New FAA time for PPL ?

Hi all, After reading the tread on a fella here getting his PPL I have a ? I got my PPL in 1991 and I had 48 hrs., My new girl friend just got her's and she had 150 hrs. dang that is a lot of hours to train. She told me that the FAA guy that gave her the checkride told her there looking for 100 or so hrs. I can't figure out what the heck they do for 100+ hrs. of training and why they want so much. Now I have to admit I took her flying and told her to fly 3750 MSL,[where it was] and she went to 4000 and did a fine job holding it,but I said 3750 and told her why. So I'm thinking she either is programed for even thousands and thousands + 500 or she doesn't listen well, or maybe that's why it took her 150 hrs. to test. I told her the reason I fly thousands + 250 or 750 when 3000 AGL or below is because everybody is at thousands even or + 500 and if you fly between at 250/750 you are giving yourself a safety margine between the masses. The good part is I now have a building partner and if she turns out to be a keeper I'm gona be a real happy camper. Anyways back to the original ? What are you newer pilots putting in for hrs before testing, if it ain't 100/150 hrs.I'm gona have to keep a close eye on her when I let her fly. Gene

I finished my PPL last summer with just over 70 hours..... would have been closer to 55 or 60, but due to the winter weather in Norhtern Illinois, my training was spead over two summers.

Time to ticket

There are just too many variables involved to judge someone by how long it took them to get their PPL or, for that matter, to solo. One sure factor is how much time it took, days, months, years, not hours of flying. Through a set of circumstances, I was able to really power through my Private. Zero to ticket in 28 days, and took the ride right at 40 hours. No magic here, just no time lost re-learning what you forgot since the last lesson. The other little fact was that this happened in 1965. Things were simpler then, really!

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

Sport Pilot, I needed just shy of 50 hours in 2006. The problems for me were (1) lack of consistent training - I had three different instructors and two different airplane types and also had to work within the constraints of work (weekends only) and weather (spring in Texas - 15G20 is not LSA weather, would go 3 weeks between lessons sometimes), and (2) difficulty flaring properly. It took 130 hours for #2 to really take hold.

TODR

The National Average....

....is around 65 Hours. I did mine in 2000 with 45 hours. The FAA requires 40 hours, but has been mentioned, everyone is different. I have students that are ready near 50 hours and some closer to 70. I do have 1 student that is probably going to get it done right at 40 hours. He is one sharp stick!

I finished mine in 41.5 hours, but I was going every weekend and flying as much possible.

In my experience people who fly less frequently require more hours total to finish.

When I started doing my flight training, there was a lady there who had 45 hours and was very sharp in every way -- except landing. She would just freak out when she got close to the ground.

God bless her soul, I finished before she did. She had 95 hours when she took her checkride.

I think a lot depends on the school and location. I took mine at a small airport with no tower and had to fly slow to click the 40 hours over on the way to the check ride. Another school at the same airport seemed to average 70+ hours for PPL.

I took my PPL check ride with 35 hours in 1968. I took my solo cross country out of ATL ( Hartsfield International ). Yes there was a flight school on the field. It made for some real interesting training. Have you ever been in a C-150 in the middle of a line of DC-8's and 727's waiting to take off? Actually the controllers were very helpful and would allow intersection takeoffs most of the time as I didn't need 10,000' of runway. Arrivals were also done differently, I would circle off to the side of the runway until there was a gap between the arrivals and then as fast as the C-150 would fly I would go about 1/3 down the runway land and turn off ASAP. Complete PPL package $560.

150 hrs????

50 is understandable but 150 sounds like someone took advantage of her checkbook......

From other posters, it sounds like the national average is still about where it was when I was instructing back in college (late 70's). I had some students that completed near the mins, and a couple that took over 100 hrs. As mentioned by others, the logbook hours taken to complete were dependent on numerous factors...time and conditions available to fly on a consistent schedule, commitment of the student, and sometimes ability (to learn, or to fly). The student of mine that took the most time to finish didn't have any issues at all...good pilot and good student...she just wanted to come out and fly solo between lessons as much as she could, and just loved being out there. Said the $$ didn't bother her, as she was going to need the flight time in pursuit of a flying career anyway. Of course, the plane was $12/hour wet! There could also be cases of a school milking a student too, as Webb said, but hopefully that is the rare exception!

If she's a good stick, then it really probably doesn't matter how many hours it took, I'd think, but future ratings will get pretty pricy if stretched out too much (a factor to consider if she moves from G.F. to M.R.S)!

Lastly, and this is all in fun...perhaps her holding 4K was just a habit pattern (as you mentioned)...perhaps it was just showing you who's the boss! Next time try telling her she can fly at any altitude but 3,750 and watch where she puts it!

Have fun, and don't forget to duck!

Cheers,
Bob

My data point

My first lesson was on April 9, 2005. I got my ticket on September 20, 2005 after 46.2 hours. I've seen a few student pilots with 100+ hours. The thing they all had in common was that they had been at it for quite some time (many years in some cases). I think there are a few factors that lead to this like finances, family/work time obligations, motivation, ability, etc.

