[wxwatcher]

Just looked at this topic and it reminds me of me.

I learned to fly when I had a 4 year old at home. Wife was not against it, but she wasn't exactly for it either.

In that type of situation, you really need to have things together. Have the 4 to 5 grand available before you start your lessons, then put it down with the FBO and by "block time". Essentially, you are prepaying for all your training and flight time. Now that you don't have to worry about where the money is coming from for the next lesson, keep at it. I started in mid-January, soloed on February 7 (wife even made me a hookrug to commemorate the day), and had passed my private checkride on May 17 with 56 hours in the books. That included six weeks off from flying due to a back injury. Without that problem, I would have been done in less than three months. That works out to about five hours a week flight time. That's the only way to get it done. You stay fresh and learn and retain good habits. After that, I flew about two to three hours a month to stay current, about half the time with the family along for the ride.

Longest trip we took was about 600 miles one way. It sure was a kick overflying O'Hare field and watching the big jets below us (before the days of 12,000ft Class B Airspace, that is.)

Worst mistake I made was to stop flying when we moved to California. Cost per hour was more than double what I paid in the mid-west and we couldn't afford it anymore.

One of these days.........


Jerry

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Comments and opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.