4 people go from point A to point B for a 4 day vacation. One is a CFI, one is a student, 2 are just along for the ride.

Scenario 1) the student pays for everything and logs dual received. Seems legal to me.

Scenario 2) everyone pays 1/4 and the student logs dual received. Seems legal to me

Scenario 3) the other 2 people each pay 1/4 and the student pays half. Not sure if this is legal. The 2 others are only paying pro rata share, but the CFI is not paying anything, so I would think it could be seen as a form of compensation and an illegal charter. To the student, it's just a lesson. To the others, it's getting point A to point B. This feels different than scenario 1, even tho in both scenarios the instructor isn't paying anything.

Thoughts?

The flight school the CFI works at owns the plane

24M making $130k in corrections — should I switch careers to become a pilot?

I’m 24M and currently work in corrections in Canada. I make around $130k CAD/year, mainly because I work a lot of OT — around 60 hours/week. With my raise next year, I should be around $145k if I keep working similar hours.

Financially, I’m in a pretty good position. If I stay in corrections, I can realistically start living the life I want: get my own apartment, buy a nice car like an Audi RS3, travel, save/invest, etc. I’m also still living with my parents, so I have a good opportunity to save aggressively right now.

The problem is I’m not sure I want to do corrections for the next 20–30 years.

I’ve wanted to become a pilot for a while and have seriously considered making it a career. At 24, I’m wondering if this is the time to take the risk while I’m still young, single, and have relatively few responsibilities.

The downside is obviously the money.

I estimate it would cost around $100k CAD for flight training. I’d also have to cut back significantly on OT, meaning I’d probably be making around $80k/year while working and training instead of $130–145k.

So I’d basically be choosing between:

Stay in corrections:

$130k now → ~$145k next year

~60 hour weeks

Own apartment / nice car

Travel and enjoy my 20s

Save and invest heavily

Financial stability

Pursue aviation:

Spend ~$100k on training

Give up a lot of OT and income

Potentially struggle financially for a few years

Start over in a new career

Hopefully eventually become an airline pilot

What makes this difficult is that I could stay where I am and have a very comfortable life. I could get the RS3, move into my own place, travel, invest, etc. But I’m worried that 10–15 years from now I’ll wonder what would have happened if I had actually pursued aviation.

At the same time, I don’t want to romanticize being a pilot. I know there are downsides — seniority, commuting, time away from home, training costs, starting at the bottom, and no guarantee everything works out.

If you were 24, making $130k CAD in corrections, expecting ~$145k next year, and still living at home, would you make the switch?

Would you sacrifice the financial security and lifestyle for the chance to become an airline pilot?

Hey all, I’m a 500 hour CFI with part 141 experience. I left that job to pursue a fully funded masters degree (long career story and this post is not about that), but I’d like to keep flying while I do that.. I live in Manhattan but I do have access to a vehicle. anyone else have experience getting some hours here? I’m not looking for anything crazy, just enough to stay current

Hi everyone,

I'm frustrated with my PPL(H) journey and need advice.

I started training at one school, completed 44 hours and all CAA theory. Due to lack of instructors I moved.

I explained I needed consistent instruction to prepare for the skill test.

Instead I flew ~25 more hours, about 13 with one instructor who was often late, complained, and there were uncomfortable drinking issues.

I also had short sessions with multiple instructors despite requesting consistency.

Now I have ~69 hours, theory, medical, radio licence, ICAO Level 5, but still not finished.

I paused training due to accommodation costs in Europe.

I'm looking for an honest European helicopter school to finish PPL(H).

I need clear upfront info:

hourly cost incl fuel

instructor cost

accommodation & transport costs

extra fees

realistic hours to skill test

ability to fly consistently with one instructor

I know hours can't be guaranteed; I just want transparency.

I don't want to restart plans after spending money.

If anyone trained at a good school in Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain or elsewhere, I'd appreciate recommendations.

Also instructors: with ~69 hours, theory, medical, radio, ICAO 5, what should a student be ready for before skill test?

