Re: paying for flying training
(I'll try and get this back to the topic...)
I have paid for every part of my flying myself, from the lessons to the headset and books. As a 17 year old I couldn't have been prouder than achieving my pilots licence on my own funding.
In my own personal opinion, I would have to say that if I was granted the money from my parents I probably wouldn't have worked as hard as I did to minimise my hours and ultimately minimise the cost to my own pocket. I think that paying for the flying myself was inspiration to learn all the checks and procedures so that once I was in the air I could concentrate on the nitty-gritty.
I have seen many other young pilots waste hours (and their parents money) as they don't understand the costs involved in flying, which only disadvantages them. I simply could not afford to fail any tests!
As with my commercial licence, I will certainly be getting that, I will however be working for a couple of years to earn the cash. Everyone I have spoken to in GA say that it is ideal to have something to fall back on, or alternatively a second income. Furthermore it will hopefully make me more employable than other young pilots who have lived off their parents wealth.
TMP