What's holding you back? The general reasons almost always group themselves into intangibles, like doubting your own ability to master seemingly impossible technical tasks, and very tangible concerns about money and time.
Many reasons for not learning to fly are based on old wives' tales or bad information. Let's run down the "Gee, I wish I could, but..." list and examine each of the common reasons that hold people back from learning to fly.
The intangible excuses
The intangible reasons are quite often based on fears that have no basis in fact. This is especially true when it comes to the knowledge or mental aptitude required. Most people do not realize that everything they'll need to know about flying will be spoon-fed to them during training. It is the ground instructor's goal to take a person and school them in the intricacies of aviation. You can learn anything, and the instructor can teach it.
How much math do I need to know? It would help if you can add and subtract. Sometimes multiplication and division are handy, too. That's about it--honest! Fourth-grade arithmetic will take care of the entire thing.
How complicated is the technology involved? Do you have a general idea how your car engine works? Gas and air mix in the carburetor or fuel injection system, it's squirted into the cylinders, and fired by a spark plug. There, we just gave a quick course in aviation engine theory. The rest of the systems are just as familiar; most parallel the family car but are much simpler. Airplanes are quite rudimentary, once everything is explained.
What about aerodynamics and other scientific concepts? What you need to know about aerodynamics has carefully been distilled into easily learned lesson plans. Similarly, quite a number of commercial pilot-training products readily explain how an airplane flies while imparting a practical understanding of the concepts--without requiring an engineering degree. Such learning can even be done online.
Do I have to understand meteorology? Again, ground school is there to teach you what you don't know. Television weather is always presented on a map, complete with warm and cold fronts, low- and high-pressure systems, and other weather features you've seen on an almost daily basis. Ground school will expand on that and orient it toward aviation.
I hear FAA regulations are hard to understand. You heard right. The FAA doesn't specialize in clarity, but every ground school does. Regulations can be presented understandably--in a classroom, book, DVD, or CD. Student pilots can pick the method that works best for them.
I'm afraid I'm going to panic or freeze up. That's understandable. This is an entirely new environment, and no one but pilots routinely deal with the third dimension. Even so, it's highly unlikely that you'll panic as things become more concentrated. The most common reaction from first-time students is, "That wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I can do this."
What about airsickness? I don't want to embarrass myself. Very few people actually get sick in an airplane while learning to fly and, of those who do, the majority have spent so much time worrying about it that they've made themselves sick. Even those who have initial problems get past it in around three hours of flight time.
I'm easily frustrated. Let's be honest: This could be a problem. Learning of any kind has plateaus. There are periods of rapid learning followed by times when progress seems to stop. Some days it will seem like you can't do anything right, and that feeling is normal. The problem may lie in what you do about it--if you're not a dust-myself-off-and-get-right-back-on-the-horse person, maybe you'd be happier doing something with fewer challenges. However, if you like to conquer challenges, you're going to love learning to fly. It's amazing how great the feeling of accomplishment can be. That alone is reason enough to learn to fly.
I'm older, will this be more than I can handle? Age can be a positive factor in that you handle frustrations and setbacks better than one of those impulsive kids of 35. You may learn a little slower, but that'll be the extent of age-related difficulties. Also, the FAA doesn't recognize age as a disqualifying factor. This may sound like a clich�, but in aviation the effects of age are largely in your head. If you think you're old, you'll be old, and vice versa. Is there a logical age limit? No, because it's an issue of demonstrated ability. Pilot certificates have been earned by people in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s.
My fine motor skills aren't great. Is that a problem? Eye/hand coordination is a good thing. Too bad more of us don't have it. Flying is primarily a head game. You have to know what it is you want to do, see what is happening, and make control inputs to achieve the desired result. If you can drive safely, you have the motor functions required to fly. You'd be amazed how many mere mortals have learned to fly.
The tangible excuses
Some of the reasons people give for not learning to fly have a basis in fact, but quite often a limitation is assumed to be there, when in reality the FAA doesn't recognize it as such. Still there are some issues, most of them physical, that are deal breakers.
Is the medical exam difficult? The aviation medical exam is a screening exam aimed at spotting big problems (blood pressure, vision), not small ones. In many cases, if there is a disqualifying factor, it can be worked out with the FAA and medical certification can be issued.
If, however, you think you will fail because of a known condition--and you have a valid driver's license--don't take the medical exam! You don't need a medical certificate to fly light sport aircraft (LSA, Piper Cubs, Aeronca Champs, etc.). However, if you try for a certificate and fail the exam, the FAA won't let you go the sport pilot route without jumping through some potentially onerous hoops.
- Eyes. Your vision must be correctable to 20/40 and you will probably find a limitation on your medical certificate that requires you to have or wear your glasses. If you have color vision deficiency, you'll have a limitation on your certificate that stipulates, "No night flight or by color control"--meaning no light-gun signals, which are seldom seen any more anyway. Often taking a simple demonstrated ability test will result in a waiver that removes all limitations.
- Blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high and you're taking medicine for it, the FAA has a long list of acceptable blood pressure medicines and procedures you'll have to follow. Usually, it means occasional rechecks. A comprehensive database of medications, including those that are disqualifying, can be found at AOPA Online. Some very common medicines are on the list, including aspirin.
- Heart. You can fly if you have undergone a heart bypass, but the FAA will require you to undergo periodic rechecks. You can fly with a pacemaker, so long as it is does not contain an internal cardiac defibrillator. There are a few irregular heartbeat issues that might be disqualifying, but not necessarily.
- Cancer, seizures, and other conditions. A history that includes cancer, if it's in remission, in many cases will mean little more than reports from your treating physicians and some other paperwork, although you can expect to be grounded if you're currently being treated for cancer. As a general rule, any medical condition that includes seizures is grounds for disqualification.
Medical disqualification doesn't mean you cannot still learn to fly--it just means you'll always have to fly with another pilot, and cannot fly solo. This isn't as terrible as it may sound, because flying with a friend is usually more fun than flying alone anyway. Learn more about medical requirements at AOPA Flight Training Online.
The most common excuses
The most common reasons given for not learning to fly are time and money. When someone says that, what they are saying is that every single person out there who has actually learned to fly has more time and money then they do. We seriously doubt that's the case.
When someone says, "Oh, I don't have the time," what they mean is, "I don't want to make the time." They aren't sufficiently motivated to do it.
The cost of learning to fly typically ranges from $5,000 to $7,000, and it is usually spread out over several months to a year, or even longer. A number of flight training schools are allied with lending institutions, and AOPA offers a line of credit to qualified members. And most flight schools are pay-as-you-go, although some offer discounts if you prepay the whole amount, or portions as you progress. (We recommend prepayment for the savings a discount can provide, but suggest you prepay using a credit card--arbitration through the bank gives you recourse in the unlikely event of disagreement later.)
Time
Don't think you're going to learn to fly in your "free" time, because free time doesn't exist. It all comes from someplace, the most common sources being family, job, and other pursuits.
Family considerations. Don't build a wall of resentment around your flying activities by stealing time from the family or other personal relationships. Include them and try extra hard to be there for them when you're needed (Little League games, PTA, etc.). It'll pay off in the long run.
Hobbies/other activities.
Other leisure-time activities are the most likely sources for available time. Flying is one of those skills that benefit from near-total immersion: You want to put yourself fully into it and stay there until you're finished. This is the ideal situation, although we recognize it's not always possible. However, it makes sense to put boating or golfing on a back burner while learning to fly occupies the front two.Scheduling. The ideal situation is to fly twice a week, which assumes you have both the time and the money. The less frequently you fly, the more hours it is going to take. Once a week works fine, but the losses associated with time become higher if you fly, say, once a month. This is the primary reason it's advantageous to have all of the money for the training available when you start, so you don't have to nickel and dime your way through it.
Finances
Aviation is expensive. That's impossible to argue. But it's also one of the most rewarding things you'll ever put a dollar into.
Total costs required. The total amount you'll spend depends very much on location and the type of training situation in which you enroll. The hourly costs range from $65 for a rural operation using a Cessna 150 to $130/hour or more for a recognized flight school in an urban area using a newer Cessna 172. Tack on another $40 or so for the flight instructor (again, this amount will vary according to location). Although the minimum requirement in the regulations is less, assume it will take you 70 hours to get your private pilot certificate.
Big school/little school. The big flight school has the advantage of a more tightly controlled program--and, probably, a larger fleet of available aircraft--but it may have the disadvantage of a less personal approach. It's also probably going to be more expensive. The little school often will be the opposite in both of those areas. Instructor turnover can affect the continuity of your instruction, but this is more a function of commercial pilot hiring than the size of the flight school.
Are there scary parts? This depends on the individual, but we'd be lying if we said there were no scary parts. However, the initial solo isn't one of them. The first solo generally happens so quickly and with so little warning that it's something you just "do." The flight test is generally hands down the scariest part, mostly because of the psychological build-up.
How tough is the flight test? The goal of a so-called checkride isn't to flunk you, regardless of what the airport wags say. And, if they'd shut up, "The Ride" wouldn't loom as such a frightening experience. The goal of a checkride is to protect you by making certain you've learned what you should have learned and can do what you're supposed to be able to do. You'll be nervous and under pressure, so if you can perform on the checkride, you're probably OK.
If you bust the ride, it's no big deal. You just go back and do it again after getting a little more training in the areas the examiner saw as being weak. This is a good thing, not a bad thing. Look at it as being the FAA's way of taking care of you and your family. And by the way, far more people pass than flunk.
So, what do you think? Think you can make it happen? Of course you can. Look at all the other people who have learned and earned a pilot certificate. Have at it--and above all, have fun!
Budd Davisson is an aviation writer/photographer and magazine editor who has written approximately 2,200 articles and has flown more than 300 different types of aircraft. A CFI since 1967, he teaches about 30 hours a month in his Pitts S-2A Special. Visit his Web site.
Want to know more?
Links to additional resources about the topics discussed in this article are available at AOPA Flight Training Online.
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