Where should I learn to fly? Should I do it??

[sinala1]

Hi Folks

I know this topic has been covered in a similar thread, but I am going to ask anyway. I have been flying as a flight attendant for almost 3 years, and have had an aviation interest my entire life. Recently I was lucky enough to to a TIF with FTA at Archerfield. I really enjoyed it, but at that stage did not take it any further. More recently a mate of mine took me up in a C152 and showed me the ropes a bit, and then even more recently than that I got to go in our company 737NG simulator (which was an amazing experience). Most of our techies are amazed at the amount of knowledge I have about our aircraft (for a flight attendant, that is - dont forget they dont employ me for my intelligence! :E ) and I love spending time in the flight deck learning and asking questions.

The hard choice is here - do I quit a job that I love and learn to fly full time; do I try and do it part time whilst still flying full time as a flight attendant; or do I just not do it at all? At this stage my main setback is how f:mad: cking expensive it is to learn to fly... I am considering at least taking it to a solo level and then deciding from there.

Its so hard for me because I really really love my job at the moment - I love being in the cabin dealing with so many different problems/issues - and I am not sure how I would cope having to sit down all day. I also know how difficult it is for GA pilots to get reliable work (I know a great many pilots who got their CPL and then just could not get any work from there...)

Thanks in advance for your thoughts folks, and whilst you are there, I am a 23yo male living in Brisbane - can anyone recommend any flight schools in Brisbane and surrounds (ones that will let me pay as I go??)

Cheers

[Woomera]

It is an appropriate time to post the following warning from Danny & Rob at PPRuNe Administration (Lifted from the Administration Forum):


Never pay up front.

Never pay up front in travelers cheques

Never pay up front by transfer to a bank in a third country or offshore.

Never pay up front.

Never pay up front to gain a supposed 'discount.'

Never go to a school that claims credit cards can only be used for minor ancillary items like charts.

Every single one of these ploys effectively strips you of basic rights and makes you a prisoner of that school.

If you have problems with the school, it's equipment, accommodation or any other part of the package you are trapped in a foreign country without any effective short term recourse or bargaining tool.

This warning will appear again on certain threads in the future. We make no apologies in forcefully educating wannabes.

Think about this: If the school is any good and it is in an aviation friendly, fine weather part of the world it must have a constant throughput of students. What possible need is there then for large, instant chunks of money surging into the cashflow. It also raises the question of why certain establishments insist on such payment methods especially when paid in a way which bypasses both the RICO and Money Laundering legislation the rest of us have to face when paying for goods and services in the States.

Not all points relevant to Australia.


Returning to the subject:

1. Only YOU will know whether YOU really want to learn to fly.

2. In your position, common sense says you have only one logical option: "... try and do it part time whilst still flying full time as a flight attendant."

Woomera

[tom19]

Hey mate,

I rekon you should probably just go part time for now and aim to get your private licence and just see how you go from there. If you really love it, go the full way and do commercial! By the time you have done your private i'm sure you will be able to decide if you want to do it for a living!! Good luck with it all!

[Cloud Cutter]

G'day sinala1

I think you should definately go for it, but I agree with tom19 (and big W), keep workin full time and get your PPL, then have more of a think. I did my CPL full time and had two FAs in my theory class - both had taken leave to do the theory (about 4 months) and intended to fly part time afterwards. One of them is still training for his CPL, the other is a F/O on Metros. Both of these guys are 40+ so the fact that you're only 23 is certainly in your favour (btw there are a lot of other people who work full time in totaly unrelated jobs while training).

Good luck.:ok: