Hints for parents of 13 year old student pilot?

Culver Academy had a summer camp that offered pilot training when I was a kid.
Their site is screwed up enough that I can't tell for sure if they still do,
but the program is mentioned in this old article
http://www.culver.org/news/publicati...non/May_03.htm
(look for "From Fleet Field")
and in this one
http://www.petersons.com/summerop/specnote.html
(look for "Culver Summer Camps/Culver Summer Aviation Program")

'seems like a place that specializes in flight training for 13-16 year olds
would be a good place to start.

(No, I didn't go to Culver. I was busy with music and cycling camps back
then. I wish I had though; it probably would have shaved some time off of
the 14 years I took to get my Private...)

--kyler

When did you say the election for the Board of Trustees in your HS District was
going to be? And have you taken out papers to run?

Don't gimmee this "alas" stuff unless you are willing to hang your dobber out
there on the line.

Jim




Eric Rood
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-You have to send your kids to a "vocational" school to learn those things in
my
-school district.


Alas, that
-is not possible.


-
-Jim Weir wrote:
-
- Oh, and the one thing I forgot was to have him sign up for both auto shop
and
- electronics shop so he can show his old man how to work on the damn thing.

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

In rec.aviation.piloting John Galban wrote:
Not a parent, but I have known a several kids that started training
early. Unless you can start him on sailplanes, I think 13 is a bit
early. The problem is that there are no immediate goals. Solo in a
power plane is at least 3 years away (seems like a lifetime to a 13
yr. old), and a PPL is 4 yrs. away. Even at 1 lesson per week, it
will be hard to maintain progress (and interest) for that long.

This is exactly what I thought as soon as I read Jay's post. Jay should
continue flying with his son, and fostering his interest, and put off
having him take formal lessons until he's atleast 15.

--- Jay



--

__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

School schedules run concurrent. Busing schedules drive the class start/stop
times. Three high schools, 4 middle schools, 14 elementary schools and 13,000
students to juggle.

Jim Weir wrote:

When did you say the election for the Board of Trustees in your HS District was
going to be? And have you taken out papers to run?
Don't gimmee this "alas" stuff unless you are willing to hang your dobber out
there on the line.

School schedules run concurrent. Busing schedules drive the class start/stop
times. Three high schools, 4 middle schools, 14 elementary schools and 13,000
students to juggle.

Jim Weir wrote:

When did you say the election for the Board of Trustees in your HS District was
going to be? And have you taken out papers to run?
Don't gimmee this "alas" stuff unless you are willing to hang your dobber out
there on the line.

This is exactly what I thought as soon as I read Jay's post. Jay should
continue flying with his son, and fostering his interest, and put off
having him take formal lessons until he's atleast 15.

Yeah, I've thought the same thing, off and on. But...

Then I read Trace Lewis' posts, with him asking insightful questions about
flying, and creating little musical videos of him flying a sail plane, and I
realize that SOME 13-year old boys *are* ready for this kind of thing. I
just don't know if *my* 13 year old boy is ready for such things.

Here's the deal: We want our son to feel the joy of flight. We want him to
be able to feel pride in achieving something other than the high score on
"Grand Theft Auto" (a popular video game, for you old fossils out there) --
while at the same time we don't want to push him into something he doesn't
appreciate.

On the OTHER other hand, a 13-year old is not unlike a pack-mule -- he'll
pretty much go whichever way you face him. If you don't steer them, they'll
just sit around all day eating potato chips and watching TV.

We are able to give him a unique opportunity -- an opportunity 99.999% of
the world will never have -- but this can be a double-edged sword if we
don't do it right.

*sigh* They say raising kids is the hardest thing you'll ever do. I'm
starting to believe that.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Excellent description!!! (add... play video games)

Jay Honeck wrote:


On the OTHER other hand, a 13-year old is not unlike a pack-mule -- he'll
pretty much go whichever way you face him. If you don't steer them, they'll
just sit around all day eating potato chips and watching TV.

Jay,
Two suggestions:
1. You should 'interview' potential instructors first to see if
he/she meet your expectations. In setting your criteria, I would
strongly suggest putting safety awareness on top of the list. Rick and
I were lucky enough to have one who was extremely safety oriented. It
may be even more important for your son who has been flying since
birth. He is so familiar with flying and may not have enough 'fear'
and 'respect' in his heart.
2. Good chemistry between a student and an instructor is very
important. You may want to let your son take lessons with several
instructors who meet your criteria and let him decide whom he likes
the best.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:vZI7c.59157$1p.964116@attbi_s54...

*sigh* They say raising kids is the hardest thing you'll ever do. I'm
starting to believe that.

Not quite. I put "stopping raising them and putting duct tape over your
mouth as they get on with their own lives" on a par.

A colleague (who also lurks here occasionally) offers the following. I met
his son and he seems highly motivated, but I'm not clear whether that is a
cause or effect...

We started [son's name] with gliders (14 is solo age), although he decided
that dad's taildragger was more interesting.

Before age 15 (assuming power-only training), let him fly your plane from
the right seat. Also make certain he participates in x-country planning,
etc. Buy the KING CD course, which will be met by protests of "boring". So
is school, so get over it.

At age 15, start weekly lessons. At age 15-2/3, step it up so that on the
16th birthday he is so over-trained that the only possible blocker to a
birthday solo is weather. Assuming you don't forget to get him a medical by
the birthday. (Don't ask...)

[dbrooks: another popular last-minute forgotten detail is the CFI signature
on the 8710, I'm told]

As to maturity, let the CFI decide. You are too close to the situation.
Speaking of CFIs, relationships are important to teens. Make certain it
works.

-- David Brooks

"Dudley Henriques" wrote

.. The important thing is to nail
that motivation issue NOW!! You want to make absolutely sure that this kid
WANTS to learn to fly and isn't doing it for any other reason!!! I can't
stress enough the importance of this single issue.
Best of luck. I have a feeling you and your wife are on top of this
already
and don't really need much help :-))
Dudley

Amen.

Too early, IMHO. Best to teach what you can yourself in the plane, then
start formal, when after a relatively short poriod, he can solo. Kids have
to see the goal, up close, or they lose interest.
--
Jim in NC


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