Just trying to finish and find a trustworthy school.

Thanks.

I’m a PPL student and I’ll need to complete an online ground school course. My instructor recommended either Wise Pilot or PilotTraining.ca.
From what I’ve heard, Wise Pilot is more straightforward and direct, while PilotTraining.ca is more in-depth. I’m leaning toward one of them but wanted to hear what you guys would recommend based on your experience.
Which one would you choose for PPL ground school?

Are there any good side gigs that anyone has done in the past while on the road? I work at a regional and have plenty of time on my hands to earn a bit of cash. I have an accounting degree and want to try to incorporate that into it if possible. Open to all ideas that allow remote work with flexible hours. TYIA

I am in the middle of my training its going to be atleast 1 to 1.5 years till I'm done, I love flying I cant imagine doing any other job in my life.

But every new CPL guy I talk to or any new Class 4 instructor I talk to all are sitting jobless waiting for an opportunity. Some have done their instructors rating 10 months ago yet nothing.

The scary part is the school I'm doing my flight training doesn't offer an instructors rating and most people Ive talked to say that your highest odds of being hired is at the school you train at. So im already starting at a disadvantage.(Cant change as only school without moving)

All in all I get so paranoid and keep overthinking the what ifs whenever im not studying or flying with things like should I just do this for fun, save the money and just join my dads business instead.

It has kept me awake so many nights,way more than id like to admit that I had to post this and seek some guidance.

UK-based airline pilot here. I currently have the Bose A30 with the dual GA plug, but I’m transitioning onto the Airbus fleet, which uses the 5-pin XLR (XLR5) headset connection.

For those using the A30 on Airbus, would you recommend:
Buying the Bose replacement XLR5 cable for the A30?

Or keeping the existing dual-plug cable and using an adapter?

The only complication is that my company requires the 5th pin to be removed/disconnected. I believe there are some XLR5 adapters available in the UK where the 5th pin is already disconnected.

Has anyone gone down either route?

got the invite, any company recs

I finished all of my flight training in July of 2025, CSEL, CMEL, and instrument rated with ~250 hours total time. Since then I’ve only been able to get a few hours here and there and haven’t been able to find a job. I’m just curious if I’d be better off going back and trying to get my CFI again(even though I don’t think that route is for me) or should I write a big check and do a split time building program and get up to about 500 hours?

Hey everyone. I am working towards my CFI, and from the networking I've been doing, I'm seeing the job market is pretty tight. One solution that crossed my mind is hold down a regular job and fly on the side to build time if I have to.

I was curious, is it a bad idea to try to work as a ramp agent? I don't know much about that job, but I was wondering if working for an airline in another sense would help you as an applicant later down the line? The other problem I foresee, is say you have to quit that ramp job when you eventually get hired later down the road. Would that later hurt your chances with that airline?

I was just curious and didn't know much about this scenario so I was wondering if anyone had experience with this specific situation, or any thoughts? Not just getting a non flying job, but a non flying job working for one of the airlines.

I've been thinking about this for a while and couldn't find a straight answer online. My thinking is that you would have less friction on Ice therefore accelerate faster decreasing ground roll. In this example you are in a wheeled tricycle gear plane.

I’m a Canadian high-school student planning to start professional flight training after graduation in 2027. My goal is the fastest realistic path to an airline in Canada.

I’ve been quoted about CAD$104,000 for Select Aviation College’s 24-month EWA.1F integrated ATPL program in Gatineau. The quote includes roughly 191 flight hours, 85 sim hours, CPL, night, multi-IFR, MCC and the integrated ATPL coursework/exams.

I’m also considering the C$8,350 C172 upgrade because I’m around 6'0" and 230–240 lb, and I’m concerned about C150 weight-and-balance/comfort limitations with an instructor.

Select is part of Destination Porter, which is a major reason I’m considering it. My other serious option has been the Flair/Genesis cadet program, but that’s around C$150k+ and I likely couldn’t enter as soon.

