Fixed+Rotary (aircraft, not washing lines)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Peak District, Yorkshire, UK
Age: 56
Posts: 357
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mad bear
There is something else to consider - is your budget finite *for ever* or just for the next year or so? I say this because it took me 18 months to get my PPL(A). I can only fly weekends because I never know where I'll be during the week - so for 18 months, barring personal holidays I had a lesson booked every single weekend, sometimes double lessons over bank holiday weekends. The vaguaries of the English weather, the availability of aircraft etc. will conspire against you so that it might take much longer than you anticipate to get qualified. In my worst case I went seven weeks without flying, but it soon came back to me.
In that case you might find yourself 18 or 24 months down the line and find that your financial circumstances have changed and hopefully you have a few more £££ for your flying. But don't worry yourself too might right now, just get those lessons booked and get flying!
And as for a goal - I broke my training down to sizeable chunks: circuits, solo, QXC, GFT so that I could aim for the next major step over the next 10 hours or so, it makes the 45 hours seem much more attainable. I also had no time limit imposed upon myself, so I never got too downhearted with all the cancellations.
I'm now learning to fly helicopters and have the same motivations and thoughts - take it a step at a time, don't worry about the hours and don't worry about how long it is taking. My aim is to get a lesson every three weeks (budget permitting) but my next one is just two weeks after my last one at the weekend, whereas I had a four week gap between lessons 2 and 3.
You will get there in the end!