"Falky foo" wrote in message
...
Sounds like the opinion of a CFI.. let me address your points:

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...

"All the people" quote you exactly the same price? Sounds to me like you
talked to only one person. In any case...

change that to "around $70"

You cannot get your "private license" without hiring an instructor to
train
you.

Yes I understand.

If you do hire an instructor to train you, they will have no problem
whatsoever signing you off to take the written exam, even if you study at
home rather than taking ground school. They won't charge you for it
either.

I want to get the written part done before going up in the plane. I'm not
asking for input on whether this is advisable or not.

If you want an instructor that you have never met before, and whom you'll
never see again, to sign you off to take the written exam, they will need
to
verify that you have done the necessary work to qualify to be signed off
to
take the written exam. This is NOT a "15 seconds looking at my answers"
process.

That's why I'm looking for something automated, or something done by a
company I can send in for. I DON'T want to have to deal with an
instructor
at this point, and when I do, I want it to be as little as possible.

As others have pointed out, coursework that you PAY for include
certification for being qualified to take the written. But of course you
PAY for that coursework. There's little difference between that fee and
paying an instructor to do the verification.

Other than having to deal with the instructor, which I don't want to do if
I
don't have to.

I don't know why you say that
"all the home study stuff is very coy"...I've found the ones that provide
for a completion certificate allowing you to take the written are right
up
front about it, and not coy at all. After all, it's a marketing point
for
them.

I'd love it if you could point to specific language. If I were their
marketing guy, I'd be far more explicit, saying something like, "This
certificate satisfies FAA regulation XX.XX(x) and allows you to take the
written exam without other CFI signoff."

Why you would want to do all the home study for the written without
getting
near an airplane, never mind hiring an instructor to teach you to fly, I
have no idea.

Because I don't have time to do the actual flight training now, and
because
I already know a great deal about what the FAA tests for, and because I
like
to do one thing at a time. Pete, don't fear people who do things
differently than you do!





I hope that you have researched the regulations for the validity period of
the written exam. IIRC the flight test and ALL flight requirements and
paperwork must be completed within two years of the written exam date.

While there is nothing wrong with self study, it is more common to do the
written a few months before the flight test so that the exam prep work will
also be recent and will also prepare you for the oral part of the flight
test.

There are many sources of practice exam materials and they can often be
purchased used from someone who has just completed their training. I bet if
you asked nicely someone on this group could email sample exams or sell you
their used material and may even have other student supplies like denault
computers and practice maps and books.





But if you insist on doing so, you're going to have to pay
*someone* for the signoff for the written, whether that's through the
purchase of appropriate home study materials or by paying an instructor
to
take the time to verify your knowledge before taking the written.

That's fine, as long as I don't blow $180 on a home study course and then
have to spend another $70 (or AROUND $70) to have some noodle write his
name
on it.

Thanks again!