Young Private Pilots
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Yep, there's quite a lot of us 
What are people's experiences of fitting in to the aviation communities?
I've had a warm welcome by a couple of flying schools - but they're taking my money. I'm hoping to make plenty of friends in aviation when my training starts full-time in the summer (and when the cafe opens again at Leeds
)
Remember, there are a larger proportion of us with little experience. We've got to show the 'Older generation' that we can be trusted with their aircraft. We have also got to keep whatever it is that makes aviation what it is
. (If that makes sense 
) EDIT: No, I don't think it does 
don't_ask
What are people's experiences of fitting in to the aviation communities?
I've had a warm welcome by a couple of flying schools - but they're taking my money. I'm hoping to make plenty of friends in aviation when my training starts full-time in the summer (and when the cafe opens again at Leeds
)Remember, there are a larger proportion of us with little experience. We've got to show the 'Older generation' that we can be trusted with their aircraft. We have also got to keep whatever it is that makes aviation what it is
. (If that makes sense ) EDIT: No, I don't think it does don't_ask
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St Helier. I just got my PPL on wednesday (my 17th birthday was on Tuesday) and I did my first solo on my 16th birthday (I was very lucky with the weather). I was in the exact same situation as you at an earlier stage in my training. I already had a job but I worked a lot more hours which enabled me to pay for the flying. I also didn't get any funding from my parents. But you will do it no problem, if you want it, you will get it. Happy flying! Alan Hunter
Last edited by ahunter; 24th Jun 2007 at 22:10.
Join Date: Sep 2006
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I think we should have a section of this forum where newbies who have just begun their forever waited PPL can go and chat!
Well, im getting ready to finish my PPL this summer, got to decide by tuesday between 2 flight schools in europe then i start on july 24th
be there for few weeks then come back to UK with PPL, but then i'll have to pay 150 pound a month to keep it active and when working part time and at school thats gonna leave me penny less for the nights out
Next gen of pilots is here!!!
Well, im getting ready to finish my PPL this summer, got to decide by tuesday between 2 flight schools in europe then i start on july 24th
be there for few weeks then come back to UK with PPL, but then i'll have to pay 150 pound a month to keep it active and when working part time and at school thats gonna leave me penny less for the nights outNext gen of pilots is here!!!
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Young people here. Good on you for flying at a young age but what I want to know is, how does a 15/16/17yr old afford a ppl?
At that age you are not even in a decent paid job.
Even a saturday job or a paper round offers peanuts, must be some paper round you must do to be able to afford lessons especially if you are still at school.
Where do you get your money from?
At that age you are not even in a decent paid job.
Even a saturday job or a paper round offers peanuts, must be some paper round you must do to be able to afford lessons especially if you are still at school.
Where do you get your money from?
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Quote:
Young people here. Good on you for flying at a young age but what I want to know is, how does a 15/16/17yr old afford a ppl?
At that age you are not even in a decent paid job.
Even a saturday job or a paper round offers peanuts, must be some paper round you must do to be able to afford lessons especially if you are still at school.
Where do you get your money from?
When one lives at home and has mum cook dinner, the expenses are mighty low.
Young people here. Good on you for flying at a young age but what I want to know is, how does a 15/16/17yr old afford a ppl?
At that age you are not even in a decent paid job.
Even a saturday job or a paper round offers peanuts, must be some paper round you must do to be able to afford lessons especially if you are still at school.
Where do you get your money from?
When one lives at home and has mum cook dinner, the expenses are mighty low.
Couldn't agree more, live it up all you can while you pay no rent. and its easier for a younger person get a job as a cashier, employeers can't say no as they try to get young people to get boring jobs like that.
Simply work 15 hours per week on 5.35 = 320 per month. Thats what i do, and that covers 1 flying lesson and the rest is for wasting
that could cover 2 flying lessons at some spare!and during the summer do mass over time, make 1500 easily, just takes time and commitment but if your determind to get there, then you will!
*EDIT option 2, get your mum to pay for it, and pay her back on direct debit 50 pound a month, thats what i did for my motorbike, its basicallly a loan without interest
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I did a Flying scholarship at 17, and then stayed for an extra week to do my PPL (38 hours in '86) used to bunk off double maths on a Wednesday afternoon, take the bus to Cambridge, rent a 152 and do PFLs into the field next to the school
Applied for BA ab initio and got through into the final cut, but I failed my A levels (why was that?
