need more advice

srleslie

Well-Known Member
Ok, so I finally made the FAA happy that my ADD isn't a flight danger with all of these neuropsycological tests they required me to take. They issued me my medical. I'm ready to start looking into flight training. I'm not going to jump into anything, but I want to do it over the next two or three years and not be in any debt when I'm done. If there's one thing I've learned since I've been here at JC, it's that taking out loans is a bad idea. I want to go the FBO route.

I currently live in Monticello, AR, about 2 hours south of Little Rock. Central Flying Service has said it will cost about 50,000 for my ratings (SE and ME Commercial, CFI, CFII and MEI), ending up with approximately 280 hours of flight time. Something about that sounds outrageously expensive to me. I could go to a full time flight school for less than that. What is a fair price range I should be looking at to get my ratings? Are there other FBO's in my area that offer flight training? I'm within a one to two hours drive to Little Rock, Pine Bluff, El Dorado, Hot Springs, AR, Greenville, MS, and Rustin and Monroe, LA. If any of you have any advice please share! Thanks in advance,

Ryan
 
50k for all that sounds reasonable. They most likely gave you an average based on what prior students have done.

Take their individual costs and break it down for yourself. figure 250 hours minimum just to get your comms at around 100 an hour and you are half way there. Add on instructor costs plus additional flight time to get your 3 instructor ratings plus any time over the minimums you need to be ready for the tests and see what you come up with.
 
If that's true why have I read on here 30,000 to 35,000 for an FBO for your ratings?


I've paid about $40 grand now and I'm just at 240 hours and training for my commercial...I will probably spend another $3K getting my CFI. That's just reality in today's world.
 
Are there other FBO's in my area that offer flight training? I'm within a one to two hours drive to Little Rock, Pine Bluff, El Dorado, Hot Springs, AR, Greenville, MS, and Rustin and Monroe, LA. If any of you have any advice please share! Thanks in advance,

Not sure about price, but I am also from that area as well...

AFAIK, you can rule out GLH...hasn't been any FBO instruction there in a while... don't think it has changed since the last time I was there. Only thing they have is a charter service in a King Air.

Not sure about the others you listed, but you did list MLU...if you are contemplating the drive, check out Hangar One. They are on the southwest end of the field and last I knew, they had pretty reasonable rental and instructor rates.
 
AFAIK, you can rule out GLH...hasn't been any FBO instruction there in a while...

Completely off subject, but I don't think there is ANYTHING at GLH. We take our RJs down there to get painted and both times I've been in and out there were about 3 airplanes on the entire ramp. Granted it was 11pm both times, but I didn't even see any hangars or anything where more could be hiding.
 
Does your medical contain any sort of notation about your ADD, or contain any restrictions because of it? What I am getting at here is that even the the FAA has cleared you to fly, I'm wondering if employers would tend to shy away from you because of the ADD.
 
Does your medical contain any sort of notation about your ADD, or contain any restrictions because of it? What I am getting at here is that even the the FAA has cleared you to fly, I'm wondering if employers would tend to shy away from you because of the ADD.

No restrictions. I had to take these neurological tests from a psychologist. The FAA issued a special issuance medical certificate but there's nothing notated on the certificate itself. I just have to submit a current report from my doctor when I renew my certificate. My ADD has virtually no significant effect on me. I don't know how it would be in an airplane but if it's like it was when I drove semi's cross-country, I hyper focused when I was behind the wheel. I was aware of every little thing that went on around me. Perfect safety record too.
 
Ok, so I finally made the FAA happy that my ADD isn't a flight danger with all of these neuropsycological tests they required me to take. They issued me my medical. I'm ready to start looking into flight training. I'm not going to jump into anything, but I want to do it over the next two or three years and not be in any debt when I'm done. If there's one thing I've learned since I've been here at JC, it's that taking out loans is a bad idea. I want to go the FBO route.

I currently live in Monticello, AR, about 2 hours south of Little Rock. Central Flying Service has said it will cost about 50,000 for my ratings (SE and ME Commercial, CFI, CFII and MEI), ending up with approximately 280 hours of flight time. Something about that sounds outrageously expensive to me. I could go to a full time flight school for less than that. What is a fair price range I should be looking at to get my ratings? Are there other FBO's in my area that offer flight training? I'm within a one to two hours drive to Little Rock, Pine Bluff, El Dorado, Hot Springs, AR, Greenville, MS, and Rustin and Monroe, LA. If any of you have any advice please share! Thanks in advance,

Ryan

SRLeslie,

This is an off-subject but related question but do you take meds, such as Adderall? I would assume that these would be prohibited by the FAA but was just asking out of personal curiosity.

