By: Todd Wheatley
(c) IQ-2k   Jun.2007

Well before the Greek tale of Icarus (circa 600 to 800 BC) the dream of flight had captured the hearts and minds of humanity. With every seasonal migration and every bird floating on the wind, man yearned to fly. And so it was age after age, but the secret of flight remained a mystery. Today, however, that once impossible dream can be readily accomplished. Moreover, some, like acclaimed aerobatics champion Patty Wagstaff or the legendary Bob Hoover, can actually put birds to shame. With work and dedication you too can achieve bird-like status though only a modest amount of effort is required to become a fledgling airman ... airperson.

For most urban dwellers the joy of effortless flight is little more than a phone call away. It's that easy, but I guarantee the more effort you put into your flight experience the more joy you will get out. There's a flight option for just about everyone. From easy to complex. Powered. Unpowered. Homebuilt or manufactured. The more adventurous would enjoy hang gliding. It's quick, easy, and the closest thing to the unfettered freedom that our feathered friends enjoy. Likewise a great many truly adventurous souls choose to jump from perfectly good aircraft. Though technically they are not flying ... they are falling!! People, after all, have not had much success emulating birds. Although the advent of the square (flying) chute gives jumpers the best of both worlds. Dexterous use of torso and limb for aerial maneuvering coupled with the soft landing that only wings can provide.

In becoming a pilot you too will 'bend' the air in a coordinated aerodynamic fashion much like the birds and parachute jumpers. The alternative is 'burbling' nonlaminar air. Such disrupted air is not conducive to sustained flight. And whether you start with hang gliders or take a slower more measured approach, my goal is to help you avoid the fate of Icarus while quickening your pace to air mastery.

For those who don't know:

Greek mythology tells how Icarus and his father escaped a remote island exile by fashioning wings with feathers and wax. While flying out of exile Icarus became tragically over zealous, and against his fathers warning, flew too close to the sun. His wings melted and ... SPLAT!!

Yes, there are risks. Take the mode of flight for example. Many different flight modes have emerged since the development of powered flight just over a century ago. One of the more exotic is the "James Bond" jet powered backpack (jet pack) developed by the military in the early 1960s. With flight times under 2 minutes the jet pack never became practical but it does still exist. And yet, hang gliders, parasails, ultralights, helicopters, autogyros, lighter-than-air vehicles and other forms of air travel (including jet packs) have all safely performed the act of flight.

The pilot is the main concern. In becoming a pilot you must get yourself airworthy before you attempt to get airborne. Poor pilot attitude, for example, can be deadly as Icarus was the first to discover. There's attitude, judgement, ability, and a host of other considerations for being personally airworthy. Any one of these, when improperly applied, can lead to disaster. However investigators generally find that accidents occur due to a chain of events more than just a single cause. Do not be unduly alarmed, this so- called accident chain can be easily broken by an 'airworthy' safety conscious pilot.

SAFETY FIRST... second & third. Remember, we share the air. Courteous flying is safe flying. But either way, watch out! The birds will be there too. Give them room.

So far we've touched on three elements related to becoming a pilot: mode of flight, aerodynamics and risk. Now let's consider the process. First, and most important, consider what you ultimately hope to gain. Do you want heart pounding thrills? Or will low & slow suffice? Business travel? Personal travel? All weather? Helicopters instead of airplanes? Do you want to takeoff from water instead of land? The options are ever increasing - you can give feathers and wax a try, but besides being hopelessly retro there are better choices.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK! The path to flight, like everything else, is caveat emptor (buyer beware). You are much more likely to get what you want if you are honest and forthright with your plans and goals. Visit your local airport. Ask for help... The guy on the flight line, people in a hanger, the mechanics, anyone ... everyone. Granted, not everyone will be enthusiastic or even well informed, but there's a good chance they can point you in the right direction. No matter your desire. Gliders. Autogyro. Jet packs... whatever. Obviously the internet can also help, but personal contacts can prove highly valuable. People at the airport have an interest in aviation, so you are likely to have new friends in addition to an expanded knowledge base.

Recreational flying is, by definition, all about enjoyment. From that perspective what would be more enjoyable than kick'n around the airport with friends and family? << Did you talk to the people in the hangar?? ...just checking >> Still, much of that joy can be taken away as prices continue to climb. Again, personal contacts can make the difference. Research. Ask. Network. There are ways to beat the cost of flying. Personal networking will likely be the most effective. Put pen to paper and run the numbers. Then do the same evaluation, but factor in a group discount. More importantly you have to remember that price and value are related, but separate. It's not what you pay it's what you get. Visa vie, this article was written to get you the very best VALUE for your money.

