getting depresed

[VIKKI]

i had my first lesson when i was 15 im now 18 and still no licence

i cant afford to go that often so lessons have to be repeated etc

i have about 30hrs at the mo and its all getting a bit depressing people keep telling me that i should get all training done quick but how can i when i have no money. I can go once a month at best.

Anyone else take ages to get their ppl?


vicky

[tacpot]

When I decided to get my license back after my long lay off, I decided that as continuety is so important I would not let money play a part in the process. I flew as often as I could, and put it all on various credit cards. Once I had go my license I took out a zero percent for six months credit card from Egg, and transfered all the balances of my other credit cards to the Egg card (a total of £3500) - After the 6 months interest free period was up, I got bank loan from the Nationwide Building society at 7.9%APR and paid off the Egg credit card balance. Thus I have borrowed all the money I needed for less than any currently available personal loan.

Take advantage of the low interest rates - you are going to spend the money anyway - spending it as you are doing at the moment will cost you a lot more than the interest on a loan.

A friend did a PPL completion course in the US and is very glad he did. Having trained mostly in the UK, the US experience broadened his flying and he is very happy with his decision.

Best wishes

[28thJuly2001]

Sorry to be so negative but if you can only afford to fly once a month now, how are you going to be able to afford to fly once you qualify?
Leaving that aside I would do what tacpot suggested, bung it on the credit card, enjoy the training and worry about the bill later.
It's just to much fun to worry about money
28th,,:D
P.S. I am off for another credit card....well they can only kill you once.:p

[Aussie Andy]

VIKKI:im now 18 You have so much of your life ahead of you! I know patience doesn't come easy to the young - but one day you will look back and it won't seem as bad as it does now :)

Getting the license is a great goal - but shouldn't be looked on as the end of the journey. In the end, you will fly as much as you can afford, especially while young and short of cash (almost by definition!) - this will be just as true before as after when you get your license.

Don't be depressed: be delighted that you are one of a few - especially at your age - with the ability, nouse and drive to have even 30 hours flying time to your credit, and the privelege of being able to see the world from above and to enjoy what flying you can, when you can!

Hope this helps... :)

[G73DC]

Vikki,

Its always frustrating when you want something so bad and something always seems to stand in the way.

I have been involved in flying ever since I engaged my memory. My family used to take Grumman Goose and Widgeon planes out to the islands off the coast of Auckland for holidays - that is when I knew I wanted to be a pilot at the ripe young age of 4.

I started thinking about it seriously some years ago and finally completed my PPL(A) this past summer at Biggin Hill.

My advice:
You might like to ask if the flight school can call you if any spare seats are available. I found that just by being in the plane listening to the radio calls, feeling the plane during manuveurs, and watching other pilots kept me in the game. Most of all it gave me the confidence and ability to fly these things.

Depending on your flight school rules re keeping current during training, being a passenger may suffice, enabling you to stretch out your month to two months - cheaper eh?
NB: Speak to your instructor first though.

Best of luck to you! :-)




:) :)

[QDMQDMQDM]

Hi Vikki,

Here's my two penn'orth.

1. Don't get into debt to fund the training, unless it is genuinely an investment in your future, i.e. you will definitely be doing a commercial. Debt, no matter how apparently reasonable at the time, is pernicious and it will eat away at your soul, particularly if you are just starting out and don't necessarily have a good income. Avoid debt. Save the money and then get the licence with saved money. MUCH better idea.

2. Once you've got your licence look at the PFA route, buying a share for £1500 to £3000 in a small, lowish-powered two seater, based on a farm strip. That way you'll have a lot of fun for £30-40 per hour.

3. Sometimes you just have to postpone things. I spent 13 years living in London, travelling and studying for postgraduate degrees and gave up flying. It wasn't feasible. Every time a plane went over I looked up and ached. I thought I'd never get back into it and got depressed about it frequently. For about 5 years I stopped buying flying mags or even talking about flying. Then, stuff happened and somehow I have ended up owning a Super Cub down here in Devon and having the time of my life. Keep the faith and it will come together when things are right. Thousands of pounds worth of extra debt at age 18 are not worth having.

QDM

[MLS-12D]

Excellent advice - as usual - from QDM and Aussie Andy.

I love to fly, but let's not kid ourselves: it's a luxury, and as such it's certainly not worth going into debt for. :(

Vikki, I would only add that you should try to resist any peer pressure to finish your license within any set period of time. Everybody is different, and just because your training may take longer than others doesn't mean that you are a worse pilot.