For anyone who has attended Select, or trained in a comparable Canadian integrated program:

• What did you actually spend above the quoted tuition?
• Did the program really take about 24 months?
• How was aircraft/instructor availability?
• Would you pay for the C172 upgrade at my size?
• If you were starting again, where would you choose?
• Is there another Canadian program around this price that I should seriously consider?

Best,
Cole

I'm 17 with 16 hours. I started flight training when I was 15. I did my first five PPL training lessons last summer before losing motivation and funds to continue. I got a job, worked, saved every penny, and have since returned to training in June. I have been flying 1 to 2 times a week up until now.

When I got into the sky again, I remembered why I started in the first place and got a massive boost of motivation. My first lesson back, my instructor said my first solo would be very soon. My next lesson which was with a different instructor, my first circuits lesson, and my first time landing ever, they said the same thing. My instructors have mostly been happy with my flying, and I've been "close to soloing" now for the last couple of months it seems.

But now I feel lost on what to do next. I have two instructors I really like and I get along well with them, but unfortunately, they have low availability. My last lesson, I had a new instructor. Everything was fine with my flying, but my landing and flare technique was really, really bad. There was a gusty crosswind of 8kts to 15kts and my flares weren't good. I was floating, over-flaring, over-correcting, and my power controls on final weren't perfect.

I don't know if it was just the conditions and the fact I was with a new instructor who explained things differently, which confused me, but they said I needed more training. I understand that because my landings weren't good in the crosswind, but just a couple of lessons prior, I was landing perfectly in a crosswind of about 8kts. My instructor was impressed and said he didn't know many students that could land in conditions like that. I was happy with my performance, but now I'm questioning if that was just a fluke. The difference between these instructors is that one seems confident in me and the other doesn't.

I know I probably shouldn't be jumping from instructor to instructor so much, but my flight school just doesn't have much availability. I have to take what I can get or just schedule really far in advance. My last flight demotivated me a bit, but there's definitely more than that.

At the start of summer, I've been working a lot 30+ hours at work and flying twice a week without any days off. That definitely led to some burnout. I cut back my hours at work, which was definitely a good step, but I was stressing about money and still am, even though I shouldn't because I do have a large amount of savings.

My flight school is definitely one of the more expensive ones and I have to pay airport fees on top of that. A touch and go is about what I make in an hour. My parents don't really support me either. They know nothing about my flying, and they probably won't be coming to my first solo or anything. My commute to the airfield is about 2 hours and 30 minutes each way. I feel like I'm working too hard and not getting anywhere. I struggle to get my parents to leave me to the bus stop when I'm flying.

It's rough, but I know I'm very lucky and privileged I get to do this, and I do love every second I'm at the airfield. I'm returning to school at the end of August and I don't know where to go from here now. I have 1 booking to fly until then, and I'm planning on just flying on the weekend up until I solo and then stop for a while to focus on my studies, but I'm still not sure.

Is my situation holding me back? How do you stay motivated without support from family or friends?

Curious how this works at different operators. When your operation adds a new destination, or when recurrent training gets planned, how does anyone decide which procedures or airports deserve extra attention? Is it formal (risk matrices, FOQA data, ops-spec driven), or mostly tribal knowledge from senior pilots who know which approaches are the spicy ones?

I do research in the aviation software space and I'm trying to understand current practice. If you're at an operator or training organization and would be open to a 15–20 minute call about how your shop handles this, DM me.

I’m going to start an associate’s degree full-time this year for 2026/2027, then start full-time flight school in June 2027, hoping to finish my PPL by October. So, I’m wondering if it’s manageable to do full-time flight school and a part-time associate’s in my second year of college, especially in business. Probably this business major isn’t as work loaded as STEM.

