Frequently Asked Questions

The FAA requires an endorsement from an authorized instructor in order for you to qualify for a practical test (checkride) with a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). Often at flight schools, instructors will simply sign you off for the test once you've completed the minimum required training, whether or not they truly believe in your ability to get through. Sometimes this is an honest oversight due to inexperience, but often it is a structural result of flight schools trying to push as many students through their program as quickly as possible. Getting an endorsement from me, on the other hand, is my experienced vote of confidence in your ability to accomplish all the tasks necessary to pass the test and be a safe, effective pilot, and I'm willing to bet the cost of the DPE (typically $800-$1000 per checkride) that you will get through first try. My guarantee does come with a few stipulations:
1. I won't guarantee anything unless we've been able to do enough training time for me to really be confident in your abilities. If you've already done training elsewhere and are just looking for me to "double-check" that you're ready, I'm happy to do that and act as a second set of eyes for you, but there are just too many little things that you might have picked up or learned during your prior training that can't really be properly assessed in just a few hours of flight/ground. If you've trained with me the whole time, then there's nothing to worry about. If I'm taking over for a former instructor, I will of course still train and endorse you once I think you're ready, but extending my guarantee to you as well will be handled on a case-by-case basis depending on how much time we've had together.

2. My guarantee only remains valid as long as you maintain training consistency and take your test within a reasonable amount of time once you've gotten my endorsement. Checkride lead times are very inconsistent and sometimes quite long, so if you end up cancelling and/or the checkride gets moved weeks into the future, I can't promise that you will stay sharp enough without additional proficiency training in the meantime. Therefore, I reserve the right to retract my guarantee if you end up going longer than two weeks without a flight/ground session with me while waiting for your checkride.

3. I also reserve the right to withdraw my guarantee if you insist on training or using an examiner against my recommendations. I'm willing to give you a good amount of freedom in the matter of how we train and who you test with, but if I think a training methodology or particular examiner is not going to be a good fit for you, and you insist anyway, I may not guarantee the first time pass.

Absolutely yes, anyone can learn to fly an airplane! There are, however, some factors that may impact your ability to legally act as pilot in command and operate the airplane by yourself. The biggest one is obtaining a medical certificate. Since flying an airplane isn't quite like driving a car (you can't just pull over wherever you want to if you start to have some sort of issue that impacts your ability to fly), the FAA requires pilots to meet certain medical requirements, and sometimes surprising things (such as medications or medical history from when you were very young) can get in the way of obtaining a medical. There are a number of options for dealing with issues like this, but they can sometimes take a long time to fully resolve, and some issues may completely prevent you from ever holding a medical certificate. There are some certificate options (such as Sport pilot) that have looser medical requirements but also have stricter limitations on what you can do. That's why you should ensure that you don't have any disqualifying conditions, and consider consulting with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) as soon as you decide you are serious about doing flight training.

Flight training is expensive, there's no doubt about that. But there are some very definite steps you can take to minimize your costs. First, I'd recommend reading my deeper discussion about flight training costs here. But in short, the two biggest things you can do are to make sure you have enough money set aside up front so your training doesn't get interrupted for financial reasons, and make sure you set aside enough time in your schedule for frequent and consistent engagement with the knowledge and skills you are trying to learn. Much like learning a new language, if you only study one or two vocabulary words a week, it will take a very long time to become a fluent speaker. On the other hand, I've seen cases where someone puts their whole life on pause to dedicate all day, every day to flight training, and is able to learn enough material and master the airplane well enough to earn a certificate in just a few weeks. Although it isn't a perfect one-to-one relationship, generally speaking, the more frequently and regularly you train, the better your retention and skill development will be, ultimately saving you time and money.

Another cost saving strategy to consider if you have some extra cash sitting around is buying an airplane just for training and then selling it again once you are done. The market for used airplanes is quite a bit different than it is for used cars, and it is not uncommon to get all or even sometimes more money back on an airplane after you've gotten the time you need out of it. Sometimes former flight school airplanes may have 20,000+ hours on them, and you adding another 75 hours for your training isn't really going to affect their value much. If you are considering buying an airplane, I'd recommend starting with this AOPA article, and be sure to do your research before committing to anything.

No! While owning an airplane does give you an incredible amount of freedom over how and where you conduct your training, and may save you a lot of money in the end, it is not a requirement. There are often aircraft available to rent for training if you look around for them, and if you are considering training with me in the Houston area, I can help you gain access to competitively priced airframes that make excellent platforms for initial or advanced training. Depending on the airplane and location, rental rates can be 2x-5x the cost of your instructor, and usually significantly more than the basic operating cost would be in your own training aircraft, but provide convenience and insulation from potential maintenance costs (keep in mind operating costs are highly dependent on many factors including hanger space, fuel price, insurance, inspection/maintenance reserves, etc). 

Absolutely! Even if you're just thinking about training, or want a second opinion on something, I'm always happy to answer questions or at least point you in the right direction. The best way to ask is to send me a quick email at bauer.shad@gmail.com, and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able.