Need some ideas...trying to obtain PPL

kmiller

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I just need a little help with something. I've been trying to obtain my PPL the last few years, and I keep starting and stopping because of financial reasons. Does anybody within the NYC tri-state area or other pilots in general, have any ideas in regards to keeping the cost of the PPL down? When I crunch the numbers, it seems that anything after the PPL I'll be able to reasonably handle; it's just getting past the PPL. Are there a lot of scholarships that I can apply for, anybody out there willing to help a young aspiring career pilot out in the CFI department? Is it worth joining a flying club? I just feel like I'm all tired out, and I really don't want to give up this dream that I had for a long time. Right about now I'm willing to try anything, its just I don't know where and who to turn to and was hoping somebody here at JC can help shed some light. Thanks in advance guys.
 
Don't give up...whatever you do. Earning my PPL was one of my greatest achievements in my life thus far.

An idea to consider would be to call around all of the FBO's in the area and see what the best prices are for their rental aircraft. You might even be able to find an FBO that has a LSA (Light Sport Aircraft) for rent which would be great to keep the cost down. Just make sure that you specify you want to get your PPL not your Sport License. One of the places I rent near Mansfield, OH has a Gobosh 700S and a Flight Design CTLS that both run $84/hr wet...and they're brand new airplanes.

So yeah, call around...see what you can find. We have numerous airports around my area that only have a 150 for rent, but it goes for around $70/hr. Try to find the cheapest ride you can.

Another thing you can try is go out to your local airports a couple times and see if there are any airplanes that look like they haven't been flown in a while or whatever. Look up the N-number, get the guy's number through whitepages and see what the deal is. You might be able to make a deal with the owner to fly the airplane or a get good deal to buy the airplane. I would err on the side of caution with this method however... you might upset some people or whatever, but the worst that could happen is they say no, right? I tried this at my airport, and only because I saw the plane nearly every day parked in the same spot (I work at an FBO on the field). I called the owner, and although we didn't talk specifics, he said he'd be willing to work something out with me.

So, keep your head up and just keep pressing forward.
 
i'm not sure what your employment situation is, but perhaps you could start working for a FBO or flight school part time...getting an employee rental rate/discount on an airplane has saved me tons. Check around and see if anyone needs any help.
 
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