Becoming licensed is a nice personal milestone, and it does give you certain new privileges (i.e. the ability to carry passengers) and attendent responsibilities; but believe me, your entire life is not going to magically change. Do your best to relax and enjoy your current flying, and savour it as much as you can.

MLS-12D:)

[28thJuly2001]

Giving this a little bit more thought and input from others ignore what I said :)
18 year olds and credit cards do not good company make.
I do have my 'flying' credit card that I use but I then pay off the balance with my yearly bonus ready to fill up again.
Answered before I engaged brain

28th,,

[bluskis]

Vikki
I started flying lessons at 17 , before I had a driving licence, and like you had to space the flying out to match money and of course weather. I also had to stop for a few years until circumstances allowed me to restart.

I never regretted starting, and I am eternally grateful that I was able to get back into the air again. The early flying experience still has happy memories.

Of course its another matter if you intended to make it a career, but there are professional pilots who have started out in their 30's and have a successful career.

As MLS said, take pleasure in each flight you manage to make.

[A_Pommie]

Vikki

This is probably no consolation to you but it took me 10 years to get my license. Partly lack of funds partly health.
At 18 I’d resign myself to flying occasionally and concentrate on getting qualified so you can get a job that will allow you to fly regularly later in life.
Join the PFA you won’t be able to learn to fly with them, but if you get involved with a local strut (god I hate that name) then you should be able to get plenty of flights to tide you over between lessons. Or hang out at your club most pilots are more than happy to take passengers with them. Again it won’t get you your license but it should help with the addiction.

Hang in ther you will get your license eventually and you'll probably apriciate it more for the effort it took.

[Beethoven]

Hi Vikki...it took me four years due to lack of money but I did it without debt and now enjoy my licence with my present reasonable income and most importantly...without debt! I am now resigned to debt as I am going commercial but at least that will be a professional licence and I don't know many graduates without debt...but for the private licence....keep plugging away!!!
Beet

[dublinpilot]

Don't go down the debt route!! You might get your licence quicker, but then you will be using all your money to re-pay the debt, and won't be able to fly at all!!!

Maybe take a few months off and save the money, and go back, when you have a reserve built up to fund a few lessons together.

[tacpot]

Even with my cunning plan, I am still paying £118/mo to repay the loan (for the next 2.8) years! (Debt is great if you can afford the repayments and still afford to fly).

[5150]

Started when I was 14 with no financial backing.

At 18 I finally got my PPL (after combining school and working for free for a local flying club 7 days a week).

Coming up to age 27, now a frozen ATPL part sponsored, six months qualified and still kicking around waiting for work.

If you're peed off after three years, try adding another ten to that, and think about how you might feel!!

All the above advice is sound. At 18 you don't have much cash to throw around anyway....this goes on even longer if you go to uni!

Don't let it get you down - I'd recommend you save up the cash and try and finish off in one go. You get better continuity with your training which would ultimately save you cash in the long run..........

Good luck

[pythagoras]

I would definately say do not get into debt for your PPL. I was fortunate to be able to have a lesson once a week ish for just under a year to get my PPL. If you use credit cards to fund your licence you may get it quicker, but with all the repayments will you be able to afford to fly once you have it. I can also guarantee that once you have your PPL you will want to embark on the IMC / Night stuff as well. Fund it as you go along, whenever you can. Surely knowing that you have achieved this through your own hard work and funding will make the end result of having your licence more satisfying, no matter how long it takes. Above all just enjoy all your training.

[VIKKI]

Thanx for all your replys i feel a bit better knowing that im not the only one who has spent ages training. I have thought about a loan or credit cards but i'm not sure at the mo'


I won't give up thou



VIKKI

[Grim Reaper 14]

Not got a solution, or a substitute, but maybe a 'stop gap'? Stick your head up and ask anyone and everyone if you can go flying with them. They won't be able to give you lessons, and you won't be able to take the controls, but at least you'll be up there. You can practice your mapping, do all your usual pre-flights etc (in tandem with your very safety conscious pilot of course) and maybe have a great time as well. As I said, not an answer, but a way of getting into the air.

Why don't you ask here? I'm sure there'll be loads of friendly souls happy to take you up if you just tell everyone where you fly from and where you can get to. Just so long as they're happy to have a 'friend' come along who they don't require to cost share (too much). :)

[28thJuly2001]

you won't be able to take the controls
Of course she will, but if anything goes wrong it is P1's fault.

