Need advice

This, from a shrink.

If not now, when?

Get off thy butt, go forth and commit aviation.

I'd suggest doing the private, it will allow you choices the sport
certificate will not. If you find it to your liking, you'll have that
piece of paper in half a year, and then in two and a half, an
instrument rating if you want to travel with a little more
flexablity.

Years ago 'break even' on owning vs renting was about 150 hours a
year, and if you are lucky in finding a partner, owning becomes
attractive, the airplane will usually be available when you want it,
and you'll have aviation fun for the next few decades of your life.

psychologist

On Jul 21, 2:32 pm, " wrote:
I just turned 53 and find myself finally with the time to pursue
aviation as more than an interested spectator. A pilot friend
recommended the light sport pilot designation for me. That is one
opinion.

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt
that's an issue.

Advice, please?

Terry Reade

wrote:
..

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt
that's an issue.

But you are still young. Some here have suggested that being a little
older slowed them down in training, i.e.,longer to solo, etc. I don't
know about that, but keep this story in mind:
Someone I know well went to a flight school at age 51 to fulfill his
dream to fly. He asked the very young flight instructor that was
assigned to talk to him how long it generally took to get the PPL. The
kid told him that it usually takes X number of hours, but "older" people
(like my friend) are slower to learn. Well, this guy says "thanks, but
no thanks" and goes to another instructor somewhere else and completes
the PPL in minimum time, then the IA in minimum time. He goes on to
complete the Commercial and a host of other ratings and endorsements and
gains the respect of the local flying community for his skills and
judgment.

Go for it.

On 2007-07-21 19:43:34 -0700, RomeoMike said:



wrote:
.

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt
that's an issue.

But you are still young. Some here have suggested that being a little
older slowed them down in training, i.e.,longer to solo, etc. I don't
know about that, but keep this story in mind:
Someone I know well went to a flight school at age 51 to fulfill his
dream to fly. He asked the very young flight instructor that was
assigned to talk to him how long it generally took to get the PPL. The
kid told him that it usually takes X number of hours, but "older"
people (like my friend) are slower to learn. Well, this guy says
"thanks, but no thanks" and goes to another instructor somewhere else
and completes the PPL in minimum time, then the IA in minimum time. He
goes on to complete the Commercial and a host of other ratings and
endorsements and gains the respect of the local flying community for
his skills and judgment.

Go for it.

Works better if you can find an older instructor. :-)

Hey, he could wait another ten years and learn to fly at 63! Then maybe
some of us would say he is old, except we would still be older than he
is...
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:32:35 -0000, "
wrote:

I just turned 53 and find myself finally with the time to pursue
aviation as more than an interested spectator. A pilot friend
recommended the light sport pilot designation for me. That is one
opinion.

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt
that's an issue.

Advice, please?

Terry Reade

Go for the private pilot certificate. It gives you the most
flexibility in where you can go, how fast you can get there, and how
many can fly with you. I got my PPL at age 56 and am still flying at
73. I expect to be flying in my 80's. If you are ever in doubt about
your ability, buy some time with an instructor for an evaluation of
your skills and if you are safe enough to fly.

An instructor friend of mine once said: "Given enough bananas, I could
teach a monkey to fly a plane." Teaching the monkey to talk on the
radio was another matter. ;-)

Seriously, though, the mechanics of flying a plane are not that
difficult to learn. The FAA regulations you have to know... airspace,
weather, navigation, etc., are just learning experiences.

Take a few introductory lessons and see how you like it. I have a
feeling you'll be hooked as soon as the wheels leave the ground the
first time.

Ron

Go for it! I started flying ultalights at age 60 - am now in the process of
transitioning my "fat ultralight" into an Experimental Light Sport Aircraft.
After a few years flying my Quicksilver GT400 I decided to go for the PPL,
and got the certificate at age 67. I'm now 72, and fly both my ultralight
and small Cessnas. I rent the Cessnas because I don't want the hassle of
insurance, etc. Also, I fly because I just really love getting up there and
flying around, not because I really need to go some place. At your age
though, you have tons of options. One word of caution - be ABSOLUTELY SURE
you can pass a medical exam before you show up in the AME's office. If
you're turned down for a medical you can't even fly with a driver's license
medical for Sport Pilot, whereas you can if you've never been denied a
medical, or if you've had one revoked. Try taking the Turbo Medical on the
AOPA website. That will give you a pretty good idea if you can pass a
medical. Good luck, and have fun flying!

Martha

wrote in message
ups.com...
I just turned 53 and find myself finally with the time to pursue
aviation as more than an interested spectator. A pilot friend
recommended the light sport pilot designation for me. That is one
opinion.

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt
that's an issue.

Advice, please?

Terry Reade

On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:32:35 -0000, "
wrote:

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt
that's an issue.

Terry, I took my first lesson at 68, and I'm flying with Sport Pilot
privileges at 75. I hope to fly at least until I'm 80, when my Special
Issuance medical expires. If I feel good, I'll do battle with the FAA
and get the "special" lifted or at least extended.

I fly a Piper J-3 Cub, and I elected to go for a Recreational Pilot
certificate because I didn't want to transition to a Cessna. I'm not
very athletic, not mechanically inclined, and have vision in only one
eye, so I found it extremely difficult to interface with the ground.
But I soloed the Cub at 60-odd hours and passed my flight check at
100-odd, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a wonderful thing to
have done, and I hope you pursue it.


Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942
forthcoming from HarperCollins www.flyingtigersbook.com

"Cubdriver" usenet AT danford DOT net wrote in message
...
... I hope to fly at least until I'm 80, when my Special
Issuance medical expires. If I feel good, I'll do battle with the FAA
and get the "special" lifted or at least extended.

My understanding is that to keep your Sport Pilot flying privileges you
need only assure that you are not denied issuance of a medical certificate. The
way to be sure is to simply allow your medical to quietly expire and fly on your
driver's license.

That said, be safe and ground yourself if you have knowledge that you can't
meet FAA medical standards. It will happen to all of us eventually.

Vaughn

On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 09:59:27 -0400, Cubdriver wrote:

so I
found it extremely difficult to interface with the ground

Isn't that why we fly?

- Andrew

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt


Go for it get a private and later if you desire you can fly as a sport
pilot.

I was born in '38 and see no reason why I won't be flying for many more
years. One of my A&P customers is 81 and still going strong. I expect to
keep doing his annuals for many more years.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
KPLU

wrote:
I just turned 53 and find myself finally with the time to pursue
aviation as more than an interested spectator. A pilot friend
recommended the light sport pilot designation for me. That is one
opinion.

I need to know if, at my relatively late date it is reasonable to
expect to be piloting my own plane. I am in good health, so I doubt
that's an issue.

Advice, please?

Sign up for 3-4 light sport lessons, preferably
flying a SportStar, a wonderful little trainer.
If you love it, do it. If you don't, don't.

I'm 55, started work on my Light Sport license
last year and own a CTSW...

http://www.ctflyer.com/viewtopic.php?t=735&highlight=

I'm very close to taking my practical test and
I love it. My wife has about 10 hours of instruction
and she loves it too.

Expect to take longer than the 20 hour minimum.
In my case, it was a lot longer. Everything was
easy except landing and that was a bear. I took
forever to develop the eye-leg coordination thing
to keep the airplane lined up with the runway
on final. Just expect that you won't learn as
fast as a 20-something, and if you get stuck, don't
feel bad about finding a different instructor to
give you a different perspective.

Good luck and feel free to contact me privately.
My return address works.