[Murgatroyd]

When I started my PPL training (recently) the conversation came up many times in the pub and at general social events, to the extent I did have to reign myself in a little in fear of becoming the pub bore (maybe too late for that...) but I was astounded by the number of people who'd commenced the training syllabus and given up for whatever reason at a very early stage of their training.

Tonight I had a few web searches and found reasons cited being lack of training structure, lack of perceived value of the training and even reasons of the instructor having bad breath (yes, this was a reason quoted). I raised the matter with a couple of instructors at my training school and all that I asked did indeed state that they estimated 75-80% of those starting the course won't finish. The 'why' was varied reasons, but genuinely none of which that has been 'over-emphasized' on anything i found tonight.

I ask as one of the things I constantly hear bounded around is "yeah 45 hours is all that's required". From my experience I'd say this is pretty misleading. Apart from learning to land, (I'm still very much practicing) I'd also say that this under-estimation of time and effort commitment is one of the highest reasons for the high drop out rate.

I am talking of those with perhaps 2-6 lessons only under their belt. Once the training schedule and gravitas sinks in, pus the learning aspect of the exams, which themselves aren't particularly tasking, but the volume of information to absorb certainly is.

So with all those who decided to stick out the first stage of PPL training and ultimately attainment, you must have seen several fellow students disappear?, and to the instructors, with non returning students, are there ever reasons given for students non continuation? I personally found the experience very humbling and my respect for the commercial pilot increased significantly. (my intent is leisure flying only)

just curious. ?

[Artschool]

I can easily see why people drop out.

I am 10 hours in. different instructors seem to have quite different methods of carrying out different tasks. I was told yesterday that students need 90 landings before going solo. which means that if I allow 5 touch and go's per one hour session it will be hour 24 before I will be able to solo.

A bit depressing when I read of everyone on here going solo at 10 hours.

it does make me think about going overseas for an intensive course.

[johnm]

There are some excellent facilities and some which are utterly dire. A good strategy is to tell us where you are (roughly) and experienced voices can recommend places of a good standard. Don't be afraid to complain either if you are being messed about with a range of inconsistent instructors.

[MarkOlding]

Hi, I've just passed my skills test after 62 hours of training. I reckon 4 or 5 or those hours were just to maintain "currency" but having done a bit of research I realised that 45 hours is a mythical number that is only attained if you can fly 3 or 4 hours a week, the weather gods are on your side and you are under 30 (i am 52).

The comment regarding number of landings is a new one and I would question there methods if that's what you are being told.

My opinion would be that people who drop out haven't really researched what they are getting into and "think" they want to be a pilot.

[Paul_Sengupta]

For quite a few people, there are points in one's training where you think "I'm never going to get this", usually about landing...

If it's all becoming too difficult, it's the stage where some people may give up. I had moments when I just thought about giving up, there are moments when you're just not enjoying it any more.

It wasn't just during training either, there have been post-PPL moments when I thought of giving up...usually when it all seems like so much effort for little reward. But sticking with it has been generally worth it for me. But I've been flying for 21 years now and I've pretty much built up everything I have in the way of personal relationships and friendships around flying. And this forum!

[Sooty25]

took me three real attempts, spread over many years (decades actually!).

1st attempt - redundancy. Time but no money
2nd attempt - working in oil industry. Money no time!
3rd attempt - self employed. Took twice as long (calendar months, not flying hrs) as planned. Nearly gave up, glad I didn't!

If an instructor had said 90 landings to solo, I'd probably have walked, having said that, with 3 attempts and various flying with others in between, it probably was 90 landings before solo!

[David Wood]

I was told yesterday that students need 90 landings before going solo.

If an instructor said anything so foolish then I truly hope that it was said tongue-in-cheek. There is absolutely no rule of thumb to sending a student solo. They go when they are ready, and not before. I have to say that sending students off on their first solo is one of the most rewarding parts of an FI's role; but judging when that point has arrived is one of the most difficult.

[David Wood]

Obviously students do drop out of training for lots of reasons (personal, financial, changes in circumstances, etc), most of them perfectly understandable. As to a percentage, I couldn't really say. In my experience maybe 10-15% of starters, but that's just a guess.

I think that the bigger question is how many drop out of flying after they have obtained their license. That's a puzzlingly higher percentage and is a subject worthy of study...

[Artschool]

took me three real attempts, spread over many years (decades actually!).

1st attempt - redundancy. Time but no money
2nd attempt - working in oil industry. Money no time!
3rd attempt - self employed. Took twice as long (calendar months, not flying hrs) as planned. Nearly gave up, glad I didn't!

If an instructor had said 90 landings to solo, I'd probably have walked, having said that, with 3 attempts and various flying with others in between, it probably was 90 landings before solo!

well done for persevering.

I was told yesterday that students need 90 landings before going solo.

