What is it like to be a private pilot?: originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Answer by Tim Morgan, Pilot
Hm, where do I start?? There's so much to say, both good and bad, about having flying as a hobby...
So first, a little background. I've always known I've wanted to earn my pilot's license, since as long as I can remember. I meet a lot of other pilots who are the same way -- "oh, I've always known I wanted to do this." Getting your private is a commitment, and a lot of people drop out, so in some way it makes sense that these are the people with the motivation to stick it through.
I've also always known that I don't want to fly planes for a living. Flying for me is a relaxing, whimsical, personal thing. Sitting in a busy, sterile airline cockpit at 35,0000 feet, watching Wyoming inch by below you, is an excellent way to suck all that away from the act of flying.
Since this question isn't "How do you become a private pilot," I won't get too much into training, but suffice it to say, it took just under six months to complete, and that meant riding my bike to the airport twice a week (and getting to work at 7 am on Wednesdays so I could be out by 3 in time for my lesson at 4). There aren't a lot of things I'd be willing to work a 7-3 workday for, let's just say that. It stands as evidence to how much I'm romanced by the idea of flying.
I don't/can't own my own aircraft, so I rent from a flying club. They have a variety of planes there and a Web-based scheduling system to reserve them. I almost never have problems with the system, and it gives me the flexibility to fly different planes for different missions.
Now that my license is in hand I can enjoy flying as a private pilot. There are many different ways that I exercise this privilege and they each bring a different kind of enjoyment:
- Soaring over beautiful landscapes: The simplest and easiest way for me to enjoy being a pilot is just to take a plane up and explore the Bay Area, or further, from the air. This kind of flying is peaceful and relaxing. There are no traffic jams, no horns, no obstacles to avoid in the air. Driving is a constant test of vigilance -- and parts of flying are too, to an even greater degree -- but sightseeing from the air is a tranquil and inspiring experience more akin to rafting down a gentle river.
There are a lot of qualities that make one a good private pilot, too. Most of these can be attained from training. There's some innate, "born-with-it" skill in flying, but no one dropped out of training because they "weren't born with the touch" or similar. There's nothing you need that can't be trained. Some of the skills a private pilot uses:
- Multitasking: This is key. During the takeoff and landing portions of flight, a pilot must be able to fly the plane, read checklists, consult charts, navigate, talk on the radio, and think about his next step at the same time. This starts out as an impossible task but gets easier with practice. And there's a sort of satisfying thrill about it when you've got all those balls in the air but you're confident and capable. Ever cooked a big meal before? You know that feeling you get when you've got three pots on the burners, a bun in the oven, vegetables to chop, and two egg timers going? And you've got a hundred tasks in your head, but you're on top of it all and there's never a moment to catch your breath? That's the sort of thrill you can get from navigating busy airspace as a private pilot.
Being a private pilot is also about continued training. When you get your driver's license, you're done. Go drive. (Maybe you go on to get your motorcycle license, but other than that, training over.) A private pilot's license is just the most basic baby step into the world of aviation.
After getting my private pilot's license, I got the following endorsements and checkouts from my flying club: Tailwheel (for flying small maneuverable aircraft), high-performance and complex aircraft, mountain flying, and aerobatic flying.
I'm currently in training to get my instrument rating, so that I can fly in clouds and fog. After that I could perhaps get my multi-engine rating, or my seaplane rating, to open up more options as to aircraft I can fly. I'm also probably going to get my commercial license -- not because I want to make a career out of flying, but simply because more training makes me a safer and more skilled pilot. You practically never stop training as a pilot, if you want to do more, go more places, or fly better aircraft.
OK, so I said there are downsides. And without further ado:
- It's expensive: The cheapest kind of flight I do is an aerobatic flight. Thirty minute departure, 10 minutes of hardcore aerobatics, thirty minute approach and stomach recovery. The cheapest plane of the club. Typical price is about110. Now, a trip to Tahoe and back in the high-performance plane, with gas as expensive as it is, is about800. Few people want to spend800 on a trip to Tahoe, even if they beat the weekend traffic in getting there.
Whew! OK, so if after all those negative points, you're still interested, you'll probably have a really good time as a pilot! The most important thing I can emphasize is this:
Becoming a pilot is easier than you think.
If you have the cash, and you're capable of committing to the training schedule without losing interest partway through, then that's all you need. There's no need for "born talent," or anything like that. All you need is money and dedication.
My recommendation is to find a nearby airport, find a flying club at that airport, and schedule a discovery flight. An instructor will take you up on a 30-minute or 1-hour flight where you will be introduced to the basics of flying. It's a chance to take the controls of a plane and see if it's something you can see yourself enjoying. Spending 30 minutes flying a plane will tell you more about what you would experience as a private pilot than this over-long answer could.
