Student Pilots

Question: Why/how did you become interested in flying?
I started flying, in my room when my parents bought me a flight simulator. I was curious and went to my local airport; I met with an instructor and explained that I was interested in flying. We went out to the parking lot and he took me up and let me fly the plane, he was so impressed that he set me up with an instructor and ive been flying ever since. I have been flying since i was 14, and i still am 14.

What’s your story?

I started ground school at the tender age of 13 compliments of Civil Air Patrol.

Would have been around 1960!

Started flying at the age of 14, compliments of JHEM. (also started flying on Microsoft Flight Simulator II on the Commodore 64 in 1984, at age 4!
For some reason I declined his offers over the years to pay for my flying lessons (what an idiot) and didn’t start flying again until I flunked out of engineering school at UMASS (thank God) at age 19 (nov '00). 6 months later had my private certificate and I was hooked. Instrument (Nov '01), commerical (Jul '02), multi (Aug '03), CFI (Mar '04), CFII, MEI, and ATP (Feb '07) followed in the past 8 years. (27th birthday was Monday).

OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH! You turned down a FREEEEE PPL! I wish I got that offer! Hearing that just kiiiills me! [/excuse my shock]

Happy Birthday James!

I know, I know, I already said I was an idiot!
That was an expensive choice I made! (though he’d kill me if I made it sound like I paid for all of my flying.)

I think a name change is in order…
How about “ATPJAMES”?

Doesn’t seem to be a way to change it in your PROFILE though. Perhaps the fine folks of the FlightAware staff could work a little voodoo…

Nah, I’d just have to change it again when I become ruler of the world.
“RulerOfTheWorldJames” just doesn’t work.
:wink:

Started at 14 too. To young. Got more serious in college. More serious about flying then college. Finished college quit flying. Just started again (flying).

Happy birthday your Highness!

Just put you new name in the “location” spot on your profile. Put “Jamesthewhatever at MHT” or whatever you feel like.

Started the day I turned 14----->Soloed at 15------>PPL at 17 (rained on my birthday)

Inst at 18

Comm and Multi at 19 (almost 20)

CFI-I at 19

MEI at 20 (most valuable rating I ever got, I was the only on in WNY beside the examiner)

ATP on 23rd birthday

Started working as a CFI when I was 20 years old. So I’ve been flying for a living 13 years now. And on May 22 I’ll celibrate 20 years since my first flight.

20 years doing one thing. Isn’t time to retire???

BTW I did pay for everything after my Inst. Thank you mom and dad for the first 87 hours. All that other flight time till I started working came from hanging out at the airport ALL day EVERYDAY working line, helping in the office, washing planes, and begging for rides. And I did get very lucky at times too.

Yeah, watch it! You only paid for about 99% of the flying.

[quote=“futureflyboy92”]
**
What’s your story?**

I was 41 years old on my first lesson. Bought my plane one year later.

Couldn’t afford it prior and no freebies were offered my way :smiley:

Allen[/quote]

:smiley: I wasn’t around 1960 :smiley:

Well, don’t get me to lying, the first part of 1960 anyway.

I started flying March 20, 2007. I am lucky and have my own plane (C182P) to use. I soloed on April 30 at 14 hours. I currently have 23.4 hours.

Btw I just turned 32 last week so I started when I was 31.

I think I read either through AOPA or the Project Pilot stuff that the average starting age is 35 years old and that it takes on average something like 65-70 hours to get PPL.

Dang 31 and your own 182. I screwed up somewhere along the way.

wow u have a 182. Im barely able to pay for my lessons, and i rent a 152 from my airport. (smallest airpane they got)
can someone explain to me the difference between a private pilot and a student pilot with pp privileges?

futureflyboy92- you need to be hitting the books a little harder as you should know that one: FAR 61.81- 61.95. A student pilot can only fly with an instructor until they get a solo sign-off, and then only within 25 miles of the home base until they get a cross-country endorsement, and even then each cross country flight must be approved and signed off by an instructor. On solos and cross country flights, a student pilot may not carry any passengers. A student pilot may not fly into or through Class B without an instructor sign-off. A student pilot may not fly with less than 3 miles visibility during the day and 5 miles at night and not at night without an instructor sign-off.

A private pilot has none of these restrictions.

I own the 182 with my two brothers. Neither one of them fly but my Dad does. It is a 1975. It is great for business.

I started flying when I was 16 after a few years playing microsoft flight simulator. I’m still training but I can fly solo and it’s a blast

After 700+ hours, it’s training from walking out on the ramp to walking off the ramp and I still feel it’s like my first flight. :smiley:

I take nothing for granted.

Allen