Discouraged after discontinuing IR checkride
Posted by Chemical_Driver_8297@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 31 comments
To keep the post as short as possible, I quit my career as a high school teacher to become a pilot. It took 9 months to get my PPL I was at a 141 school that sold me on getting all my ratings in 14 months. This obviously couldn’t have been further from the truth. So I switched schools, another part 141. I like it a lot better but the pace is still killing me. After passing my final stage check on September 25th. My IR checkride was scheduled for October 29th. The day finally comes after spending more $ on flights to keep current and I pass the oral no problem. However, the winds were gusting to a point that would go beyond my personal minimums. Because it was a checkride I didn’t want to be fighting winds the whole time. Now my reschedule date is November 15th. I say all of this to ask…is this just really how it is in getting your ratings? Just hurry up and wait for everything? I feel like this training is taking forever and I will never get done. Feeling so discouraged in general.
ltcterry@reddit
This is why I discourage anyone from leaving a job for “full time” flight training.
Two years is 104 weeks. 250 hours in 100 weeks is just 2.5 hours flying a week. You probably waste that much time watching TV or drinking coffee.
You’re even off in the summer and school holidays.
I did a good bit of flight training as a teacher. I even had to drive two hours to get to a Part 141 to use VA benefits. Then I instructed as a side gig my last year as a high school science teacher.
I left teaching for an eight-year govt career and retired early from that to fly. (Now I get retirements from both.)
Good luck.
made-for-ya@reddit
Is $900/wk a solid number to invest into training? I’m looking at trying to get fully rated in 1.5 years, I’ll be 30.5
ltcterry@reddit
A year and a half is 75 weeks. At &900/week that’s $67,500.
This is on the low side of typical estimates. (The places you should avoid are advertising $100-110k for “zero to hero.”)
To keep the total cost this low you need to find cheap time building airplanes to fly. And put together a really smart comprehensive plan for success.
Realistically 1.5 years is tight. Two is more likely. Two and a half to a regional is likely unrealistically short.
No radical changes until you’ve got a few students.
made-for-ya@reddit
The place I’m going is $250/hr after taxes for an instructor plus an hour wet in a Cessna 172, I’m 8 hours in. My goals 250 hours for CPL, that’s around 69 weeks if indefinitely it was $250, but from my understanding that’s duel instruction, and 100% of my time isn’t going to be duel, and it very well shouldn’t be. Will assume duel 80 hours PPL-CPL 170-solo Wets $185 if you have $10,000 in your account, instructor $45hr $51,450 for 250 hours, now CFI-CFII, and MEI haven’t been calculated, but I’d assume I’ll be close enough. I should have my PPL in 16 weeks, I’ll keep you updated. I know that sounds fast, but we have money to throw at it. I’m estimating 60 hour average to PPL, again even if 100% was duel instruction I’m in it at $60,000 for 244 hours and it’ll be 68 weeks total, (I have 8). That’s 15 months, probably 18 months total to get CFI-CFII, and MEI. I’ll need to instruct around 52hr/average a week to hit the 1500 hours needed, 104 weeks past getting fully rated. From my understanding my part 61 slows down to 20-30/wk(3 months) in the winter and ramps up 60-80hrs(9 months) in the warmer months, it’ll be very close. I’m freshly 29, 4 months in. 18 months still puts me at 30, just the back half. I’m thinking 33 at a regional is possible.
ltcterry@reddit
It’s dual not duel.
Budget tip - anything expensive you do before 250 only costs you the incremental price. For example…
I instruct in a 172 that’s $240/hour and a Seminole that’s $330/hour. ME time is just $90/hour if it’s instead of the $240 you’d be paying anyway.
If you want MEI you’ll need 15 hours of PIC. That gets really expensive if you wait until after “250” to do ME.
Do ME as an add on to Private. If you’re not flying a TAA you’ll need complex time anyway. Now future ME training is PIC.
Except for the tow, glider time is pretty cheap. If you have somewhere suitable, at about 170-180 hours go do initial Commercial in a glider (requires 200 hours and 20 solo flights. Make these flights soaring flights rather than pattern work and you’re at 200.)
Consider doing initial CFI in a glider. Makes the airplane stuff much easier.
Whether you do glider or not, at about 200 fly 10 hours ME training for Commercial.
At 210-220, move into the SE right seat and use the next 30 hours to train for Commercial SE, CFI, and CFII. Checkrides at 250, 252, and 254.
If you’ve already done CFI in a glider then you can do ASEL Commercial and CFII on the same day. That’s what I did.
Polish up for ME Commercial add on. Pass than. Move into the right seat while everything-ME is fresh and knock out MEI.
This is not the only creative way to save money.
made-for-ya@reddit
I thought it was dual, but the damn auto correct kept fixing it lol.
What is SE?
Also, with doing glider, how much did you end up paying for everything?
ltcterry@reddit
ASEL - Airplane Single Engine Land - is what you are flying.
What did I pay? Meaningless. My first lessons were $15/hour for a 150 and $7 for the instructor. I soloed at 19. Commercial glider at 52. CFIG at 53.
ME Commercial and instructor at 60. SE counterparts later that same year.
