Would Flying Lessons Count as School?

[Justready2fly]

Hello, my name is Cody. I'm 20 years old and I'm in college right now obtaining my Associates of Science degree. I'm very interested in becoming a pilot one day soon, and my parents have been arguing with me about taking flying lessons. If I start taking the flying lessons I'm going to stop going to school while doing so. My parents want me to stay on the insurance through them. I'm not sure if the insurance would allow me to do so.

My question is, If I take Flying lessons to get my PPL to hopefully my multi-engine, would Insurance companies still keep me on the insurance since I would technically still be considered a student? or would I not be considered a student anymore?:confused:

Any advice would do... Thank you.

[BoeingMEL]

1 Don't stop school..ever, never, not for any reason!

2 Why not fly weekends and evenings?

3 Talk to your insurance company or ask your parents to.... this is not rocket science!!

Good luck. bm

[Pilot_787]

DON'T YOU EVER STOP SCHOOL FOR ANY REASON. Flying is one of the best jobs if you love it ( that my personal opinion) but you should never stop any education opportunity to pursue a flying career.

In this industry you always need something else for a backup plan, as you might have known by now the industry isn't looking well, yet that’s changing slowly, but at the same time you might lose your medical or have an accident (not work related) that could ground you from flying forever, then what are you going to do?? that’s when your degree falls in and you will be able to keep the living style you have been accustomed to while you were flying.

so again, go to school and fly at the same time, or go to school then later learn to fly, but never fly and forget about school.

[Intruder]

Most insurance companies will NOT include flying lessons in their extensions to dependents over 18 years old. They are NOT the same as school! If you want to fly AND stay in "school," find a university that has a strong aviation department and go there.

DO NOT DROP OUT OF SCHOOL TO TAKE FLYING LESSONS!!!

[SNS3Guppy]

Cody,

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

While a college degree is certainly a plus in attempting to be competitive for a job in the future (particularly certain flying jobs...but not all), it's often little more than letters put on your resume. Many don't work in the fields they studied in school. What gets you a job isn't the college degree; it's your qualifications to do the job.

Flying is a tough career in which you can nearly be guaranteed of starting over several times, and many years of lean living with poor income, multiple changes in abode, and a frugal lifestyle. A degree in your early flying years won't change that, and won't even make you competitive in most cases (nobody cares if you have a degree when flying freight, or flight instructing, or doing many of the jobs you may have early in your career...say, the first ten years or so.

What this means for you is that you have time and space to enter the work force and work on your degree at the same time. Today executing a degree by distance learning over the internet is not only a common but accepted method of pursuing an education. It's an option.

Conversely, once you enter the work force, you'll find committing to study and put in the effort to pursue a degree becomes increasingly difficult. You may find yourself like many who plan to go this route, but end up years later without any such credentials (myself included).

If you're in school, stay in school. You can learn to fly and work on our private pilot at the same time. Quitting school to get a private pilot certificate would be false economy.

If you're going to do the whole certification and go to work, it may be a different matter entirely. I began flying as a teenager at fifteen, and my first job upon graduating high school (secondary school) was ag...crop dusting. It's possible to go this route and do your schooling while you work...but you're up against two obstacles, really. One is that you have little time or energy for school when you're building your career, and the other is that for many years, you have scarcely any money with which to do it.

Flight training won't be considered "school" for insurance purposes unless you do your training through an accredited university. This is usually an expensive way to go...but a popular route for those who are able and who wish to get a degree and learn to fly at the same time. Due to the cost involved, I don't recommend it...don't forget that those ten lean years as you start your flying career still need to include plans to pay back your educational loans.

Do this for now: stay in school and work on your private pilot. See how you like it, then make plans for the future. No need to dive into it with both feet just yet, until you've sure what it is into which you'll be diving.

[Nimer767]

hello Buddy ..

I AGREE WITH THE GUYS 100%

NEVER EVER LEAVE THE SHCOOL FOR ANY REASON ,,

you can fly anytime mate ,, whenever you are free and nothing to do you can and fly ... plus you still 20 years old so you have a good time ;)

Best of luck

Happy landings

[Genghis the Engineer]

School = education

Flying = training


By and large, you need both education and training to succeed in life.

G