for me.
About that Cub...NTSB search time..."On January 2, 2011, approximately 0900 central standard time, an American Legend Aircraft AL3, N102PJ, was substantially damaged following a loss of directional control while landing at the Aero Country Airport (T31), McKinney, Texas. The solo student pilot was not injured. ...
"According to a statement provided by the student pilot, upon landing at the airport, the airplane bounced several times before the student pilot lost control of the airplane. The airplane veered to the right and departed the runway, and the airplane's right wing struck a construction sign. The airplane then impacted a ditch and came to rest in the inverted position. The airplane's right wing and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged during the accident."
Anyway... Four Winds looks really cool. Coolest flight school I've seen anywhere. I talked to a CFI there (didn't get his name) a bit yesterday. Nice planes. Good guy to talk to. Most expensive school I've seen but it sounds like you get what you pay for.
He didn't come out and say it but it sure sounds like someone stood the cub on its nose recently. New prop, they are in the process of breaking in the engine with ~750 hours on the hobbs, etc... sounds like someone had a bad day to me. I probably should've probed a bit more but his student arrived so I let him go.
The problem is the useful load of the cub. The guy I spoke to didn't think it was a big problem but I'd rather not push things.
At this point I'm going to see what 10-15 hours at USAA/Denton does for me.
About that Cub...NTSB search time..."On January 2, 2011, approximately 0900 central standard time, an American Legend Aircraft AL3, N102PJ, was substantially damaged following a loss of directional control while landing at the Aero Country Airport (T31), McKinney, Texas. The solo student pilot was not injured. ...
"According to a statement provided by the student pilot, upon landing at the airport, the airplane bounced several times before the student pilot lost control of the airplane. The airplane veered to the right and departed the runway, and the airplane's right wing struck a construction sign. The airplane then impacted a ditch and came to rest in the inverted position. The airplane's right wing and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged during the accident."
"Bounced several times" is both a red flag and a safety lesson. You get exactly one bounce. After that, you add full power and right rudder, go around, and try that landing again.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
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jeepinbanditrider
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:49 pm
- Location: T67
- Contact:
Can you be a little more specific about where you are I've got at least one suggestion though it may be a drive for ya.
Midway Regional in Midlothian has a lady I actully flew down and talked to about doing my PPL. Was a really nice place the CFIs were knowledgable and I was about to start my training down there when I found a place litterly right down the road from my house.
http://www.bigqaviation.com/
When I last talked to them about a month or so ago they were waiting for delivery of their CTLS and then they were going to start teaching for sport pilot certs. Might want to check them out. If I wasn't so close to this place up in Saginaw (Pro Aircraft at T67 Hicks Field) I would be down there learning from them. I got a good vibe from that place.
Midway Regional in Midlothian has a lady I actully flew down and talked to about doing my PPL. Was a really nice place the CFIs were knowledgable and I was about to start my training down there when I found a place litterly right down the road from my house.
http://www.bigqaviation.com/
When I last talked to them about a month or so ago they were waiting for delivery of their CTLS and then they were going to start teaching for sport pilot certs. Might want to check them out. If I wasn't so close to this place up in Saginaw (Pro Aircraft at T67 Hicks Field) I would be down there learning from them. I got a good vibe from that place.
An idea for training
Not sure if you'd be interested but you can contact John Clark at KLNC in Lancaster. He has a 1946 Ercoupe 415C. I took all of my training in that plane. He has his PP as well as CFI for Sport. He has a full time job as well. I did my training on weekends. An hour or two here and there. I took 10 months to complete mine. He does do block rate discounts. $75 an hour for the plane and $25 an hour for him. Very good guy. His partner Max does PP training. Class G, no tower and little congestion. There is also a grass strip about 6.2 nm south of KLNC which is T13 Dallas South. So you can do that training on grass. Not a big structured school but more of a personal experience. Just a thought. Great little Airport. message me if you'd like his cell number.
Bill
Bill