Why pay for a plane and instructor, for example, if you simply want the in your face freedom of hang gliding or ultralights. Alternatively, the price of planes and instructors can vary widely and there's generally no guarantee. So DON'T BE AFRAID TO DRIVE. If you can afford to fly, you can afford to drive. The best values may be some distance away and the more exotic, the longer the drive. But again, it's what you get for your money that counts. What are you going to get, by the way? Instruction? A license? Perhaps you are going online to buy a jet pack! Hopefully, that's why your here; doing your homework. Finding out what you need before charging out to get what you want.

People generally know what they can spend, but just as often they do not know how much it will buy. That's the difference between price and value. Needs and wants often produce the same troubles. People generally know what they want, but not always what they need. So if you want to become a pilot you need to consult the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). Let's assume you want to do some hang gliding. It's not stick and rudder, but piloting nonetheless and therefore holds the potential for regulation.

<< when researching from books always look to the index as your first source of information >>

Pulling out our handy dandy FAR book. Turning to the index. Let's see what we need to do some hang gliding: H... He.. oops! no hang gliding; There's: Helicopter, gyroplane, gliders, ultralight vehicles. NO HANG GLIDERS. There's no mention of jet packs either, Hmmm.

Basically as far as the federal government is concerned you do not NEED a thing to go hang gliding. No license, no instruction, no nothing, except perhaps a strong stomach. Hang gliding is unregulated. A little surprising, but I wouldn't recommend launching a hang glider from a building top. Some daring b.a.s.e. jumpers were jailed in Las Vegas Nevada following a (b)uilding (b in base) jump. Aerodynamically feasible, yes. But a hazard to public safety and therefore criminal (poor judgement i.e. not airworthy) .

Let's step it up a notch to ultralights, which can be found in the FAR index: FAR Part 103 Subpart A - 103.7 (paraphrased) you DO NOT need a license, nor training, moreover there's no airworthiness certification for the vehicle. Freedom is the point I'm trying to make. It's not the wild west, but there is ample freedom within the regulation structure. So now, as you have discovered, not all flying requires licensing. On the flip side, not all training pertains to licensing. You would be well advised to receive some instruction in small single-engine aircraft before transitioning downward to either ultralights or hang gliders. It's money well spent especially if you remain engaged and vocal about your ultimate goals. More often than not, however, people thinking of becoming a pilot have licensing as a goal. Here again, they may know what they want, but are clueless about their needs.

Let's revisit the FARs. The rules for becoming a licensed pilot can be found in FAR Part 61 : Pilot Certification. Everything you need. Right? Yes & no. Depends on what you want. In short the certification process (licensing) is mostly about flying with passengers. How many, how far, night or day, what airspace and so on. Throw in some clouds and bad weather and the requirements change again. Therefore to determine which certification process you NEED under FAR Part 61, you must first consult FAR Part 91 (Operating Limitations) to match the requirements with what you WANT. Discounting helicopters, gliders, dirigibles, balloons, powered parachutes or water ops you basically have three options : Sport, Recreational and Private.

Each licensing option has a set of requirements and privileges and is much less difficult than it may seem. More significantly, if you follow the process outlined here the benefits will outweigh the costs and you will more easily achieve the goal of becoming a licensed pilot. If it comes down to money, as it usually does, the more limited the means the greater the need for value. To get the best value it is essential to know where your money is going. Flight training for pilot certification has five categories of expense: educational & operational supplies, aircraft expense, the instructor, testing & paperwork, and (if applicable) a medical exam.

The new (2005) Sport Pilot designation, for example, brings a fast track approach to pilot certification. The total required flight time is roughly half of that for the private pilot option. Additionally, the sport pilot does not need medical certification thereby providing more cost savings for this option. The privileges are also fewer, but this may be just the ticket for you. In this fully licensed option the aircraft must be certified and the pilot must undergo training complete with a checkride from a certified examiner.

After you have selected the licensing option that best suits your needs you will need to find the right flight instructor and school. Again, the further you are willing to drive the wider your choices. Rural folk with land could, under the right circumstances, train right out their back door. The majority, however, must find a more suitable environment. From place to place you may find package deals, structured step-by-step programs, unstructured programs, pay as you go, pay up- front, the options vary. Those gravitating into the airlines should look into an Ab Initio program.

After 9/11 (2001) flight school viability became a major concern. Schools closed suddenly and without notice. Today (2007) the volatility still remains but to a much less degree. Discontinuity of instruction can be costly and even if the flight school stays in business instructor turnover may be a problem. Many instructors are airlines wannabe and they too may come and go with the wind. The longer you stretch out your training the more problems you are likely to encounter. Yet staying engaged and vocal is, again, the key to success. Unfortunately the tragic events of 9/11, soaring energy costs, rising manufacturing costs and even the advances of unmanned aerial vehicles are turning pilots into an endangered species.

