PPL Pitfall - funding!

[Lewy-]

Good evening one and all.

Im sure this would have been covered somewhere before, but as Im rejoining the forum after a while away, thought id like to start a fresh thread on this topic.

So, you're keen to do your ppl, you don't necessarily have any spare cash. So how do you fund your ppl training?
This is something I've wanted to do for years and have some training hours scattered here and there. So id like to know you're ideas and personal experiences on how you managed to fund your ppl training? :)

Thanks very much, i wait with anticipation :)

Regards, Lewis

[Sensible Flyer]

You can't fund it if you don't have the cash!

My advice. Look into cheaper ways of getting into the air, such as gliding. It will stand you in good stead for when you have the cash for the PPL, and you never know you may enjoy it more than powered flight! I have a PPL but still long to fly in a glider again, as frankly it's much more interesting and challenging.

I wouldn't recommend doing and hour here and an hour there as you will spend the whole lesson just getting back into it without some decent continuity. You'll just end up wasting your cash on a series of pleasure flights.

[Lewy-]

Agreed about the hour here and hour there. As its pretty pointless. But I've been told after a few years not flying, I've surprisingly clung on to what I've already learnt quite well.

Its such a shame people can't afford to do something with as much passion as powered flight seems to hold.

I am determined to complete my ppl somehow. A little sideline of repairing car starter motors and alternators is on the cards, as most are needlessly replaced right out!

[austerwobbler]

Do every bit of overtime and weekend work that comes your way !

" oh and maybe sell a kidney" :}

[Lewy-]

"sell a kidney" As yes good idea, long as it fetches enough at auctions!
Ah wait, i do enjoy a drink on occasion, so maybe not :(

[Genghis the Engineer]

It's not just about getting the PPL.

Plan for the PPL plus, say, the next 2 years after that. What flying do you want to do, and in what?

Planning for only the PPL is pointless, as what are you doing it for?

Sorry, but "no Bucks, no Buck Rogers" is a universal rule.

Basically, either treat learning slowly as a very long term hobby, or adjust finances, then save up enough to learn, spend that, then use the ongoing excess cash (that you had been saving up) for flying.

There is no magic bullet.

G

[tomtytom]

Keep buying lottery tickets

[Dash8driver1312]

I was fortunate that I was in a position that allowed me to put as much of my hard-earned pennies into aviation. I also did my time as a hangar rat, it's worth spending sunny weekends pumping AVGAS and cleaning windshields to build up networks and get the odd discount.

[FlyingKiwi_73]

you could do what i did, save up..... then luckily i got a break between jobs took 5 months out and did the Full PPL in one go...much cheaper and better flying 3 times a day, no ground school all self study (you don't need it) got it done in 60 hours not super quick (NZ minimum is 55)

or

Do what a super dedicated mate of mine did, work at a super market, live with mum and dad and spend EVERY cent you earn on flying, that guy had my respect. He wanted it bad and now he's fully on his way to his ATPL. < Go Sam>

FK

[Lewy-]

Yes no bucks no buck rogers. But i agree with taybird. I do private weekend work where possible, but also am possibly going to start some part time work at a local hotel soon to help.

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi Lewi-,

Wash aeroplanes, pump avgas, clean windscreens, sweep out hangars, get paid in flying hours - sounds good doesn't it?

It doesn't always work.

When I was in my late teens I tried this.

At first, I got a reasonable amount of flying in return for my labours, (about twenty minutes at the end of a whole weekend's work,) but as the club became busier I got less and less because paying customers came first.

In the end, I worked every Saturday and Sunday for several weeks without a break and got nothing in return. The assumption seemed to be that I must be so flying mad that I would be content just to be working with aeroplanes. The person who followed me was treated the same - as a sucker.

So if you do go down this route, make sure you have a formal agreement with the club management about how much work equals how much flying - and keep tabs.

BP.