[Rhodes22-list] private pilot

[Tatflies at cs.com]

Alright Rummy... learning to fly! Landing a float plane on Hartwell would be 
a blast.

I believe that you will find the challenge of becoming a private pilot is 
worth the effort. The flying is fun and ground school is, well, school!

Try to pick a plane to learn on that will resemble the plane your purchase 
budget will allow. It would be even better to buy the plane now and hire a good 
instructor to teach you how to fly it. Take a look at the new Liberty planes. 
They have full authority digital engine controls (fadec) which allow precise 
fuel/air mixtures at all altitudes. Also, there is no carb heat. I believe that 
for a new pilot, everything that can be done to keep the work load low is 
helpful for learning how to fly. New technologies for GA aicraft are mostly not 
new technology. It just takes longer to get things approved and economically 
feasable.

You might want to consider a video course (Sporty's, King, etc.) to help with 
the ground school. 

BTW, sailing and flying have a lot in common (except the rum :( )

Tom Trenkle