Why do so many people give up on flight training? What needs to change?

So many people give up on their flight training. What is the main cause? And what can we do to help fix this problem?
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[@rodandanner2132]

You are so right. I remember back in the early 80s when I wanted to learn to ride motorcycles. I bought a brand new, 1981 Honda CB650. My friends went to pick it up for me. They came by my home and taught me to ride in a couple of hours and a few days. Then I rode like the wind. Got my lic and have been riding ever since. I wish aviation was that easy. It will cost me a couple thousand dollars to learn to fly a Light Sport Trike in Las Vegas. That's because no one in San Diego, Ca teaches Light Sport aviation. Still the cost of the trike and hanger will be a lot. I might just go for a Par 103 trike, and fly out in the desert. At least I'm still flying for the sport and enjoyment.

[@Aero360Aviation]

Thanks for the input! And yes I agree - any flying is good flying, even if its not the way most people go about it.

[@doesntmatter3068]

I consider myself pretty lucky when it comes to flying. I earned my Private in 1999 in NW Ohio. Cost me about 4k, took me 1 year before I did my check ride. Dorothy Anderson was my examiner. At the time, I had no idea who she was .Dottie was her nickname. google her, she is/was an icon in aviation. After a few years of flying around locally, I wanted to get my IFR. Through a friend of a friend, I found my CFI. John was a electronic teacher at a college where I went too. John had been flying all his life when we first met and I soon found out his flying skills and knowledge was up there with the best. I flew with John beside me 62 hours, all IFR training, most was under a hood, but some was actual. Here's the lucky part, John never charged me a dime to fly with him, not one cent!! John loved flying and teaching, he didn't care about the money. I did pass my check ride 1st time round, but I give the credit to John. That was 2003. I sent John a Christmas card every year since then with a gift card inside up until 2 years ago when I found out that John had pasted away. Your video hits home with me. I love to fly, just like John. At one time in my life I couldn't afford to fly, but somehow I wanted so bad, I made it happen. I will soon own another airplane, which will be IFR rated so I can teach young men/women coming into the trade , and carry on John's legacy. And you know what? I will NEVER charge them for my time. This is my way of giving back. So , to all the CFI's out there that training our future, my hat is off to you! In Memory of John S. I love ya buddy.

[@Aero360Aviation]

Thats so fantastic! Thank you for sharing this. And that is definitely a wonderful goal. I love hearing about stuff like that!

[@boledle]

4k?? Here in the SF East Bay in 2019 its 17k for a private's. :(

[@Aero360Aviation]

@@boledle It stinks :-(

[@doesntmatter3068]

​@@boledle OUCH!!

[@GoZipper]

I have just started looking into flying. I found your videos with searches related to Oklahoma since I live in the same state. I have a career in media (video production, websites, etc.) so it got me thinking about how I could help with the aviation industry here in our state. Keep up the videos!

[@Aero360Aviation]

That is awesome!

[@MrCPPG]

I started towards my private pilot license 26 years ago. I did all the lessons up to the check ride and written and never finished. I was in college at the time and knew there was no way I could maintain the skill simply due to the cost. This is a great topic and I am glad young folks are examining this.

[@Aero360Aviation]

Thanks for sharing! Yes it is an exceptionally expensive skill to maintain... Perhaps if there were more options available to alleviate that expense even just a little bit, more of us would be able to stick with it.

[@MrCPPG]

@@Aero360Aviation In 2018 I reclaimed the dream by taking up Powered Paragliding. The freedom of flight rivals any experience I have had in an airplane.

[@Aero360Aviation]

@@MrCPPG Thats awesome!!! Do you need a license for that? And what is the typical cost to get into it?

[@MrCPPG]

@@Aero360Aviation No license. Part 103. Training highly advised though.

[@MrCPPG]

@@Aero360Aviation No license. It is about 10-12K new or 6-8 K used.

[@dionbrandt6176]

I agree finding a CFI for sport pilot training is becoming difficult to say the least, finding a LSA to solo in is about as hard. I am giving serious consideration building my own plane . Going to a different EAA chapter meeting next month, maybe make some new contacts?