Still a modest recovery in professional pilot hiring starting in late 2006 promising to benefit all concerned. New hiring will bring new planes, schools and instructors. And the greater the training supply the lower the cost. Hopefully the increased air travel accompanied with fuel saving designs will move the aviation industry away from its precarious perch. More importantly however, it will take all of our efforts to ensure that the United States maintains a viable if not thriving aviation industry. If you're ready to start - welcome to club.

<< There are flying clubs by the way. Another option to consider. >>

Despite the recent centennial of powered flight anniversary all pilots still share a common mystique which has diminished very little with the passage of time. Not convinced? Strike up a conversation and casually mention that you are a pilot. You might hear something like...`Really? Your a pilot?...Wow'. The general public tends to make no distinction (in conversation at least) between a 20,000 hour airline veteran and a zero-time student pilot. To them all pilots push the big iron around the sky. It's a misconception, but it is common. And yet students need only solo to join the ranks of those mythic intrepid souls known as pilots. As of 2005 `the club' had roughly 650,000 licensed members and countless more unlicensed. So do your homework and get started!!

  

  TODD WHEATLEY
  PRIVATE PILOT TRAINING   ----   1st FLIGHT 5-10-1980
  ----------------------
      HRs  LANDINGS
  1>  0.8   1  aircraft familiarization, straight & level,
               climbs, turns
  2>  0.8   1  turns, climbs, descent, slow.flt
  3>  1.0   2  turns, climbs, descent, slow.flt, slips,
               landing patterns
  4>  1.1   2  (0.4 hood attitude instrument flight)
               stalls, flap ldgs
  5>  1.2   2  (0.4 hood critical atittude) stalls,
               emerg.ldgs, grnd.ref
  6>  1.0   1  (0.3 hood critical...) 8s, x-wind to&l
  - 5.9 --- 9 --------------------------------------------
  7>  0.9   3  (0.2 hood) PROGRESS CHECK w/CHIEF PILOT
  8>  1.5   4  (0.1 hood) slow, stalls, ground
               ref.maneuver, emerg.proc.
  9>  1.0   1  (0.4 hood) slow.flt, stalls, emerg.proc.,
               max performance
 10>  1.4   6  x-wind to&l, VOR nav., stalls
 11>  1.3   5  VOR nav. / emerg.proc.
 - 12.0 -- 28 --------------------------------------------
 12>  0.8   5   0.3  S O L O once around the pattern &land
 13>  1.1   4  Area checkout, x-wind proc.
 14>  1.4   7   0.6  solo -- ground reference manuevers
 - 15.3 -- 44 --------------------------------------------
 15>  0.6   2  (0.2 hood) PROGRESS CHECK w/CHIEF PILOT
 16>  1.4   5  NIGHT x-country -- tower controlled arpt.
 17>  0.9   3  Solo
 18>  1.2   4  (0.5 Solo) - short&soft field -- tower
                controlled arpt.
 19>  0.4   1  \ 1st leg   x-country
 20>  0.5   1  | 2nd leg   x-country
 21>  0.8   1  / 3rd leg   x-country (0.3 hood)
 - 21.1 -- 61 -------------------------------------------
 22>  1.6   4  Solo
 23>  1.0   1  \ 1st leg   Solo X-COUNTRY
 24>  1.4   1  / 2nd leg   Solo X-COUNTRY
 25>  3.3   1  \ 1st & 2nd Solo X-COUNTRY -- tower
                controlled arpt.
 26>  0.8   1  / 3rd leg   Solo X-COUNTRY
 27>  1.4   1  \ 1st leg   Solo X-COUNTRY -- tower
                controlled arpt.
 28>  1.2   1  / 2nd leg   Solo X-COUNTRY
 29>  1.7   3  Solo *
 30>  0.6   1  \ 1st leg  Solo X-COUNTRY
 31>  0.8   1  / 2nd leg  Solo X-COUNTRY
 32>  1.8   1  Solo *
 33>  2.0   1  Solo *
 34>  1.2   3  (0.3 hood)  checkride prep.
 --------------------------------------------------------
     39.9  81  (3.1 hood) (1.4 night) (19.9 solo) (13.6 x-
                                                  country)
     Hrs    \- Landings               (20.0 dual)

  6-21-1980 -------------------------
  -----------------------------------
  35>  1.0   2  (0.3 hood)  CHECKRIDE
  -----------------------------------
 1 instr. except for 2 flights & 2 prog chks.

(c) 2007    DR-KNOW
IQ-2k Information Services


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