Lots of people would love to learn to fly, but the fact that it is expensive prevents lots from doing it. This article will provide you with some suggestions for less expensive ways to learn to fly.

   

1. Don’t attended a fancy flight school

Many of us are drawn to the large, professional flight schools that produce dozens of potential airline pilots every year. Professional flight schools provide numerous benefits. They offer streamlined programs, a professional atmosphere, a fleet of well-maintained aircraft, and all of the resources you require. If you want to learn to fly as a job, they also have prestige and contacts with airlines.
Despite the benefits of fancy flight schools, if you want to train for less money, you’ll need to choose an excellent flight instructor or a smaller flight school.
What matters is the quality of your instruction, not the size or reputation of your training provider.

2. Learn the ground lessons by your own

Learning to fly requires much more than simply jumping in a plane with an instructor. There’s also a lot of reading and studying to be done. You’ll be paying an instructor for a lot of things, so take advantage of it.

Learn as much as you can on your own so that when you pay for lessons, you waste as little time as possible. It’s astonishing how much you can learn for free on YouTube. The FAA’s Aeronautical Information Manual is also available for free on the FAA website.

This can include some other points.

A.     Prepare each lesson before you go and study it well

Discuss with your instructor about the movements you can expect in your next lesson. That way, you’ll be prepared when you arrive at the airport.

B. Go over your checklists with a fine-toothed comb

Rather than going through your checklist, learn a procedure to properly configure your aircraft. However, don’t fly solely from memory. Instead, always go with the flow while keeping a checklist handy. Spending half an hour on the ramp with the engine running is a waste of time and money.

C.     Don’t Spend As Much Time on the Ground

The quicker you can get off the ramp and into the air, the more familiar you are with your checklist and cockpit.

D.     Look up examples on the internet

As we said before, On YouTube, there are thousands of videos covering every aspect of flying instruction . Simply write in your next maneuver and watch as someone from the air explains it to you.

3. Scholarships

Scholarships for learning to fly are available from a variety of organizations. Fill out as many applications as possible. You could be pleasantly surprised. You can find a comprehensive list of scholarships on the AOPA website.

4. Computer simulators

Over the last few years, the extraordinary growth in personal computer power has brought capabilities formerly only possible on mainframe computers to the desktop. More realistic flight simulator software has been developed as a result of this increased power. It isn’t totally realistic yet, but no simulator has ever been, as every pilot who has trained in one can attest. While no simulator time may be used toward a private pilot certificate, even simple PC simulators can help with learning specific parts of flying, such as navigation, checklists, etc…

5. Recreational or sport certificate may be better

A recreational pilot certificate costs less and is simpler to obtain than a private pilot license. While a private pilot certificate requires at least 40 hours of flight experience, a recreational pilot certificate can be obtained with only 30 hours in the air. Keep in mind that this is a minimum requirement, and earning the recreational certificate will very certainly necessitate more than the required number of hours of flying instruction, as with any other pilot certificate or rating.

In 2004, the Sport Pilot certificate was designed to provide a low-cost entry into aviation. Applicants have the same rights as PPL certificate holders, but are limited to two-seat aircraft. The flight hour requirement has also been reduced to merely 20 hours, and a Sport Pilot can still fly across the country during the day, but only during daylight hours.

6. Make a deal for flight hours by bartering.

If you can’t find an aviation school that is hiring, see if they are willing to trade flight hours. In exchange, everyone has a skill they can provide. Perhaps you’re a master at accounting and can assist the school with its books. Maybe you’re a web designer or a social media manager. There are several skills that can be exchanged for training.

Last but not least

7. Make Your Own Budget and Save Money

Make a personal budget if you don’t already have one. Maximize your revenue while lowering your costs. Try to cut off any unnecessary expenses and put the money into a savings account that will not be touched.
May be you can get a second job to enhance your income and savings.

Learning to fly is costly and necessitates a significant amount of funds, but there are always ways to reduce costs.

Sources :

• https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2021/08/8-ways-to-reduce-flight-training-costs/
• https://www.aviatortips.com/11-tips-for-learning-to-fly-when-youre-broke/
• https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/g2831/make-flight-training-affordable/
• https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2000/may/flight-training-magazine/10-ways-to-save-on-flight-training
• Main photo credit to : https://www.flyer.co.uk/learn-fly-aeroplane/