Help In Choosing A School For A Private Pilot's License

Hello, I know virtually nothing about flying, but am planning on
getting a private flying license. I have already talked to a few of
the schools in and around the Tukwila/Renton Washington area, and want
to know which is the best all around school.

You've already received great advice about the specific schools in
your area. The only thing I would add is that you will be happier if
you find an older CFI with no aspirations for the airlines.
Especially now, with CFIs being plucked with as little as 250 hours.

Here are three real-world data point for you:

I was lucky enough to train with an "old-timer" who had "been there,
done that", had 20,000 hours in every imaginable aircraft -- and was
happy doing what he was doing. His entire being was focused on
teaching -- not getting to the next level.

My son had an interesting mix of instructors, doing most of his
training with a similar "old timer" (flies a '29 Travel Air on the
barnstorming network), but finishing up with a young guy who is
clearly on his way to the regionals. He actually enjoyed flying with
the young guy more (I think due to their closeness in age) -- but he
admits that he learned far more from the old guy.

My wife finished her ticket with the same CFI -- who jumped to the
regionals the same week that she took her checkride. Luckily, he was
a former banker who had changed careers, which gave him a much
different perspective than the 20-something year old CFI who is
straight-lining into the majors.

Of the people I know who never finished getting their ticket, I think
most of them ran into trouble with their CFI vanishing. Bottom line:
There are enough reasons to quit your training -- you don't need to
make your CFI one of them. Seek out the graybeard in the group.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Dec 27, 3:30*am, Christopher Brian Colohan
wrote:
Chris L writes:
Where can I get the King and Gleim DVD courses,www.airnav.comdoes
not have them.

http://www.kingschools.com/http://www.gleim.com/

Chris

I just purchased the below. Should I also get what Gleim offers?

Many thanks,

1 Private Pilot Exam Course - DVD for PC $279.00 $279.00

1 Private Pilot Checkride Course - DVD $119.00 $119.00

1 BEST BUY + 4 TAKEOFF DVDS
· Takeoffs & Landings Made Easy - DVD
· VFR Cross-Country Flying - DVD
· Taming Stalls & Spins - DVD
· Communications - DVD FREE! FREE!

1 Pvt Update Sub Svc $20.00 $20.00

FREE GIFTS
QTY DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL
1 Airspace & Communications Cockpit Card

On Dec 26, 7:12*pm, C J Campbell
wrote:
On 2007-12-25 11:58:42 -0800, Chris L said:

Hello, I know virtually nothing about flying, but am planning on
getting a private flying license. I have already talked to a few of
the schools in and around the Tukwila/Renton Washington area, and want
to know which is the best all around school.

Far be it from me to say which flight school is best, but you might
want to check us out at PAVCO at Tacoma Narrows in Gig Harbor (I have
some loyalty to the place). The bridge toll might get kind of old,
though.

You have listed some schools that I would avoid on account of their
being too impersonal or too expensive. You have also listed some good
ones. You might want to check out Auburn, too.



So what should I do,
ChristopherLusardi

P.S.: It's all for fun and remotely work related. But, I can be able
to pretend that I will to become an astronaut some day. [[:-))

You should start learning to fly. You will never find the 'best' flight
school or instructor, of course. The grass is always greener somewhere
else. AFAIK PAVCO is the only local flight school that has actually
produced an astronaut. :-)
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

Is that astronaut Love? He has a PhD in something like astronomy which
makes me shy away from his path.

Anyway, what is the bridge toll, and do they offer monthy tickets?

And, is it really just a coincidence that Pavco produced the only
astronaut?

Thank you,

Recently, Chris L posted:

Hello, I know virtually nothing about flying, but am planning on
getting a private flying license. I have already talked to a few of
the schools in and around the Tukwila/Renton Washington area, and want
to know which is the best all around school.

You've already received many useful responses from others, and I can only
think of one area to expand on what has already been presented; what kind
of student are you? The "best" school will be the one that best fits your
style of learning. Add to that any applicable knowledge that you might
already have about aviation, for example whether you built and flew model
aircraft, and it might be easier to select the kind of materials that
would convey the necessary knowledge best. Browse a few, and see what
connects.

My flight training took over a year because of limited time and resources,
so I had a few instructors and since then several more for BFRs and the
annual flight reviews that our club's insurance requires. In my opinion,
you won't stick with an instructor that is a bad match, so I wouldn't put
too much emphasis on trying to guess the good from the bad ahead of time.

Every experience can offer something useful, so just get started and let
the rest sort itself out as you go.

Regards,

Neil

On Dec 27, 8:47*am, Jay Honeck wrote:

You've already received great advice about the specific schools in
your area. *The only thing I would add is that you will be happier if
you find an older CFI with no aspirations for the airlines.
Especially now, with CFIs being plucked with as little as 250 hours.

Chris, use caution here, Jay Honeck is not a CFI, he is a hotelist in
the Midwest. The fact of the mater is that if you have a good working
relationship with your instructor, his or her age is not important.


I was lucky enough to train with an "old-timer" who had "been there,
done that", had 20,000 hours in every imaginable aircraft -- and was
happy doing what he was doing. *His entire being was focused on
teaching -- not getting to the next level.

20,000 hours ? Jay you stud! No wonder you know everything .

My son had an interesting mix of instructors, doing most of his
training with a similar "old timer" (flies a '29 Travel Air on the
barnstorming network), but finishing up with a young guy who is
clearly on his way to the regionals.

OK, for the hundreth time, your son is a pilot, thanks for reminding
us.


* He actually enjoyed flying with
the young guy more (I think due to their closeness in age) -- but he
admits that he learned far more from the old guy.

Bashing the airline guys again.