[@TunaSteak]

This video hit on everything I feel and think about all the time in relation to getting started. Really enjoyed the conversation here.

[@Aero360Aviation]

Thanks for that! Getting started definitely seems to be one of the hardest parts. Thats why I feel so strongly that if we can just help people get started and get that first hurtle over and locked down, more people will stick with aviation instead of never starting at all, or trying to start and giving up

[@curmudgeon3166]

I've been going back and forth about obtaining my Sports or PPL. The initial cost is somewhat daunting, however what really sticks with me is the continuing cost as a hobby. I've read that it's normal to spen 10k a year to fly. That's a lot of retirement money. Seems unobtainable.

[@Aero360Aviation]

I know, it is definitely a prohibitive cost! It is extremely hard to justify the expense as a hobby unless you are independently wealthy. But that is a decision that each person has to make on their own. And there are many ways to reduce the expense. But the fact remains, unless large changes happen, people are going to continue to shy away from getting into aviation at all..

[@pelphro]

You simply have to make or receive at least $150,000/yr just for aviation costs if you want to pursue a PPL, own your own plane. There are a whole lot of fixed costs you have to cover even if you don't fly at all. Like everything worth doing in life, you really need to get all the information to determine whether its worth it.

[@rarebreed-wj3ov]

It's a very expensive hobby is the saddest truth about Aviation.

[@XBLspartanx170]

its also worth mentioning the elephant in the room: ultralights. 1. good luck being self taught without suffering a crash. 2.even if you could find an instructor, two seaters needed for instruction fall under the light sport category so back to square one. 3. not many hangers like ultralights and good luck finding enough garage space for your trailer when you are not a spoiled rich prick which brings us back to why you couldn't just buy an LSA aircraft and take that route if you could afford enough real estate to store an ultralight in your second garage in the first place? 4. the faa really loves to screw us at every turn with regulatory capture don't they? deregulation could work wonders in lowering the cost and having more people become pilots but good luck convincing a bunch of AME's and FAA pencil pushers to quit their jobs when they have such a vested interest in the status quo, even when its damaging. but hey, that's just politics right?

[@Aero360Aviation]

You are completely right on all of those points. In addition, I have often thought about trying to get into ultralight because of my being unable to get back into licensed flying for the time being - but when it comes to expense, you still have to come up with a bunch of cash up front to even break into it, unless you are lucky enough to know someone with an ultralight who will teach you and let you fly theirs. But in addition to that as well is the fact that a large part of the reason I love flying is to share it with other people. Friends, family, anyone willing to go up. And you cant do that in an ultralight. Would I still enjoy flying by myself? Yes. But its just not the same as when you want to go up WITH someone.

[@scottmajor2620]

We still need to get together for a flight (when you get un-busy). :)

[@Aero360Aviation]

That sounds awesome!

[@JavaJack59]

Armchair comments from a non-pilot: aren't Ultralights meant to fill this niche to some degree? I'm new to this channel so I don't know how much UL content you have in the back catalog.

[@JavaJack59]

I started down the road of sport pilot back around 2011?ish. I dropped out after about 4 hours, but cost wasn't the main reason for me. More that I got too easily fed up with myself for making mistakes, had trouble getting the radio stuff, unsure of my ability to handle the large amounts of memorization required, wasn't sure what value I would get out of it in the long term, etc. *shrug* I will say that the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 got me watching Aviation 101 (and now, this channel) here on KZbin and I am getting a little of the aviation bug again. Not sure if it's enough to hook me, though.

[@Aero360Aviation]

@@JavaJack59 I havent had an opportunity to play the new MS FlightSim yet but it looks phenomenal!! And to answer your previous question, yes, to a degree ultralights fill this roll, except you cannot carry any passengers. So if you ever want to fly not by your lonesome, ultralights are out... I certainly hope you are able to pursue aviation again! It is definitely something I dream about day and night.. If you dont want to though, I would recommend avoiding aviation youtube channels though because they will get that fire going again haha