Can I Do My PPL In A Complex Aircraft?

CK

Well-Known Member
If my mom buys a 172RG or any complex aircraft will I be able to do my solo and checkride in it? Can I get my complex sign off before my I get my lisence?
 
It is possible to do this. The only problem is insurance. It would probably be cheaper to rent a fixed gear aircraft for your private than pay the insurance premium.
 
Yes, yes, and yes.

However, most FBOs/insurance companies won't allow student pilots to solo their complex aircraft.
 
Can you? Yes. A CFI buddy of mine trained two kids for their privates in an Arrow their granddad bought. Is it a good idea? That's debatable. You would of course need a complex endorsement before soloing. Insurance would be the killer ... it'll cost a king's ransom to insure a complex airplane being flown by a no-time student pilot. In my buddy's case, I think he had to give the kids 20 hours of instruction before he could solo them to satisfy the insurance company, regardless of their progress. Also, every time he launched them on solos, his pucker factor was way high until they returned safely. It's your CFI's ticket on the line if you gear up that airplane or something.

Have Mom buy a 172 or Cherokee instead, and trade up after you've got your PPL. It's worth it just for the insurance savings.

FL270
 
Would insurence be a problem for a kid with 260 hours? Or is it my age that matters?
 
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Would insurence be a problem for a kid with 260 hours? Or is it my age that matters?

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260 hours in what aircraft and what role?
 
I've got time in a lot of different airplanes. Is that a good thing for insurence or do they want time in one type of aircraft? I've got somthing like 150 in Multis and 110 in singles, all dual of course. Do they even care about the multi and jet time or is that just useless for a single engine insurence? Oh yeah a whopping .5 PIC, no engines tho.
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Citationkid,
Do you feel like you could pass the ppl checkride,written, and oral today? Just curious because it seems like you grew up in an aviation family and are around aviation all the time.


Smokey
 
For my flight school to rent the Multi (whether it be the Seminole or the Aztec) it's 350 hours total time or if you're not with the school 500 hours total, and 25 hours in the make and model. Age doesn't matter.

Clem
 
Yep theres no problem with doing your training in a complex however in some cases insurance companies wont even insure you if you do solo it. Most of the time to solo a complex you need about 150TT and 15-20 hours of instruction. You might be able to count the time you have aquired so if you can go for it. Its good to learn in faster aircraft from the start IMO then you are already used to it. Age doesnt matter
 
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If my mom buys a 172RG or any complex aircraft will I be able to do my solo and checkride in it? Can I get my complex sign off before my I get my lisence?

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Didn't you have a simliar post like this one recently? Asking if it would be a good idea for a student pilot to start of his training ina C-182?

This sounds alot like that post.

I remember when I first started my PPL with my good instructor and company.

I ask him if I could start my training in Piper Saratoga TC. He stared back at me wide eyed and said.

"Matt I'm sure you could dude but why the hell would you want too. You gotta crawl before ya walk dude..."

Then he was like why don't you just concentrate on completing learning to fly a C-172SP...

Couldn't have said it any better....


Matthew
 
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Citationkid,
Do you feel like you could pass the ppl checkride,written, and oral today? Just curious because it seems like you grew up in an aviation family and are around aviation all the time.


Smokey

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I don't know what you have to do for the Oral and Check ride so I can't tell you if I ready for them. I taking the written some ttime this month and I think I'm ready for it.
 
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Didn't you have a simliar post like this one recently? Asking if it would be a good idea for a student pilot to start of his training ina C-182?

This sounds alot like that post

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Your right it does, I wasn't sure if you could solo in a complex airplane or not, that's my question. My question there was would it be smart to start with very little time, like 10 hours, then buy and fly a 182.


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I remember when I first started my PPL with my good instructor and company.

I ask him if I could start my training in Piper Saratoga TC. He stared back at me wide eyed and said.

"Matt I'm sure you could dude but why the hell would you want too. You gotta crawl before ya walk dude..."

Then he was like why don't you just concentrate on completing learning to fly a C-172SP...




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I would love to do it like most people and go to a flight school and have an instructor, but there are no good flight schools around where I live. I have to drive 2 hours to get to a decent flight school.

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"Matt I'm sure you could dude but why the hell would you want too. You gotta crawl before ya walk dude..."


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I don't know if it would be harder because I'd be solo, but how much faster could things go in a 172RG as compared to the Citation? Of course I always have some one in the left or right seat with a hell of a lot of time.
 
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Would insurence be a problem for a kid with 260 hours? Or is it my age that matters?

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You have 260 hours?
 
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but how much faster could things go in a 172RG as compared to the Citation

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Hmmm. Lets thnk about that??? Dude you are comparing apples and oranges.

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You have 260 hours?

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With someone in the other seat all of the time (minus the glider) right? I doubt the 260 would mean anything to an insurance company becuase you have next to zero solo PIC time.
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You have 260 hours?

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With someone in the other seat all of the time (minus the glider) right? I doubt the 260 would mean anything to an insurance company becuase you have next to zero solo PIC time.
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So insurence doesn't care about my time unless it's PIC?
 
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You have 260 hours?

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I'm surprised you didn't say any thing about all my time being sitting on my mom's lap
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. I stop talking about how much time I have sence those first couple post.
 
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It is possible to do this. The only problem is insurance. It would probably be cheaper to rent a fixed gear aircraft for your private than pay the insurance premium.

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I wish I could, but there are no airplanes for rent around me. CAP only rents their airplane to people 18 or older so I couldn't use that airplane.
 
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So insurence doesn't care about my time unless it's PIC?


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I would venture to guess that no, that 260 hrs. would not make much difference to the insurance company. Not necessarily because its not PIC, but because its sort of "phony dual received". (Don't take that the wrong way, I'm not trying to say its worth nothing...but its not exactly going to impress an insurance company.)

And personally, I would not train a private student in a complex aircraft. Instructing is stressful enough, I don't need to *try* to make it even more so, lol.
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Citationkid. What we want is for you to take your time and learn the RIGHT way. So that you learn and digest the training in such a way that you will retain it. There is a knowledge foundation that you need to form in order to pass your checkride, and in order to be a safe and effective pilot. Flying a complex aircraft is only going to complicate the learning process. 260 hours or no 260 hours, you have yet to be the sole decision maker and manipulator of the controls. So like some of the other guys said....you CAN learn in your 172RG, but what for? why make it more stressful for both yourself and your instructor? Take your time and have fun man!
 
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