PPL Training in Seattle a bad idea?

arhenders

New Member
Hey Everyone,

I'm contemplating taking a corporate transfer to Seattle(not Microsoft or Amazon), however, I'm concerned the low ceiling, poor visibility environment will crush my dreams of getting my private pilot. Ultimately, I want to train and time build to the point where it becomes a new career (ATP). From what I understand, the weather is only bad for flying during the winter, but I don't want to have to take the winter off. It will be a multi-year process, building 1500 hrs to ATP.

How significantly would the weather in Seattle slow my plans? Would it only affect my PPL as once I begin work on my IFR, the clouds don't matter?

The other option is to stay in ATL at my old job, where the flight training is VFR most days. Any things to consider or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
Take the weather, it will give you a great experience for your Instrument and Commerical ticket. Flying is the easy part, its the decision making that can be tricky at times.
 
Take the weather, it will give you a great experience for your Instrument and Commerical ticket. Flying is the easy part, its the decision making that can be tricky at times.

True, the weather will be better experience. I'm a bit concerned about keeping momentum. I don't want to spend half a year hoping to get good weather for a PPL.

SEA>ATL in pretty much every possible way except for maybe the availability of chick-fil-a's.

I'm going to uphold the honor of ATL and respectfully disagree.
 
You'll love it up here and once you are instrument rated, lots of actual ifr conditions between Bellingham and Hillsboro are waiting to be logged.

And you can hang out with the Super Bowl Champs:biggrin:
 
True, the weather will be better experience. I'm a bit concerned about keeping momentum. I don't want to spend half a year hoping to get good weather for a PPL.



I'm going to uphold the honor of ATL and respectfully disagree.
If you do have to wait a bit it will be worth it in the end, i wouldn't worry too much about it. Take it from some one who went PPL to CPL in AZ and then moved back to NY and realized I knew nothing about flying in weather, its a crap feeling.
 
I wouldn't worry about the weather. If it is actually that bad, great day to go skiing. Wish we had that option here in Florida...

The most common weather reason you will not be flying while working on a PPL is unfavorable winds, and that's true everywhere else.
 
The weather is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
On the positive side.....
With the "bad" weather and higher temps there are more chances to fly in IMC with high freezing levels, which means a lot of days with no icing at lower altitudes. You can log a lot of actual IMC time in Seattle.
Always figuring out wether to go/no go for weather related issues forces your ADM skills to grow which in turn will make you a more confident pilot.
With lots of storms there are lots of chances to go do touch and goes and practice gusty/windy landing conditions.
Just my two cents but I did all my flight training in the Seattle area and thought it was great.
 
The weather is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
On the positive side.....
With the "bad" weather and higher temps there are more chances to fly in IMC with high freezing levels, which means a lot of days with no icing at lower altitudes. You can log a lot of actual IMC time in Seattle.
Always figuring out wether to go/no go for weather related issues forces your ADM skills to grow which in turn will make you a more confident pilot.
With lots of storms there are lots of chances to go do touch and goes and practice gusty/windy landing conditions.
Just my two cents but I did all my flight training in the Seattle area and thought it was great.
Yea, what that guy said. I did all my training between Bellingham and Seattle, it was a little slow, but I'm to blame for that.
 
Thanks for the info, everyone. I'm less hesitant to make the leap to SEA now. Seems to be a universally loved place.
 
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