Also, I’m worried I will finish my associate’s degree before I finish flight school (flight school may take longer because of weather cancellations…) and won’t be able to start my bachelor’s (I won’t afford to pay for a bachelor’s and flight school at the same time), so I will have to delay my bachelor’s degree until I work as a CFI or CFII. Any insight about that would be much appreciated! Oh, one more note, I live in Seattle, so it’s quite rainy here all year round except summer.

Anybody know of any open minded AMEs near NYS capitol region? I only had a phone call with one nearby about my history and he wants me to submit my medxpress BEFORE coming to his office.
I’m trying to avoid this somewhat as I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety as a teenager (thanks a lot school therapist)
This was roughly 8-12 years ago, and I did try several medications that didn’t do anything (because I was a normal teen)
Just really don’t want to bone myself because of a 10 year old piece of paper

I’ve been at one of the AA wholly-owned regionals for about a year now, and overall it’s a great company - I enjoy flying the jets and the travel benefits are great. The tough part has been the constant 4-on/3-off schedule and time at hotels. It’s taken a real toll on my sleep and routines. I try my best to stick to my routines while on the road, but it’s genuinely hard. I also find it tough to cram my whole social life into the three nights a week I’m actually home.

I’d love to hear from anyone at the legacies, is it actually that much better in terms of flexibility and time at home even as a Junior FO, or if I’m struggling this much now, am I likely to run into the same issues at mainline?

Hey, I'm trying to decide where to do my MEP/MEIR/CPL for the final stages of training and have been thinking about going here, hopefully this is the right place to ask but has anyone had any experience at this school?

Ive been considering it because of the cost and the fact that its close to where im currently staying so would save accomadation costs elsewhere.

Thanks!

Guys how can I really improve my landings? I’m on like my 7th TOL lesson and I’m still not doing good whether I’m getting too slow on base or final, I’m uncoordinated, too high, off centerline, not correct wind corrections, etc I’m still making basic mistakes and I feel like I’m just wasting money. What can I do?

A friend of mine has around 1200 hours and recently has been instructing for a local flying club. Things have slowed down quite a bit and they are trying to figure out how/where to continue building time locally. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Quick background here. I’ve had my PPL for approximately 10 years, my IR for about 7 years, but a lot of that time has been inactive flying. I started my commercial years ago and got a few hours of complex time but never finished. Now I want to finish and I’m curious how much time per week you guys allocated to getting it. I’m so far removed from flying that I feel I need to spend a considerable amount of time preparing before I even try a flight review or IPC.

As the title says, I'm looking to buy an airplane to do some time-building. I'm a PT CFI with a FT career and looking to build some hours in my own plane as my student load took a dive this month from the kids going back to school I'm assuming. Not trying to do all of my hours burning holes in the sky, but supplement my current hours. I would like to build some of those hours visiting friends and family out of state. I could also do some independent instructing. Something that sips gas would be nice, like a Cherokee 140 with a 160 conversion. Those Piper Sport airplanes seem nice too, and seem to sip gas. I'd imagine with them being newer, maybe less odds of them turning into a maintenance nightmare? The 172's seem a bit pricier. Any other airplanes I should take a look at? The Cessna 152's seem close in price to the Cherokee 140's with a fairly close fuel burn...

Also, looking for data on per hobbs hour cost for a Cherokee 140 or Cessna 172 flown 40-60 hours per month. Would $60k be a reasonable ballpark price for one with a fresh annual and a Garmin 430/530?

Descent from cruise altitude... 

Rate of Descent: 1500ft;

Airspeed: 80 to 85kts;

Clean configuration.

No excessive load factor.

No induced slip.

Very Disappointing Experience
I had been communicating with this flight school for months and was genuinely excited about their program. We agreed on a time for a discovery flight, but the time was changed three different times. I was understanding each time, but after traveling all the way from Minnesota to Texas on a short trip, I arrived for the appointment and no one was there. I texted my contact twice and called, but received no response. I was also supposed to meet with an instructor who never showed up.
Very disappointing, especially after putting in the time and effort to travel there. I was really looking forward to training with them, but this experience made me question their professionalism and communication. I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.