It took me over 30 years to hit 1000 hours. Got a regional job offer at 62. Second 1000 hours took four years.
made-for-ya@reddit
Man you’re a rockstar, I’m glad you made it. It don’t matter the age, you made it and that’s all that matters. What are your plans after 65? Are there business flights like netjets you are interested in?
ltcterry@reddit
I turned down the Endeavor job a week before my class date; decided I wasn't interested in reserve in NY for half the time before I aged out... I've been doing charter flying and advanced flight instruction. I'm leaving charter for a couple of Part 91 flying opportunities.
Burgershot621@reddit
Drop the 141 and go to a part 61.
SifuT@reddit
This right here. Part 141 is one size fits all.
But to your other question, depending on where you live, IFR checkrides can get delayed many times. One friend had 7 or 8 reschedules. Took three months, had to get re-signed off. You definitely need patience/resilience in this field.
JustAGuyWhoLoves2Fly@reddit
Yes. I had to reschedule my IR check ride 8 times for weather earlier this year. It’s just part of the experience.
sexybackyea113@reddit
lol I waited 4 months for my IR checkride. I would die to only wait a month
nothingclever1234@reddit
I got signed off for my CSEL ride 3 weeks ago and I probably won’t have a check ride for another 3 months. Count yourself lucky.
RegionalJet@reddit
Yes, many places have a 3 month wait for checkrides.
Chemical_Driver_8297@reddit (OP)
Even for reschedules? When I made the no go decision I was hoping we could just come back the next day but then the DPE said he was booked until November 15th.
ltcterry@reddit
They don’t keep empty slots “just in case.” Everyone else waits too. And no one wants to.
Icy-Bar-9712@reddit
I got held up on my 1st commercial attempt. Queue 3 months of connective sigmets, MX problems, DPE ended up taking time off after an incident. 3 month delay and ended up having to redo the checkride endorsements and final stage check and redo the entire CPL ride.
On ride attempt the 2nd I took a discontinuance on the PO 180. Went back and finished that 2 days later.
So yeah, like the other guy said, welcome to aviation....
No_Diver_2133@reddit
Welcome to aviation.
VileInventor@reddit
What are you discouraged by? You were a highschool teacher, you should know that progress is slow. You build on subjects every day for 300 days of the year and some students get C’s on a final exam and some outright fail and some get an A. Slow and steady wins the race and as far as IR goes proficiency is how thorough your chairflying is. But if you’re support worried about it get a $150 flight set up and get MFS and there’s a few different programs that run with it so you’ll have to choose one. But just fly instrument approaches on that. Do your scans make sure you’re within standards and keep your flows, scans and entries proficient
fondlethethrottle@reddit
I spooled and had to reschedule my instrument ride 4 times because of Covid. Then my commercial checkride 3 times because of winds because I’ll be dammed if I fail because of busting a PO180 due to 10G17. AND then my multi-commercial add on another 5 times because the clapped out piper aztec was a maintenance nightmare that got grounded the morning of my checkride because the school squeezed lessons in on the airplane the day of my ride and shit was broke. Get used to this kind of thing until you do your checkrides in a simulator.
TomToddlesworth@reddit
Unfortunately that's just the way it is. Aviation will teach you the true meaning of patience...I had a similar experience with the IR. 6 weeks of sitting under low freezing clouds just when I was ready to do the checkride. So not only was I months late, but I lost all my proficiency in that time and had to ramp up again once the weather improved. If you're antsy to make progress, consider starting the commercial rating req's. Although I'm not sure how a 141 school handles that stuff, I did everything 61.
sunny5222@reddit
What 141 school took so long for a PPL?
Chemical_Driver_8297@reddit (OP)
AeroGuard in Phoenix, AZ. Worst school ever.
Burgershot621@reddit
All of them
dieseltaco@reddit
Time to spare, go by air
big_gorilla_cloud@reddit
I had to wait a month which was pretty typical. Passed the oral on the day of and the weather was bad for 6 weeks straight. I’m finally about to do the flight portion but yeah it seems to be a waiting game.
225graduate@reddit
Supply and demand my friend…not enough DPE’s and a shit ton of people trying to get ratings and been scheduled out. I am beyond thankful I started this process back in 2021, it seems like a absolute nightmare now
Stephan_Eisert@reddit
It can be very disappointing especially if you are trying to get everything done fast. But don’t be discouraged. It took sound thinking to pull the plug on the ride and ultimately that’s what you are shooting for anyway. Years from now you’ll look on that experiment and chuckle. Take a breath, you’re in the home stretch.
cephalopod11@reddit
A 2 week wait for a checkride is very normal where I am, especially if your school doesn't have 3 or 4 DPEs lined up with open dates. Just get in the sim and stay crispy on your approaches and holds.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
To keep the post as short as possible, I quit my career as a high school teacher to become a pilot. It took 9 months to get my PPL I was at a 141 school that sold me on getting all my ratings in 14 months. This obviously couldn’t have been further from the truth. So I switched schools, another part 141. I like it a lot better but the pace is still killing me. After passing my final stage check on September 25th. My IR checkride was scheduled for October 29th. The day finally comes after spending more $ on flights to keep current and I pass the oral no problem. However, the winds were gusting to a point that would go beyond my personal minimums. Because it was a checkride I didn’t want to be fighting winds the whole time. Now my reschedule date is November 15th. I say all of this to ask…is this just really how it is in getting your ratings? Just hurry up and wait for everything? I feel like this training is taking forever and I will never get done. Feeling so discouraged in general.
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