I have been trying to talk my parents into letting me take flying lessons for a few years now. They seem to know I am serious about pursuing the career of an airline pilot, but still don’t want to let me fly. We have the money to do so, but they want me to come up with better reasons to take the lessons. Anyone that was ever in the same situation or a pilot?
#1 by Huey N on April 2nd, 2010
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Join the Air Force or Navy after college.
#2 by aerocentral01 on April 2nd, 2010
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Take a ground course, and get an A. Then, take another.
Study how instruments convey information (not necessarily on Flight Simulator), by reading manufacturers’ websites, etc.
Study math and physics. Hang out at the small airport, and offer to help clean airplanes in exchange for rides. Offer to accompany pilots on day trips, and listen to them (don’t talk, or ask too many questions, especially on takeoff and when flying around the airport).
#3 by Lt. Dan on April 2nd, 2010
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Well apart from the fact that it is the safest way to travel, it’s a rewarding career, good money, you get lots of respect, you get to travel to a lot of places.
#4 by mojonah on April 2nd, 2010
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I’ve been in aviation professionally for 31 years. I started flying at 16 in high school. Aviation has bought my house, paid for raising my family, bought numerous cars, paid for college degrees for my kids, etc. As an aircraft inspector, (that’s right, not a pro pilot) I travel around the country and parts of the world. Once, while traveling in first class dining on lobster tail and champagne on my way to Israel, I marveled at the fact that I was making double time wages. My parents were against my flying, too. You don’t have to be a professional pilot….but a good knowledge of flying helps you to a better career.
#5 by jettech on April 2nd, 2010
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There’s an old joke about a bumper sticker that said “Don’t tell my Mom I’m a pilot, she thinks I’m a piano player in a whorehouse.”
I bullied my father into paying for flying lessons, which worked for about the equivalent of 12 hours. Of course, relations before and since have been strained.
There are two ways to become an airline pilot; join the service or write a massive check.
My approach would be to the situation would be to make allies out of enemies; which can get a little complex, but it’s part of the bartering system. You need them on your side to afford what you want to do, so you’re going to have to suck it up and do some things that don’t necessarily please you either.
Go out to your local airport and find a flight school with a young flight instructor who understands where you’re coming from. Work a deal for an introduction flight with him; he’ll probably be willing to do it for the rental of the airplane so he can get the time.
Work and save up the cash to do pay for the flight yourself and pay for it before your parents find out that you’ve got the cash. Ask the greatest opponent to your taking lessons to join you and make sure that the flight illustrates how quickly, efficiently and inexpensively you can reach a common destination that the strongest opposing parent routinely has to drive to.
You’ll either be grounded for a month or have levelled the playing field a bit and you’ll have clearly sent the messages that you’re ready to devote whatever you can to your goal, you won’t be distracted from the ultimate goal and you’re willing to make it something that will be convenient for them that you can all do together.
Other arguments are that the rigors of learning to fly preclude the usual teen problems of drugs and alcohol because you can’t achieve your dream, (actually you can but then you’ll have to fast talk the FSDO, which is a little more sophisticated than your parents,) if you get into any legal trouble at all for alcohol or drugs.
It will help you with your math grades, physics grades and general study habits. (It won’t but the flight instructor should be able to help you convince them of that.)
That failing, wait until you’re 18, (I’m assuming you’re not,) and in addition to a full or part time job, sign on for an apprenticeship with a flying school. American Flyers has a program that allows people to directly trade work for flight time; You could probably work something out with about any flight school.
Good Luck,
Fly The Friendly Skies!
#6 by DJ on April 2nd, 2010
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tell them that love heights more than my girlfriend!
#7 by rohak1212 on April 2nd, 2010
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I’m not sure what better reason you can give other than a good career as a pilot. Although you’re looking at a hard road to get that juicy job. You’ll be doing a lot of light flying, and it could take years to actually fly as opposed to co-pilot.
But you could start talking about joining the airforce. It’s an option, if you are flying large cargo planes it’ll give you great experience to use later when applying for airline job. If your parents don’t want you to join the air force, they may decide to pay for your training instead.
#8 by Obelix on April 2nd, 2010
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Well it’s hard to give you any good arguments when you haven’t really told us why they are against it. I have to say I can’t comprehend why they would ask for a better reason when they apparently understand that you are serious about pursuing a career in aviation. WHat better reason could there possibly be?!?
The only things I could think of is that either they’re worried that it might just be a phase and you’ll lose interest after a little while (pilot school is not easy!) and they aren’t keen to drop a small fortune on what might possibly only be a temporary infatuation. Or maybe they are concerned for your safety and/or aren’t sure that you are mature enough yet to handle the considerable responsibilities that come along with flying.
As far as safety is concerned it is really quite safe and you most likely do several mundane things everyday that carry considerably more risk than flying. It just seems risky to people because it is further out of our natural element than most other things we do. Also you will be flying with a flight instructor 90% of the time who is there primarily to compensate for your mistakes and to teach you how to fly as safely as possible.
I am a flight instructor myself and I really enjoy my career. I love that it challenges me on so many different levels. It is very intellectually challenging but it is also physical and in a way is almost like a sport (in the way that car racing is a sport). It also really matures you and helps you become more responsible because you will never do anything else in which you have to be more prepared and plan ahead more or where there is more weight attached to each decision you make than in aviation. Plus it pays well, you get to travel a lot, and there is definetly a certain degree of prestige that comes along with the job.
I think it’s great that you’re taking an early interest in this career choice and I definetly think that it’s a good idea for you to start taking flight lessons as soon as possible. Tell your parents it’s a wise investment as they will likely be reaping the benefits in the future.
Best of luck to you!
#9 by helena.gardner on April 2nd, 2010
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Ask them what their reasons for not letting you fly are, then you can rebuke them.
I find that I am up at the airfield so much it means I can’t go out with my idiot friends so often, which means that I have less encounters with the police.
Flying teaches responsibility and patience. Learning to fly will probably make it easier to go into civil aviation, because they’ll have to spend less money training you to fly an airliner.
If your parents are concerned about safety, then I suggest you dig up some figures. I know that you are more likely to get injured playing rugby than gliding, and you are more likely to get killed whilst scuba diving than whilst gliding.
You could also point out to them that if they don’t pay for your flight lessons, you’ll be forced to go into the military to learn how to fly, and you wouldn’t want to be sent out to Iraq and get killed just because they wouldn’t let you take flying lessons as a teenager etc etc.
Have you thought about joining the air cadets?