New Sport Pilot Questions

[Sempfi]

Greetings all...New to the forum but not new to flying. I am 51 yrs old and and am looking to get my Light Sport License. Lil about myself. Not a pilot yet but have rode in and flown a 61 Piper Colt, 2013 Cessna 172 and a 79 Piper Archer II. I Feel like I have the basics down so do not consider myself a total newbie. Here are my questions. There is 1 flight school in Peoria, IL that SP trains in a 46 Champ. Their rates are reasonable and they are about 30 min drive. My next options will be to drive 2 hrs to Chicago area where I found 3 LSA Pilot schools. 1 school trains in Cessna Skycatcher, the other two train in Evektor Sportstar

Option 1 Stay local and fly in 46 Champ (taildragger)

Option 2 drive 2 hrs and fly modern LSA (tri-gear)

Looking for advice on which platform would be better to learn on. (Old Champ) vs (Modern LSA)

Lastly the owner of one of the Chicago schools tried to telling me it would take 60 hrs to get my SP license even though the FAA min is 20??? I told him I knew 20 was on the low number but his estimate of 60 was high. Can you experienced pilots enlighten me on how many hours would be reasonable to obtain SP?

Thanks All!!

[martymayes]

What's the best trainer depends on what you plan to do once you are a Sport Pilot. If you will mostly be flying one the new egg shaped LSA's, I would recommend training in them. If you plan on flying the old LSA eligible taildraggers, train in those. Without regard to type, I favor the closest one.

The guesses as to how long it will take are just that. The school owner is basing his number on his experience, that may or may not be representative of your ability. From my experience, no, you will not pick up the skills as fast as a 18 y/o kid, who can probably finish in 20 hrs. with no problem. If someone tells you 60 and you finish if 40, you'll be happy, no? Perhaps a good strategy is not to set a hard number goal. Just plan for the worst and enjoy the ride.

[Jim Heffelfinger]

I want to wade in here with a confirmation on flight time. As a very adult learner I have had many "extra" hours added to my training time with development of new muscle memories. Our brain development highly plastic initially become more structured in the mid 20s and continues to be less plastic with time. That said new skills can be learned just a bit longer and "harder". The biggest factor on training time (IMHO) is the frequency of lessons. Stretched out over many months it might head toward 60 hours. As has been said on this topic before - find an instructor who you feel comfortable with ( shop around) and then fully commit to the new challenge with time (naturally $$) and focus.
jim

[1600vw]

How long it takes...Such a personal question. What takes one person a few hrs might take someone else a lot more. I soloed in 10 hrs. But not everyone can do that. To some flying is easy to others its hard, like math.
This is me but I like starting with the low and slow crowd and then go up. You learn how to feel the airplane. Its much harder for me anyway to get this feeling in say a 172. Then once you learn these slower crafts then you move up to something faster.
Just me again but I believe this is the safest and most cost effective way to approach aviation. You take it in bites so to speak. When you feel you have a mouth full you stop. I read and hear so many stories of folks trying it the other way and getting frustrated and dropping out all together.
Just my way of thinking or my 2 cents.

[Bill Greenwood]

The Champ is a fun and simple and cheap way to learn to fly.
If someone tells you it will take 60 hours, it seems to me one of 3 things:
1 The person has little confidence in their ability as an instructor.
2 He is try to discourage you since you are a basic student and don't represent as much return.
3. He wants to drag you out for the maximum revenue for him.

[Jim Hann]

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[1600vw]

I do not believe this poster once mentioned PP certificate. Why does everyone push the PP certificate. Why not start low and slow and work your way up. I do not get it people.

[Greg Bockelman]

I don't see anyone "pushing" the PP. At least not in THIS thread. So far. What I see is a comparison or two, but that is all.

[1600vw]

I don't see anyone "pushing" the PP. At least not in THIS thread. So far. What I see is a comparison or two, but that is all.

Doing this is a diserves to the SP Certificate. PP and SP are so different you really can not compare the two. You need so much more training for PP then you do for SP. Sport Pilot can cover such simple things as a single seat MXL quicksilver. Telling this person that x amount of hrs was need for one person to be a PP is a waste of time. Lets compare the hrs from another SP flying something faster not from a PP. flying instruments or doing IFR or under the hood training.

[jedi]

......... PP and SP are so different you really can not compare the two. You need so much more training for PP then you do for SP. .........

I do not agree about the great differences between SP and PP. The basic training is the same. PP just adds in requirements for radio work, Simulated instrument and night and a few hours and miles to do the additional traiining. The basic aircraft operations are nearly identical depending on the type of aircraft used. The new SP does not need to start with a SP CFI or LSA. I would recommend getting two or three hours in a Cessna 150/152 for starters if you have difficulty finding a LS trainer. You do not need the LS until ready to transition for solo.

The number of hours required for proficiency can vary widely depending on the training environment. At a busy Class D airfield you may only get two or three takeoffs and landings in an hour lesson. At a good grass uncontroled field you may get 10 landings in the same hour lesson. At some airports it may take 20 minutes to get to the practice area in an LSA. At the old pea patch you may be doing ground reference maneuvers in five minutes. I have seen students take 30 minutes and more from engine start to taxi in a glass cockpit. The J-3 can easily be airborne in 5 minutes.

If you want to learn to fly an airplane the Champ is a good option. You will learn the piloting skills needed to fly the plane. You need not get all the time in the Champ however.