55-60K to spend......

OldTownPilot said:
ATP is all over the country in all sorts of locations.

You can train FULL TIME at an FBO and be done quicker than what ATP advertises. Mqaaord, got her private license at a FBO in less than a month. You could do all the single engine stuff in a 152 for under 25k to your comercial. Grab a Multi add-on for 2k or so, you have completed all the ratings that are required to fly in the right seat on an RJ. You could get your CFI, CFII and MEI for another 5k. All said and done 30 thousand.
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That sounds reasonable. I took a quick glance at the ATP website and it is quite appealing to a person like me who wants too get in the right seat as epediently as possible. However I think training at a local FBO will somehow provide more substance too my career change. How many acual hours in todays current market will 60K a lot me?
 
OldTownPilot said:
ATP is all over the country in all sorts of locations.

You can train FULL TIME at an FBO and be done quicker than what ATP advertises. Mqaaord, got her private license at a FBO in less than a month. You could do all the single engine stuff in a 152 for under 25k to your comercial. Grab a Multi add-on for 2k or so, you have completed all the ratings that are required to fly in the right seat on an RJ. You could get your CFI, CFII and MEI for another 5k. All said and done 30 thousand.
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You could, but thats no easy task to find an FBO that could do it
 
Skymates could beat ATP's time EASY when I was there.

There are FBO's out there that you could make it work at.
 
jtrain609 said:
Skymates could beat ATP's time EASY when I was there.

There are FBO's out there that you could make it work at.
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Skymates being one of them, but they are loaded up on Indian students right now and the instructors are Mucho busy to fly with one person everyday. He would have to find an instructor like me, someone willing to work 6 to 7 days a week and hope they don't bolt for the regionals before he's done.
 
check out flywhiteair.com, they offer training for about as cheap as it gets. use them as a reference for how many hours you can get for 60k
 
if we ever get a full time instructor, we could do all the single engine stuff quickly. Might happen in December (when I get out of school) Or this summer if Regional hiring slows down a bit.
 
What Gonzo said. I am doing it right now and you can do it faster than ATP for less money and own your plane. It will speed you up tremendously to not have to worry about scheduling an airplane. I can give you very specific guidance, if you are interested PM me.
 
Gonzo said:
If the money is cash in hand and not a loan I say go buy a plane and get a freelance CFI to get your ratings. Fly the hell out of the plane and have fun building hours. Then you can sell the plane and make some money back or keep it.
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This is precisely what I would do if I had the cash burning a hole in my pocket.

You can get a NICE IFR-certified 152 for $30-40K, have enough left over for insurance, CFI, materials and the ability to fly for fun when and where you wanted. Plus, you could put the plane into leaseback (at the cost of greater insurance and MX) and offset some of the ownership costs.
 
brent p h said:
How many acual hours in todays current market will 60K a lot me?
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You sure are anxious to part with $60,000!!!

Since you're in Dallas, I'd recommend looking up Skymates in Arlington. I received most of my ratings there and had a great experience.

Try "Google"ing some of the outfits and terminology mentioned on this forum. What you learn will help you ask more specific questions and find what you're looking for.
 
Once again it depends on what you want:

1. Get to an overworked/underpaid unstable cutthroat job market as quickly as possible for a big wad of cash?

2. Take your time to enjoy the learning process, experience situations that no training syllabus will teach you, use your time building and training as a chance to see the beautiful parts of the country, do all of it on your terms.

If I could go back to the beginning of my flight training I would buy a used Cessna 172 for somewhere in the $30-40,000 range and fly the hell out of it. Take friends with me on trips to all the places I have wanted to go. Fly from coast to coast and north to south. By the time I had the 250 hours required for the Commercial I would be out about the same I am now for all the rental time I have paid for. Then I could either sell the plane, or keep it.

That is what I would do
 
I went to a 'pilot factory' and spent just over 50,000 on my ratings.

I got what I paid for. Great training. Maybe could have gone to an FBO, and dealt with aircraft availability issues, instructor shortages, DE issues, etc. The list is endless for both sides of this argument. I enjoyed my training.

I don't recommend FBO's, but I don't really discount them either. I started my flight training at my home airport. Nothing wrong with it. I needed something more full time. FBOs have this 'part time' mentality to them sometimes. However I'm sure there are some out there that can really get the job done. (Dare I say 'PILOT FACTORY?@?!?')

