John Baker
New member
This is from another thread that I seem to have pirated. I deleted this from there and moving it over to it's own thread.
I started five and a half years ago when I was 61 years old, I'm now 67, as a pay as you go student at a small flying school. After two years and $24,000.00, I had still not left the pattern solo. It was always one excuse after another. I passed every test they could give me, passing near the top each time.
I purchased my own warrior and it has been nothing but one bureaucratic blockade after anther. I could write a book about my learning to fly, a very thick one, and never once mention actually being in the cockpit.
I have been signed off by two different instructors as being ready for my PPTR, it does no good, the stalling and bureaucratic hurdles keep popping up. The last one was having to fly with an FAA inspector to prove that my vision is better than any human being that ever lived because I only have one eye. Another hurdle accomplished with flying colors.
For that SODA ride the FAA had one guy going over all my airplane logs, two guys going through my airplane, and another going through all my personal flight experience records, desperately looking for a reason, any reason, not to fly with me, or in my airplane.
In all fairness to them though, I should point out that exactly one hour before I showed up at the FSDO, some guy crashed his Cherokee into the IRS office in Texas. They all seemed a little jumpy. They never told me about that and I didn't find out about it until later that day.
The FAA inspector actually called my potential examiner and told him I was a darn good pilot, yet still I wait for the elusive check ride. I have well over 300 hours, over a thousand take off and landings, it does no good. That was almost two months ago, my latest 60 day sign off has expired and I must now get another one.
There is little doubt in my mind that I have managed to get on someones list, but for what, I have no clue. I have followed every regulation to the letter, I have never cheated on a test, I have had only the best mechanics look after my plane.
The cost so far has been over a hundred thousand dollars if I include the airplane, all the medical tests I have been required to provide, I'm talking in a hospital, not a doctors office.
When I joined this board I thought my check ride would be in a few weeks, not even close. I will be surprised if I get my ticket this year, if ever.
To sum it up, if you are over 60 and are thinking about this flying stuff, get ready to wipe out your savings and go through every gauntlet they can dream up.
If your a younger, healthy person, you should have few problems. Whatever you do, make sure you do not offend anyone in the FAA or GA.
John
__________________
I am a student pilot, therefor I know little or nothing about aviation. Any post I make on POA should not be taken seriously by anyone.
I started five and a half years ago when I was 61 years old, I'm now 67, as a pay as you go student at a small flying school. After two years and $24,000.00, I had still not left the pattern solo. It was always one excuse after another. I passed every test they could give me, passing near the top each time.
I purchased my own warrior and it has been nothing but one bureaucratic blockade after anther. I could write a book about my learning to fly, a very thick one, and never once mention actually being in the cockpit.
I have been signed off by two different instructors as being ready for my PPTR, it does no good, the stalling and bureaucratic hurdles keep popping up. The last one was having to fly with an FAA inspector to prove that my vision is better than any human being that ever lived because I only have one eye. Another hurdle accomplished with flying colors.
For that SODA ride the FAA had one guy going over all my airplane logs, two guys going through my airplane, and another going through all my personal flight experience records, desperately looking for a reason, any reason, not to fly with me, or in my airplane.
In all fairness to them though, I should point out that exactly one hour before I showed up at the FSDO, some guy crashed his Cherokee into the IRS office in Texas. They all seemed a little jumpy. They never told me about that and I didn't find out about it until later that day.
The FAA inspector actually called my potential examiner and told him I was a darn good pilot, yet still I wait for the elusive check ride. I have well over 300 hours, over a thousand take off and landings, it does no good. That was almost two months ago, my latest 60 day sign off has expired and I must now get another one.
There is little doubt in my mind that I have managed to get on someones list, but for what, I have no clue. I have followed every regulation to the letter, I have never cheated on a test, I have had only the best mechanics look after my plane.
The cost so far has been over a hundred thousand dollars if I include the airplane, all the medical tests I have been required to provide, I'm talking in a hospital, not a doctors office.
When I joined this board I thought my check ride would be in a few weeks, not even close. I will be surprised if I get my ticket this year, if ever.
To sum it up, if you are over 60 and are thinking about this flying stuff, get ready to wipe out your savings and go through every gauntlet they can dream up.
If your a younger, healthy person, you should have few problems. Whatever you do, make sure you do not offend anyone in the FAA or GA.
John
__________________
I am a student pilot, therefor I know little or nothing about aviation. Any post I make on POA should not be taken seriously by anyone.