)
Joined the RAF at 19 as an Air Loadmaster, got streamed onto Rotary, and then let my immaturity shine through and even though my standard of airmanship was high, I was not a valued member of the Sgt's Mess, so was hurled out.
I think I had got it all too easy and then threw it all away. I am just returning to PPL after a 17 year break.
Work Hard, appreciate what you've got/where you are.
Applied for BA ab initio and got through into the final cut, but I failed my A levels (why was that?
)Joined the RAF at 19 as an Air Loadmaster, got streamed onto Rotary, and then let my immaturity shine through and even though my standard of airmanship was high, I was not a valued member of the Sgt's Mess, so was hurled out.
I think I had got it all too easy and then threw it all away. I am just returning to PPL after a 17 year break.
Work Hard, appreciate what you've got/where you are.
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Young people here. Good on you for flying at a young age but what I want to know is, how does a 15/16/17yr old afford a ppl?
ASI
GAPAN Cranwell Scholar '03
Air League Airbus UK Bursar '05
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Here are the official numbers of licence holders with a valid medical:
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/srg_fc...profile_04.pdf
According to this, I make up one third of my age group
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/srg_fc...profile_04.pdf
According to this, I make up one third of my age group
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Wow...I make up 1/3 of my age group...
I completed my PPL(H) 3 months before my 19th Birthday...
It has to be said that some of the snobbery and bellitlment from the older pilots is quite amazing....Just because im decades younger than them and only just out of nappies (according to them) they assume that I should be a crap pilot and are just waiting for me to fail...
On the flip side, its quite easy for a young pilot to get cocky and rush things hence make stupid mistakes and prove all the old men right...
I find so long as I put my sencible hat on the moment I get to the airfield and think rationally about every move I make and act like a proffesionaly trained pilot, there is no reason why I am not just as good, if not better than the OAP's....
Some of the coments I get from people are great though...Landed at a private field, jumped out of the helicopter, shortly after, a group of people wondered over to see what was going on.....they outright refused to believe me that I was the pilot and wanted to know where he had gone......Needless to say I did point out the fact that they had just watched me land and would have seen if the pilot had done a runner...perhaps they might like to check in the storage compartment incase the pilot is hiding there....
Oh, and yes, living at home is a mixed blessing...cheap food, cheap accomodation so more money to pay back this BIG loan...however...having the parens sitting on your back again after spending a year living away from home isnt nice
I completed my PPL(H) 3 months before my 19th Birthday...
It has to be said that some of the snobbery and bellitlment from the older pilots is quite amazing....Just because im decades younger than them and only just out of nappies (according to them) they assume that I should be a crap pilot and are just waiting for me to fail...
On the flip side, its quite easy for a young pilot to get cocky and rush things hence make stupid mistakes and prove all the old men right...
I find so long as I put my sencible hat on the moment I get to the airfield and think rationally about every move I make and act like a proffesionaly trained pilot, there is no reason why I am not just as good, if not better than the OAP's....
Some of the coments I get from people are great though...Landed at a private field, jumped out of the helicopter, shortly after, a group of people wondered over to see what was going on.....they outright refused to believe me that I was the pilot and wanted to know where he had gone......Needless to say I did point out the fact that they had just watched me land and would have seen if the pilot had done a runner...perhaps they might like to check in the storage compartment incase the pilot is hiding there....
Oh, and yes, living at home is a mixed blessing...cheap food, cheap accomodation so more money to pay back this BIG loan...however...having the parens sitting on your back again after spending a year living away from home isnt nice
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I agree David, it is 3 years old and no doubt the picture has changed. I passed at the age of 16, with licence and extra type rating for 17 and that was 2 years ago. I imagine that there are significantly more young pilots out there now.
If have never experienced any 'snobbery'; if fact quite the opposite. I'm regularly offered positioning flights in preference to older pilots.
Bobby
If have never experienced any 'snobbery'; if fact quite the opposite. I'm regularly offered positioning flights in preference to older pilots.
Bobby
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To EKKL.
Thank you for the Message.
I qualified as a lifeguard and aquired a job at my local pool. per hour I am earning £8 for 8 hours on a saturday and 8 hours spread through out the week.
you do the math!!
regards
St. Helier
Thank you for the Message.