When it comes down to it, spend the least amount of money for the best training. Most people forget about the last part about that statement. The best training. Flight Instructors are not all created equal. Anywhere you go, you have the good, the bad, the ugly, and the lifers. Choose wisely where you go, because the training you pay for then will determine the rest of your career. The opinions you receive from instructors, and habits they help you form can be very beneficial or extremely detrimental.

There is nothing in this world more valuable than real experience. If you have the opportunity, always take the road less traveled. The road most feared. That's the one that has the most reward.

PS- I'm a CFI now, and I make more than enough to pay for my 'HUGE' student loan, brand new car payment, and all the trimmings. It's not all bad all the time. Oh yea - I love my job too!
 
From secondhand experience, SkyMates is a good outfit in Dallas that's cheaper than ATP.

From firsthand experience, I enjoyed ATP as a student. The multi-engine training was excellent, but the single-engine training was lacking. Overall its a good program at a fixed cost for a fixed timeline.
 
777forever said:
Talk about a good investment, that car would of depreciated as soon as you sign the paper. Your pilot licenses might earn you millions in future earnings
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Emphasis on "might". If you want to make millions in the airline industry, go get your MBA and become an exec.
 
If you have the money as cash, I would buy a plane and pay for instruction in your plane. Then, when you're done, sell the plane and you'll be amazed how much money you just saved.

Otherwise, I would look at several flight schools and find the one whose program is going to work for you.

Best of luck.
 
killbilly said:
This is precisely what I would do if I had the cash burning a hole in my pocket.

You can get a NICE IFR-certified 152 for $30-40K, have enough left over for insurance, CFI, materials and the ability to fly for fun when and where you wanted. Plus, you could put the plane into leaseback (at the cost of greater insurance and MX) and offset some of the ownership costs.
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You guys are giving me a wide variety of options. Let's see now. On purchasing a 152 I thought that they were more expensive than that! As far as applying to a regional don't they require multiengine time? (How much fuel in todays market are we talking about too get to the 250hr mark?)
 
brent p h said:
You guys are giving me a wide variety of options. Let's see now. On purchasing a 152 I thought that they were more expensive than that! As far as applying to a regional don't they require multiengine time? (How much fuel in todays market are we talking about too get to the 250hr mark?)
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Spend some time on www.trade-a-plane.com and you'll see.

Straight up, clean, low-time SMOH 150s are around $28K - $35K for the REALLY clean ones and nicely-equipped. 152s are going to be just a shade more. If you can find one IFR-certified, even better, but it WILL cost a little more. Call it maybe $30-38K range, again, depending on hours on the plane and condition, etc. New paint and interior will cost more.

For example....this is just one of many....

http://www.trade-a-plane.com/classified/search?browse=single&usealttemplate=1&adnum=792216

I've been doing a lot of research on this. Although there are OTHER airplanes that I like better, for a training, time-building airplane, the C150/152 is a good way to go, IMHO. Relatively easy to fly (only thing I fly, but others tell me it's easy) with forgiving handling characteristics, economical fuel burn, built like tanks in terms of abuse they'll take, and relatively simple motors and systems.

Downside as I see it: low payload. You and your CFI better not mind rubbing shoulders and both of you better weigh less than 200 lbs each. Also kinda slow. 95kts looks good doing primary training, but I'm already wanting to fly faster airplanes.

If that's an issue, step up to a 4-seater, perhaps. More money, maybe - IFR-certified 172s seem to be going around $40k-$50K, again, depending on equipment. VFR-only will be less.

Keep in mind, though - once you sell the plane, if you take care of it, you're going to re-coup a LARGE part of your investment - as long as they're in good shape and the motor is in good shape and not about to cross into MOH time, they retain value well.

And that money you get back, you put into the advanced ratings.

It's an awesome plan if you can swing it. It's the way I WISH I could be doing it.
 
You will need multi engine time along with complex a/c time. Buying your own plane would allow you to build single engine time, but you will have to spend an additional 15-20k on your multi engine training depending on how many hours you are looking for. The best advice for buying your own plane will come from people that have actually owned one. i have read mixed opinions on the subject and there is a risk of very expensive maintenance problems that an owner takes on. Joing a flying club is another option for reducing the cost of training. Flight schools also present risks as well, schools have closed abruptly and not refunded any of the money students had deposited in their training accounts. Paying for training as you go is a good idea, so keep that in mind if anyone wants large chunks of cash up front.
 
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