Best of luck to you, whatever path you choose.
 
SRLeslie,

This is an off-subject but related question but do you take meds, such as Adderall? I would assume that these would be prohibited by the FAA but was just asking out of personal curiosity.

Best of luck to you, whatever path you choose.

I was NEVER on meds for my ADD. I took them briefly for Tourettes but only between 6th and 8th grade. The side effects outweighed any benefit the drugs might have offered.
 
I think those days are long gone... I would plan on 45-50k being the going rate at the FBO.

Hmm. I guess it's going to take me a little longer than I thought. That's ok though. Even if I don't start flying commercial until I'm 30, that still leaves 35 years to fly!
 
Completely off subject, but I don't think there is ANYTHING at GLH. We take our RJs down there to get painted and both times I've been in and out there were about 3 airplanes on the entire ramp. Granted it was 11pm both times, but I didn't even see any hangars or anything where more could be hiding.

There is life at GLH...just have to know where (and when) to find it.

Problem is, where the paint facility is at GLH is on the far opposite end of the GA portion of the field. Where I used to work is on the far south end, and most of the hangars are poorly lit at night so you probably didn't see them either. With the exception of the FBO, most of the hangars on the field are the old Air Base hangars.
 
Ok, so I finally made the FAA happy that my ADD isn't a flight danger with all of these neuropsycological tests they required me to take. They issued me my medical. I'm ready to start looking into flight training. I'm not going to jump into anything, but I want to do it over the next two or three years and not be in any debt when I'm done. If there's one thing I've learned since I've been here at JC, it's that taking out loans is a bad idea. I want to go the FBO route.

I currently live in Monticello, AR, about 2 hours south of Little Rock. Central Flying Service has said it will cost about 50,000 for my ratings (SE and ME Commercial, CFI, CFII and MEI), ending up with approximately 280 hours of flight time. Something about that sounds outrageously expensive to me. I could go to a full time flight school for less than that. What is a fair price range I should be looking at to get my ratings? Are there other FBO's in my area that offer flight training? I'm within a one to two hours drive to Little Rock, Pine Bluff, El Dorado, Hot Springs, AR, Greenville, MS, and Rustin and Monroe, LA. If any of you have any advice please share! Thanks in advance,

Ryan

You could always go to Delta State and get into the aviation program. I completed my degree and flight training for about 55 grand four years ago. You could be a Statesmen/Fighting Okra. You know you want to. Who wants to be a boll weevil anyway?:) j/k
 
You could always go to Delta State and get into the aviation program. I completed my degree and flight training for about 55 grand four years ago. You could be a Statesmen/Fighting Okra. You know you want to. Who wants to be a boll weevil anyway?:) j/k

Dem bowl wevils are mean! You wouldn't know it with the way our football team is doing haha. I'm too late in my biology major to change (and I wouldn't want to anyways, there are so many more options that my bio degree gives me). I graduate in May. Then I will be moving out of state and hopefully to an area with better options for flight training. I was hoping to go ahead and do my private here before I graduate. Do you know anything about Delta's Masters in Commercial Aviation? I noticed it was entirely online. I do plan on getting a masters degree, more for personal reasons than anything. I've also looked at ERAU's Masters in Areonautical Science. Does Delta State hire instructors and how much is the pay?

Edit: Besides, I don't think I could handle all of those misquitos!
 
I think those days are long gone... I would plan on 45-50k being the going rate at the FBO.

I dunno,I finished my instrument, and commercial for 22k total, so if you've got the private you may get lucky. Further, there are grants from workforce development in alaska, so I can only imagine that they'd be in other states. I got $7000 in grants from the state (no strings attached!)
 
Do you know anything about Delta's Masters in Commercial Aviation? I noticed it was entirely online. I do plan on getting a masters degree, more for personal reasons than anything. I've also looked at ERAU's Masters in Areonautical Science. Does Delta State hire instructors and how much is the pay?

Edit: Besides, I don't think I could handle all of those misquitos!


I heard decent things about the Masters program. I was thinking about doing it myself. It's seems to be challenging enough, but not to challenging where me being on the road for 3 weeks out of the month would make it impossible. DSU was hurting for instructors when there was a mass exodus of all from there that had 250hrs and a heartbeat to Pinnacle. I really can't tell you about the pay. I left as soon as I got my CFI because I felt that I needed to expand my horizons a bit.

The mosquitoes aren't that bad. They only carry off small children every couple of years or so. :)
 
If the prices of the FBO are that high, it's a hard pill to swallow when you have places like Star Bright Aviation offering everything for 42. Then again I don't want a 500 dollar payment for the next 10 years.:confused:
 
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