Can I learn to fly a plane?

[whatshallonedo]

I don't know where to post this but I hope it is ok here and that I can get answers

I haven't got a driving license but wondering if I can take flying lessons to fly small planes or AIBU?

Playing flight simulator on the Xbox. Seriously !

It helps yes. I'm awful at physics so it's taking me a little longer to get my head around certain things but thankfully I have a geography background so the meteorology stuff comes more naturally to me!

That's awesome. Are you north or south? I'm part of the BWPA and we have a regional WhatsApp group. Done a few meet ups this year. Feel free to pm if you want to get to know a few more ladies involved in aviation/training (presuming you're female 😅?).

Going solo was fantastic. Took me 21 hours to get there but the feeling was like nothing else.

@MrsRobinsonsHandprints To those that have started, what made you start, why did you want to?
I've always loved planes (and also plane crashes). I now live about 5 miles from an airport and see both airliners and small aircraft every day. I just want to be able to do it, even if I don't do it much after I get my licence.

@Crabble I have always wanted to do this as I love aviation! Do you need to be good at physics to pass the theory, does anyone know?
I hope not 🤣 There's not much physics other than lift, weight, thrust and drag. Although navigation is my favourite part of the theory, I do find it harder than the principles of flight. I think I just need to put it into theory.

A Quick Google shows quite a few pilot forums with boards for amateurs. Similarly, 'learn to fly' FB groups. And flying schools.
Asking on a general parenting forum wouldn't be my first thought. Neither would the local FB group, or Twitter at random, or anything else that's extremely generalised for something out of reach for the general population.

Btw..,. 'how to learn to fly' turns up some good pages from the CAA.

No idea why OP decided Mumsnet was the best first port of call, but OK... whether she 'can' get lessons is easily Googleable.

@BeckyBloomwood3 probably not the best place no, but it's awesome to see so many interested/training/with PPLs on here!

Plane simulation 😆 that did make me chuckle, but I guess a good a reason as any. It is only through exposure we find what we like.

Thanks both for sharing, very interesting.
I love planes but firmly as a passenger (not least because I imagine fizz and actual flying is illegal frowned upon)

MN is amazing. Always someone that knows something.

@BeckyBloomwood3 and I don't know why you are the self appointed MN thread police , but there we are.

this might shock you (I'll get the smelling salts ready) but women CAN learn to fly planes! even after tiny humans come out of their nether regions!

and probably many female pilots on here

@BeckyBloomwood3 I'm guessing you're equally annoyed at the 'is this tea safe?' and 'American Style Fridge' threads? Neither of which are related to general parenting. As you can see there have been many replies on this thread, with a few posters having some actual flying experience.

@whatshallonedo Hi OP, plenty of flying lessons available. something I am also thinking about.... it is deathly expensive, so I need to save up a bit.

How am I the thread police? I'm just amused at how some people seem incapable of doing the most basic research.
Also, the OP did ask if she should be posting this here. So I am helping her by pointing out some other places :)

Not sure what you have contributed to this thread other than telling me off?

Never seen one of those - links please!

Why don't you do some research instead of posting about it?

Yes, my husband has never had a driving licence but started to fly small aircraft. Find out where your nearest airfields/ flying schools are and contact them.

Well it was you that posted not me. So I don't need to do anything. Feel free to continue derailing this thread though, i'm sure OP appreciates it.

This is all correct but if you want to carry passengers you must have made 3 landings in the previous 90 days.
I love flying, my DH has a PPL, but we couldn't afford for me to take my PPL also. If you can afford it go for it but also take into consideration that airfields don't tend to be on public transport routes.

Where did i say YOU "ridiculed" me exactly?

OMG - this has nothing to do with Women. Of course Women can fly etc etc.

My point is that the majority of people on 'Mumsnet AIBU' though (which could be male/ female etc) i am assuming don't have a pilot's license.

I know a few people who have private licenses, you have to put in a lot of hours and it’s quite restricted on what and where you can fly. They don’t have their own planes but have a 50% share in one to cut costs.

@Karatema Thanks, I didn't know about the minimum landings (and presumably take offs?).

It's about a 20 min walk from the airport station to the flying club where I fly OP. How hard is it to get to your local airfield by public transport, OP?

I think more people than you might think are either learning or have people close to them who fly.

Don't forget most women here have six figure salaries to afford the training for a licence 😉

@BeckyBloomwood3

A Quick Google shows quite a few pilot forums with boards for amateurs. Similarly, 'learn to fly' FB groups……

No idea why OP decided Mumsnet was the best first port of call, but OK..

For info some of the pilot forums aren’t the most welcoming, and a lot of the info needs treating with a great deal of skepticism.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there’s money to be made in trying to sell people flying training courses.

I’d hope the chances are basic advice on this topic on Mumsnet is likely to be objective (unless someone here runs a flying school), and TBH getting info from multiple sources is rarely a bad thing.

If the reason you don't have a driving licence is because it's too expensive, a pilot's licence is much more expensive plus, as a pp said upthread, you have to fly a certain amount of hours each year to maintain it. Whether you do this with your own plane or would need to hire a plane, it's still very expensive. If you don't have a licence because you don't like or are too nervous driving, then flying a plane may not be for you. It's not a free-for-all in the skies, there are many rules and regulations about where you can go and you have to be alert constantly and be able to react very quickly if necessary (which is also true for driving, but you don't tend to plummet out of the sky so much).
My dh flies, I say flies but well over half his time at the airfield is spent on maintenance, repairs, wondering whether the weather is flyable or will be flyable soon or cursing the wind for being across the runway. Other than that, it's a great hobby!

@whatshallonedo Flying is definitely nothing like driving a car. Even when you are taxing you use the throttle lever and rudder pedals to steer. Why not buy the first Air Pilot's Manual book and see if it's the hobby for you?