"Mike (Remove X's to reply)" wrote:

After seeing a commercial on TV for pilot's lessons, my childhood interest
in flying was renewed and I want to make the jump into flying. How much are
lessons typically and the license fees?

Lessons vary depending on aircraft type and location, but plan on about $60 an
hour for the plane and about $20 an hour for an instructor. Plane on at least
50 hours training, about 60% of which will be with an instructor. It's legally
possible (but unlikely) to do it in less time and will probably take longer.
Tests and books add about $250. If you elect to attend ground school for the
written exam, that will add a few hundred, but you can study on your own if
money's tight.

Once your done with the
certification, how do you access a plane? Do you rent, lease, buy?

Typically, you rent or buy. It's usually a good idea to rent until you get to
the point that you frequently want to do things they don't rent aircraft for.

Would it ever be feasable to fly
yourself somewhere else for a vacation for a week, or would it be too
expensive?

If you own the plane, it's not a problem to fly on vacation. It's usually hard to
rent one for a week; most places charge some minimum amount per day, whether you
fly that day or not. Many places won't let you take one of their planes for a week
at all.

How noisy are planes? Will I need earplugs?

Takeoff volume in mine is over 90db. You need earplugs or headphones and an intercom.

Oh, and I wear glasses, monofocal about -2.5 diopter plus astigmatism
correction of about 2.5 as well. Will this be a problem?

If your vision is correctable to 20/30 it's no problem.

George Patterson
A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you look forward to the trip.