28th,,

[Tiger_ Moth]

I'm 18 too and have about the same amount of hours but its only taken me 1 and a bit years to get them (I had saved up quite a bit before starting them).
I don't know what your circumstances are but if you're going to uni next year then what about a gap year?
I'm in a gap year right now dedicated to earning money for uni and of course for flying and I would have had to give up flying owing to poverty if I hadn't taken this gap year.
Even a really badly paid job (like mine) should get you around £10,000 in a year and that will fuel a lot of flying.
Failing that how about working in the holidays in addition to the part time/weekend job I assume you have? Thats what got me started as working one day a week doesnt bring in that much.
Whatever you do, don't get into debt because then you'll end up in a situation where you've just about scraped your PPL and then have to stop flying due to lack of funds.
Good luck

[VIKKI]

i am hoping to get a job over thr holidays cus i cant work much now cus of college and A levels.

I never thought about going up with someone else it seems like a good idea anything to go flying is a good idea to me

VIKKI

[Wot No Engines]

You may also want to take a look at gliding for a bit.

Many clubs run a cadet scheme which gives very cheap or even free flying to solo - you should still be young enough. Post solo, it is still cheap (I pay 20p /min = £12 / hour + £4 for a launch by winch normally to about 1500' - a 2000' aerotow costs about £20 at most clubs).

There are also a lot of uni gliding clubs again offering cheap flying.

The hours won't count towards a PPL (except for the NPPL once you get a Glider Pilots License), but you may find it an affordable way of keeping flying until you are earning properly.

The downside is you will really need to commit to being on the airfield ALL day for a total of about 30 mins flying (4 - 6 flights)whilst learning.

[Whirlybird]

What are you doing now, once a month? Flying. What will you do when you have your PPL? Fly. OK, you'd like to have that licence in your hand. You'd like to decide yourself about where to go and what to do, not have an instructor decide it for you. But in reality, it's not very different.

Reading between the lines (or guessing!) is it that you're getting caught up in the "How many hours did you take to get your PPL?" roundabout. Don't! It really doesn't matter. It took me 90 hours to get my PPL(A). It doesn't make me a worse pilot, or a better one for that matter. There were reasons for it taking me so long, as there will be in your case if it takes you a long time. Flying is not a competition or a race.

Being ambitious is OK, but not if it makes you depressed. Just enjoy your flying, and remind yourself that not many 18 year olds get airborne at all! Of course, you could try and get a part time job - or another one if you already have one - and fly a bit more. But getting into debt? Not worth it, as many have told you. I know many who've gone that route and regretted it.

[Crossedcontrols]

It's not a problem learning over a longer period of time, but you could think about getting your exams done now in the lousy weather, save up for the spring and fly every couple of weeks then.

You could try for a job at Woolies over Christmas, save every penny and learn in the US, but top up with some UK weather flights with an instructor.

Getting into debt is not a good idea, as later you'll have to find money to pay the loan off and to fly.

Good luck, and don't give up.

CC

[ratsarrse]

OK, doesn't help with your initial need to get your PPL, but here's my 2p anyway. Try and look for a career that will end up paying good money quite quickly. You don't necessarily have to enjoy your job too much, but if it pays well and funds your flying then its worth doing for a few years. I know conventional wisdom is that you should try and work in an area that you're interested in, but I think that's a load of old cobblers. How many people really enjoy working? It is just a means to an end. Get a job in IT - it's generally quite easy and pays reasonably well.

[Capt L]

My story sounds similar to a lot of people on here. I started flying when I was 16 and still at school. Eventually got my PPL at 22 and my CPL at 23. Now I'm finally doing what I set out to do all those years ago..... getting paid to fly!!!

I started off working crappy jobs to pay for the flying (you name it I've done it!!) Then I got a job behind the desk at a flying school, which was the best thing that ever happened to me. I learn't so much being around the airport all the time. You didn't say if you were looking at a career in aviation, but one of the most important things is networking and getting to know people in the industry and I had the best opportunity to do this.

I guess what I'm trying to say, and what everyone else is saying is NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!! You'll get there in the end, and working hard to pay for it yourself will make it seem all the sweeter in the end. And most importantly HAVE FUN DOING IT!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D

Another thing I've just thought of. There are numerous organisation out there that offer scholarships for all or various parts of your training.

The Womens Pilots Association is one I know of, anyone else know of any others?