I was highly motivated because I was approaching completion of the tail kit for my 9. I thought it would be good if I actually had a license to fly this thing once I finished it! The key for me was to get out and fly at least once a week, but I would generally try to get out about twice a week on average. I also had a CFI who pushed my comfort zone with a lot of 'confidence building' situations.

i had to stop training for a while because of a military deployment, and i start flying again on monday, (next monday)... anyway i'm currently at 32 hours and i only have 8 flights left till my checkride.

so i should have my PPL with between 40-50 hours


if she had any breaks in training it could mean 4-5 flights relearning stuff and getting "re-solo" sign offs. i remember having bad weather for weeks prior to my solo, but i wanted to fly anyway so i logged dual instruction time even though it should have been solo, just so i could be flying despite rough conditions

ppl

In 1970 I learned to fly and it took about 55 hours and 9mos.. When I had about 120 hours I bought an aeronca. I was pretty nieve about tail wheels, never even been for a ride in one, but knew I had to get checked out in the new plane. I went to an old instructor that taught in Stearmans during WW2. He checked me out in 1.1 hours. I still didn't have a clue that tail wheels were different, until the next day when I had my first ground. I fortunately didn't hurt the plane. I went to my instructor and and said, theres something wrong with my airplane. I told him I was landing and it made almost a 360* uncontrolable turn to the right. He told me "Son you just had your first ground loop". I immedately explained to him that I had not looped the plane, just spun in a circle. I wonder how many planes his students wrecked?

Also figure the difference between learning to fly by part 61 or part 141.

I was taught using part 61 with a private plane and instructor, got my ticket with 40.5 hours in 1994.

A buddy of mine is taking lessons right now through a part 141 school, he is 80 hours in with only 2 solo, and is just starting the cross country flights.

I like the 141 school structure for IFR training and above, for private, I am not convinced.

To each his own though. In the end it is all about flying.

MODERATOR NOTE:

This thread drifted off the original question and became a discussion about safe flying altitudes. Since I agree it's a valuable topic, I'm moved those comments to a new thread in the Safety forum.

I hate to admit to how long it has taken (and is still taking) me to finish my PPL. I started August 1, 2005 at a Part 141 school's "quickie" two week program. Took vacation time from work to do it and at the end of the two weeks had only 22 hours but had passed the written and soloed their Diamond DA20. Too many different instructors, sometimes NO instructors, weather and sometimes equipment outages. That company went under shortly later.

I then quit flying for about 18 months until I decided to train with a local private instructor using his Cherokee. It was almost like starting over and it was quite a while before I got the landings down well enough to solo again. I only get to fly perhaps once a week and that's on the weekend. But, again, there always seems to be weather to contend with and sometimes I don't get to fly for three weeks or so.

Since it has been more than two years, I had to retake the written this past November as I had finally finished all the "required" flight training. So, I'm just now trying to "tune up" with my instructor for the check ride this or maybe next month.

Yes, I'm embarrassed to say how many hours I've accumulated. Back when landing was such a chore for me I would eagerly tally their ever-increasing number and think I was really "getting somewhere" in my training. Now, the number of landings don't seem to mean as much, as long as they remain the same as the number of takeoffs. Instead, I'm alarmed at the number of total hours, jokingly concerned that I've become a major portion of my instructor's retirement plan. My wife has now caught the bug and our running private (and sometimes not so private) joke is that she's going to finish her PPL in 41 hours!

Alright. I'll let you all know how many hours I have, so far... 112.5

Let the laughter and ridicule begin...

Its not funny

I won't be saying a word, just keep at it and I have a brand new rv9a waiting
on me , talk about pressure 31 hours and a long way to go.. I don't even like
flying at night.. and hate the stalls , he keeps telling me go out and fly
try the slow turning stalls.. try about 50 mph yeah right..

Danny..

PPL

Everyone is different. Started my training in May, 1977, small uncontrolled field outside of Cleveland. Finished in November, 1977, 50 hours total time. In between, I returned to San Diego, took three months off training, found a new flight school and instructor, learned to deal with tower airports and much more traffic... but I was determined, had a good instructor, and good weather.

Fast forward --- got my CFI in fall 1979, and started teaching at a 141 school. I had students get their PPL with hours ranging from 36 (minimum then) to about 140 (I helped her finish-- she had had 6 different instructors). Some didn't come out often, or wouldn't study, or just liked to fly with an instructor. The one student that finished in minimum time, had a plan, was motivated, and challenged me to help him do it. We scheduled him out for 28 days (everyday at the end of my daily schedule), were very efficient in how we executed the syllabus, and did very little repeat training. He was very quick to pickup everything, had the written done before he started training (he still had to do the 141 required ground school), and was never late or unprepared. He made me look good, but it was all him.

I've continued to teach, mostly part time for the last thirty years, and things still seem to be the same. Those that are motivated, and diligent (with some aptitude) can complete in around 50 hours-- assuming scheduling the aircraft and instructor are not a problem, that weather doesn't destroy the schedule, and that money is set aside ahead of time. Some of my best students were young people (not yet 20) that had great aptitude but wouldn't study. Got to get the head in the books.

Howard Long, Retired FAA Controller, CFII, UAV pilot and instructor (still teaching)

Learning to fly

Took 40.0 hours exactly and a hair more then 18 years. Started in June of '80 and finished in December of '98. Got in 8 hours in '80 and had to stop because of cash flow. Started back in September of 98 and finished that December. A few of the recent students from the local flight school had flunked their practical test. The school admin. got a little nervous about students going somewhere else and wanted me to take a "mock" check ride to "be sure I was ready". I couldn't have been more ready.

I heard that there was a student, some time after me, that took 60 hours to SOLO and did in fact get their PPL.

I believe that 40 hours is enough time to learn to fly.

Bottom line is that the instructors should know best when a student is ready (solo or check ride) and EVERYBODY is different.

my 2 cents.

On a side note, I took a friend for a ride and he said he loved every part of the flight except when I pointed the plane toward the ground to land - he absolutely HATED that! Something like that may cause him to take a much longer time to get his ticket (if he were to try) because he has to overcome his fear of pointing the plane toward the ground. Who knows what he might feel like if he got into a hard stall - Whaa Hooo!