I qualified as a lifeguard and aquired a job at my local pool. per hour I am earning £8 for 8 hours on a saturday and 8 hours spread through out the week.
you do the math!!
regards
St. Helier
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When one lives at home and has mum cook dinner, the expenses are mighty low.
I graduate on Tuesday so then I'll be able to work full time with few expenses.I expect to make a minimum of 650 pounds/1,300 USD a month. My sister works at the bank and makes around 965.5 pounds/1,930 USD a month, need to go work there
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i dont know what jobs you boys are getting at the weekend , but I take my hat off anyone who save up the best part of 5k+ under the age of 20 !
If the flying career doesnt take off you can always become a bank manger ;-)
If the flying career doesnt take off you can always become a bank manger ;-)
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Another St Ivian's first post was spot on.
I was in a similar situation a few years back. In the days of 2962's(a few will know what I mean) I had a report which, fortunately praised my ability, but specificaly stated;
"....at xxx's young age, he must guard against older, more experienced colleagues taking control, but allow himself to learn and develop from their experience."
It was such a thrill being in the position I was in.
But don't get cocky cos you're one of very few people your age!
Learn as much as you can and pass your skill and experience on.
I'm a little older now and I'm still learning.
Still passing it on.
And that's the thrill I still enjoy!
Good luck to you all!
T
I was in a similar situation a few years back. In the days of 2962's(a few will know what I mean) I had a report which, fortunately praised my ability, but specificaly stated;
"....at xxx's young age, he must guard against older, more experienced colleagues taking control, but allow himself to learn and develop from their experience."
It was such a thrill being in the position I was in.
But don't get cocky cos you're one of very few people your age!
Learn as much as you can and pass your skill and experience on.
I'm a little older now and I'm still learning.
Still passing it on.
And that's the thrill I still enjoy!
Good luck to you all!
T
The Original Whirly
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occasionally I felt as if I wasn't being taken seriously. To be fair it was nothing major, but I do remember doing a solo landaway to one airfield, walking into the club house and being asked in a rather condescending manner if I was hanging around for a trial flight. When I said I had flown in, I was asked who the pilot was!
Landed at a private field, jumped out of the helicopter, shortly after, a group of people wondered over to see what was going on.....they outright refused to believe me that I was the pilot and wanted to know where he had gone......Needless to say I did point out the fact that they had just watched me land and would have seen if the pilot had done a runner...perhaps they might like to check in the storage compartment incase the pilot is hiding there....
Why, you might ask. Those of you who read PPRuNe a lot will probably know that I'm a helicopter instructor, also have a PPL(A), and am....let's just say old enough that I take exception to someone's earlier comment on "wrinklies".
Yes, but...I happen to be FEMALE!!! And there are still very few women flying (6% of PPLs, 2% of commercial pilots). So I've experienced lots of things similar to the above, and more. I've got out of the aircraft, and had people look around for the pilot! Students regularly think I'm the tea lady.
One said to me in obvious confusion, "I didn't realise that women flew helicopters".I used to get annoyed, and I can understand if you do - neither sexism nor ageism are acceptable, in aviation or anything else. But quite often, it's not prejudice, but simply ignorance. The public has this fixed idea of how a pilot should look - probably early 30s, definitely male, tall and debonair looking...sort of James Bond type. You don't fit the bill, and neither do I. I've been told several times, "You don't look like a helicopter instructor". I've tried to ask how I should look....they can't tell me!!!
So I don't get upset any more, and neither should you. Tell people plainly that you ARE the pilot, have a laugh about it if you want, and leave it at that. Though I must admit, asking them to look in the luggage compartment in case the pilot was hiding is a good one.
And let's face it - in a few years you'll blend into the background at airfields, and I don't think I ever will.
Sorry to have highjacked your thread. Feel free to ignore me if you want.
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Ahh good one, DOA looks very good on CV, and shows all the charactertics that you need to become a pilot, so they say and i believe it does.
Few include commitment, team leader ect, so if ur a wanna be pilot best bet is do Duke of Edinburgh as they love team work skills, leadership and commitment, that is just a few of which the DOA has to offer. However for Gold it takes 18 months, which is a long time, but well worth it!
Few include commitment, team leader ect, so if ur a wanna be pilot best bet is do Duke of Edinburgh as they love team work skills, leadership and commitment, that is just a few of which the DOA has to offer. However for Gold it takes 18 months, which is a long time, but well worth it!
