In article IyC7c.58287$_w.912977@attbi_s53,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

My son, age 13, is planning to take flight lessons this summer. My wife and
I are both pilots, so he has been flying since birth.

I'm of the opinion that stretched out lessons may be harmful.

My friends and I all did the FIT program while in college as a part of
our impending flight school with the USAF. We flew Cessna 120's and
140's. Flight time to solo averaged about 6-7 hours. Some did it in 3.
Those that got to 10 or 12 were in serious danger of washing out. Now
days, because of liability fears and to feed the time-building needs of
what passes for an instructor, students get 30+ hours.

OK, so I'm an opinionated old fart.

When I was your son's age, farm boys like myself could get a drivers
license at 14. We'd all been driving a long time by then. In that part
of the word, it's still true today. My son's measure of becoming a man
was when he could finally get the clutch all the way down on the truck.
He was 10.

I know a 3rd generation airline pilot whose dad let him fly the Cub out
of the pasture solo well before 16.

I gather from your letter you are intending to hold him off from solo
until 16 no matter what age he becomes ready.

So wait. Let him start his formal lessons no more than 6 weeks before
his birthday.

End of opinion.

--
Ron