If an instructor said anything so foolish then I truly hope that it was said tongue-in-cheek. There is absolutely no rule of thumb to sending a student solo. They go when they are ready, and not before. I have to say that sending students off on their first solo is one of the most rewarding parts of an FI's role; but judging when that point has arrived is one of the most difficult.

it was an instructor and I didn't get the impression it was tongue in cheek. but he is a really good guy so maybe he just thinks I need the practice

[Sooty25]

well done for persevering.

I'd recommend every student having something, or a share of something, sat in a hangar waiting for them. It is a great motivator, as is a wonderful group of mentors. If the end game was renting a spamcan for a lonely hours slot once a month it wouldn't have happened.

Now it's the last minute "look at that sky, lets go flying" days and not having to book in advance that really make it really worthwhile.

[flybymike]

Regarding PPL dropout rates, I recall it being reported that when the first batch of five year licences were due for renewal, approximately 70% of licence holders were not renewing

I found this quite depressing until after the march of the JAA/EASA bandwagon, it occurred to me that perhaps most of them didn't even realise that they had to renew in the first place.

When I was learning in the early eighties, my instructor reckoned on a student dropout rate of around 30%.

I considered packing it in as a student myself, mainly because it was frightening the Carp out of me.

I'm glad I didn't.

[AndyR]

The majority of students who drop out in my experience tend to be after their first solo. It's an achievement in itself. The path ahead then seems to be a very long one with multiple exams and checks/tests which I can understand would be off putting to those not totally committed or hooked by that stage.

[Spooky]

I almost dropped out because the instructor was constantly holding me back. Thankfully found a great flight school who were eager for me to progress rather than use me as a piggy bank.

[CapnM]

It is a big commitment both time and financially.

When I first started training, I had very limited choice of airfields - there were 2, both an hour drive minimum. This meant I was out of the house for 4 hours minimum for just one lesson. Add petrol costs on-top and I was questioning my decision to start!

After 4 hours I packed it in at that flying school/airfield. I just couldn't see myself learning there with their instructors - it was just one big old mens-type club.

I didn't want to give up, so decided to check the other airfield out. Contacted three of the flying schools on that particular airfield and decided to join one of them. Thankfully I felt a bit more 'at home' with them and stayed with them throughout my training, but did have 3 large breaks:

1 - 4 months, failed my class two medical. Quite disheartened. < 8 hours training.
2 - 6 months, moved house and finances were tight. < 20 hours training
3 - 4 months, family troubles. < 45 hours training

I very almost didn't start training again on the 2nd break. I was having a "I can't do this" moment, especially having many lessons in the circuit. Wasn't anything to do with anyone but myself at this point.

Even on the 3rd break, I felt like I could give up - I was so close yet so far! 6 exams still to pass, solo QXC to do then any brush ups. Glad I did though - just under 2 months later (1 month of that just on the dreaded exams, no groundschool was available) I passed my skills test and got the best feedback the examiner had given in 20-odd years

So I think if the head isn't in the right place, it would be easy to pack it in. Once you have a couple of weeks off, I found myself putting off restarting training as I didn't want to go back over everything we had already done.

I would be keen to know of others shared this thought process - I was/am in the fortunate position to be able to fly essentially when I want or need to but others have work commitments through the week so may only be able to fly once every other weekend or so.

I was told yesterday that students need 90 landings before going solo. which means that if I allow 5 touch and go's per one hour session it will be hour 24 before I will be able to solo.

A bit depressing when I read of everyone on here going solo at 10 hours.

I passed my skills test with less than 100 take-offs and landings so I would have given up long before then if I was told the same

[vw-dan]

I've struggled a bit, to be honest. More than I thought. As an average-ish student (I.e., not some kind of natural, but I seem to pick things up reasonably well) flying and ground school has been one of the toughest things I've done in my adult life. My work, while technical, has never really challenged me intellectually because I went into a field I'm naturally good at. I never questioned whether I wanted it, but there have been times where I stopped being able to imagine being a qualified PPL. I guess that's the "Conscious incompetence" stage where you realise that you just aren't getting something and it starts to look out of reach.

Combine that with real life getting in the way and dragging things out in a mis-mash over 2+ years I really did consider just taking the knowledge I'd solo'd and walk away. Add in weather cancellations and the sheer cost and it's not hard to see why people leave at various stages.

And now I'm at my Skills Test stage, my terrible fear of failure is taking over. I wish I could say I was excited but I just want to be done with it. I've not lost my love of "flight" in general and in an abstract way I can't wait to get and use that license but I haven't found training "fun" for a while. That's nobodies fault, it's just me struggling with the fact that I know it's going to be a long and expensive couple of hours.

I'd definitely encourage anybody to do it fairly intensively. I think that's better in almost every single way.

On the other hand - flying is hard, complex and potentially very dangerous. People should have to "want it" - can you imagine the chaos if it was treated as an inherent need, almost a 'right', like driving is?