Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

Moderator: AndyR

#1503455
hello all, i'm gonna to start my flight training with a school in florida ( with 0 to 250 hour cpl program ) but my school base airport is in non-towered airport ( Class E airspace 700 to 17,999 ft ) is that going to make any difference with my training quality or make any problem in future to my flying career ? ( is the school base airport really matters ? ) one more thing .. my school is offers the same training but in towered airport ( class D ) but for 4000$ more than the training in the non-towered one .. what is your advice ?
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By ChampChump
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1503511
I doubt it makes a whole lot of difference ultimately, for your training will require you to go into towered airports. Some will suggest you may spend more time on the ground at a towered (=busier) airport, but IME that doesn't necessarily apply in the USA.

What does matter is that you're comfortable with the school and its m.o. and get on with your instructor(s).

I can't see it making the slightest difference to your future career. the quality of training is, as you said, waht matters and that's nothing to do with the place you do it.

My 2d.

Oh and enjoy it.
#1503591
Admittedly my only experience with this is in the UK, but I am learning from a non towered airport, so all calls to "Enstone Traffic", but I did have one lesson elsewhere which was a fully towered airport. The only difference which was noticeable was the slightly increased workload for example being given orbits from ATC, and having to report visual with other traffic, the actual quality of the lesson was no different.

Like CC says, the most important thing is that you enjoy it, during your training you will undoubtedly fly i to all sorts of different kinds of places, so choose the place where you feel the most comfortable.

Peter
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By ChampChump
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1503594
I should have added that the procedures in the USA are simpler than here: either 'towered' or 'non-towered', essentially (and reversion from one to the other out of hours etc too, in some cases).

In that respect, learning from scratch is simplified.


Probably now's a good time to confess my low-time oops when flying into Bartow for the first time. I was told to report base leg, which was the logical join from the south. I'd only ever made or knew conventional joins, there or in the UK, so proceeded to chug up to join on the downwind and report on base, only to hear something like "48S, where are you going?" :oops:
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By Morten
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1503601
Just to add 2 c to the above which I agree with; only a little bit of learning to fly relates to the RT and procedures used at your home field. Usually, 'smaller is nicer' as in friendlier and more approachable and you are likely to get more actual flying per hour logged as there may be more waiting at larger airfields.
Having said that, you should have gone to/from a 'full service' airfield at some point in your training and if you don't it may make sense to ask to go to one, just so that you can see that things are not really that different and so that you are not scared away from them later.
I don't think it should be a major factor when you decide where to go.

Morten
#1504985
I trained at a full ATC airport which had its good and bad points. EGPD

Pros:
Lots of procedural and radio practice
Airfield open (almost) 24/7 and night flying possible.
Lots of Nav and XC practice going other places for circuits and GH

Cons:
Sometimes a bit of waiting due to helicopters and CAT
Local circuits expensive and very dependant on commercial traffic
Restricted in where you can go until outside Class D
Extended training hours due to having to go to other places for circuits and GH.

Having said all that, Aberdeen ATC are very accommodating and look after us very well. No complaints at all but sometimes wish I could just turn up and fly off into the sunset (metaphorically speaking).