My wife finished her ticket with the same CFI -- who jumped to the
regionals the same week that she took her checkride. *Luckily, he was
a former banker who had changed careers, which gave him a much
different perspective than the 20-something year old CFI who is
straight-lining into the majors.

Who ask about your wife?

Of the people I know who never finished getting their ticket, I think
most of them ran into trouble with their CFI vanishing. *Bottom line:
There are enough reasons to quit your training -- you don't need to
make your CFI one of them. *Seek out the graybeard in the group.

Arbitrary stuff.
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination" Shameless plug

"F. Baum" wrote

20,000 hours ? Jay you stud! No wonder you know everything .

I'm beginning to think F. Baum is a bertie the bunyip sock puppet.

In any case, the sport of Jay bashing has made me decide that this is a
poster I no longer need to read.
--
Jim in NC

"Chris L" wrote in message
news:8f3acfd0-53d8-4d64-8053-
http://www.kingschools.com/http://www.gleim.com/

Chris

I just purchased the below. Should I also get what Gleim offers?


The only Gleim (or ASA) book I would recommend beyond what you already
appear to have is this one:
http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/701 (The written
test/"knowledge test" prep)


All the questions for the written, as well as all of the answers and
explanations for each. Too much to memorize but you'll walk into the test
knowing exactly what to expect.

-c

On 2007-12-27 10:17:14 -0800, Chris L said:


Is that astronaut Love? He has a PhD in something like astronomy which
makes me shy away from his path.

No, it was Pete Siebold of SpaceShipOne fame. He did the FAA
certification flights for White Knight and several of the test flights
for SpaceShip One. He started out as a line guy at PAVCO and worked his
way up to CFI-I and MEI, eventually going to work for Rutan. Siebold
was supposed to make one of the final flights in SpaceShip One, but was
grounded because of a head cold.


Anyway, what is the bridge toll, and do they offer monthy tickets?

I believe it is $3.50, but you can get a Good To Go transponder that
reduces the toll to $1.75. There is no time limit or minimum number of
tolls that you have to use. The toll is charged only when going
eastbound, not westbound.


And, is it really just a coincidence that Pavco produced the only
astronaut?

Thank you,

Mike Pickett knows Burt Rutan and introduced Pete Siebold to him,
although not for that specific job. Originally, Siebold was just
supposed to fly Rutan's StarShip.

The school has been around for about thirty years, has a good safety
record, and is infested with many interesting characters, some of whom
did things like fly for Air America.

We require and use the Cessna syllabus.
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

20,000 hours ? Jay you stud! No wonder you know everything .

I'm beginning to think F. Baum is a bertie the bunyip sock puppet.

Ya think? It would be nice to think that there couldn't possibly be
*two* such bitter "pilots" like them...

In any case, the sport of Jay bashing has made me decide that this is a
poster I no longer need to read.

Ah, shoot, Jim -- I have more faith in people than that. Pilots are
generally pretty sharp people who can spot a fool with an axe to grind
from a mile off. Bitter, unhappy folks like Bunyip and Baum have such
difficulty with cordial written communication that spotting them in
this crowd is quite simple, making them easy to filter out -- even for
newbie posters like Chris.

All Chris (or anyone else) has to do is Google our posts to see who is
real, and who is a sock puppet. The evidence is there for anyone who
wants to see it.

Besides -- sometimes B&B are quite funny, usually in completely
unintentional ways. If you killfile them, you'll miss all their
accidental wit.

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Dec 27, 8:08*pm, Jay Honeck wrote:
I'm beginning to think F. Baum is a bertie the bunyip sock puppet.

Ya think? *It would be nice to think that there couldn't possibly be
*two* such bitter "pilots" like them...

No sock puppeting here, Im sure BTB has better things to do.

In any case, the sport of Jay bashing has made me decide that this is a
poster I no longer need to read.

Interesting Jim, after your "Sperm Bucket" remarks, I feel the same
whay about your posts.


Ah, shoot, Jim -- I have more faith in people than that. *Pilots are
generally pretty sharp people who can spot a fool with an axe to grind
from a mile off.

Ah, Golly Gee, Jay --Speaking of "Fool with an ax", whats with your
hardon toward Europeans, Inner city kids, Airline guys, etc.. Is that
why you constantly remind everyone of your aviation accomplishments.
Cant help what I do fer a liven, but I own and operate a GA
aireoplane, so I figger that gives me as much right to be here as
anyone.

*Bitter, unhappy folks like Bunyip and Baum have such
difficulty with cordial written communication that spotting them in
this crowd is quite simple, making them easy to filter out -- even for
newbie posters like Chris.

Till Ya ask somethin that requires some good ol aviatin knowlege. And
speekin O bitter, I was just tryin to argue for the integrity of RAP
and you responded with personal attacks and vulgarity (On Christmas no
less). In my book that makes you the uptight one.

All Chris (or anyone else) has to do is Google our posts to see who is
real, and who is a sock puppet. *The evidence is there for anyone who
wants to see it.

Whats funny is that you and Jim seem to be about it when it comes to
me , but the list of people making negative posts toward you is much
greater over the years. All Chris (Or anyone else ) has to do is
google your threads . As you always point out, you have made lots of
friends, if you have to maintain your off topic bantor with them why
not just email them offline so you dont get on everyone's nerves.


Besides -- sometimes B&B are quite funny, usually in completely
unintentional ways. *If you killfile them, you'll miss all their
accidental wit.

I dont get individual posts from this list otherwize, Id just KF you.
Ive got an ider, Instead of boring everyone on Usnet with our mutual
distain, why dont we hook up at S&F and you can tell me what you think
to my face?


:-(
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
Another shameless plug. Ya know, I help run an aviation business on
the side, but I certainly do not see fit to advertise it here, Why do
you see fit to abuse this list in such a manner.