wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

I started flight training back when I was 16-17 and then my log book "vanished" at one point. I sort of gave up, but have been thinking about it a lot now that it is seriously more expensive to do.. Haha..

Anyway, just wondering if anyone can recommend a FBO or training facility. I stopped by Bel-Air Int'l in Belmont and they seem alright, but open to recommendations. I liked them since they are really close to my house.

So.. It would be cool to talk to any pilots in the Bay anyway. I want to work toward my Private Pilot cert and maybe down the road look at multi-engine and Aerobatic. I have seat time in 2 different 172s (an '84 w/ a 4cyl Lycoming and a '67 w/ a 6cylinder Conti I think), 152 Aerobat, Cap-10 aerobatics plane, Piper Cherokee, Tomohawk, Beech King-Air, 1942 Stinson, Bell Long-Ranger and a few minutes in a F-16 2 seat trainer (holy shnikes). Probably want to train in a 172 if possible as I prefer the high-wing layout, and it's a familiar/comfortable cabin for me.

rallied out wrx

iTrader: (6)

hey, i fly out of reid hillview and they have a couple of flight schools there. Amelia Reid, Squadron 2, Nice Air, and i think some others too. i fly from Squadron 2. If you are a college student Squadron 2 offers free membership thats like 300 dollars a year for free. they have a nice selection aof aircraft from 152s to a beachcraft dutches. the 172's are around 92.00 per hour for 172n.

yeah i just started flying again too. i stopped flying 2 years ago after getting my instrument rating. it kinda took away all the fun from flying, but ive been a few times in the past month after getting my bi annual.

if you want to go flying some time hit me up through PM.

have fun flying.

kYLEMtnCRUZr

iTrader: (6)

nice, lets gets some aerial road pictures

rallied out wrx

iTrader: (6)

heres a few from last week. went to livermore to get lunch and had a friend take pics of hammy.

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Nice!!! Love the classic 'Photo from a Cessna' look... Thanks for the tips too! I did some searching on Reid-Hillview and found a pretty sad site dedicated to trying to close the airport ala the story behind 16R if you have seen it. So sad...

I emailed a CFI who works out of San Carlos and Palo Alto as well. Looks like it's gonna cost around $10k and tons of time to make it happen so the likelyhood is not super high, but if I can I will.

rallied out wrx

iTrader: (6)

10k?? thats a little high dont you think? its been quite a while since i got my pilots license but i recall it only being about 5-6k and i had more hours that required too. i know renting cost have gone up but that seems a bit much. id shop around and see if you could get a better assessment.

good luck

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Yeah I think it is, but seems to be what I am finding.. My pops paid around $2500 back in the day. Every estimate from flight schools and CFI's that I have seen come in at around $7k-$10k and most are around $8500. Pretty crazy.. I remember when we could rent a 172 wet for $45/hr but those days are done.

Here's that site: http://www.reidhillview.com/

What a shame... That guy's respiratory activity should be stopped. Apparently RHV is the source of all of East San Jose's crime.... Wonder what the deal is with the surrounding areas of the San Carlos airport, Palo Alto, etc.

rallied out wrx

iTrader: (6)

yeah ive seen that site before its a shame. at least he allows for negitive feed back from people would like to keep reid. one main argument i always hear is that the airport causes too much noise. the airport was there before housing started around there, people bought their homes knowing they were going to live right next to an airport.

one problem i see is that there are some hot shot pilots who seem to have no respect. one time around 6 am ( before the tower opens ) i was going to fly down to salinas for the airshow ( it was a fly in that year ). while taxiing to the run up the bonanza taking off kept the plane on the deck after getting about 15 ft off the ground, raised gear and pulled up sharply at the very end of the runway. i can see why residents might complain when they have aircraft buzzing their houses at 6 am. if every one were to fly with some respect it would be a little better. oh well thats another story.

well if you get your student pilots licence and want to go halves on a rental i would not mind sharing the costs of flying, id sit right seat and i think we would both be able to log time.

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

Thanks again for your tips. I will be going up with a buddy of mine (we work NASA Safety together) who has been doing training for a little bit. I get to sit in the back during his instruction, so I am really stoked. This will be Sunday at Reid-Hillview from 1 to 3:30.

That guy's site about closing RHV is such crap. I did some searches on him and found a newspaper article he wrote back in '97 trying to close RHV on the basis that it should be turned into a tech campus simply because he was tired of commuting from East San Jose to Santa Clara... In this article he mentions that the airport is 90% idle and this is one reason it should be closed. In his new attack (starting '00 per that page) he states among other reasons that the amount of annoying and frequent flights plus the harmfulness of the leaded fuel etc, thereby basically contradicting himself.

The good I gather from this is that he has been trying really hard to get this airport closed for more than 11 years now and has thus far been un-successful.

Anyway this is awesome, and I will definitely be interested in sharing a plane when I get going or just riding along and such. Any chance to leave the ground... I get chickenskin every time I see the ground fall away at what - 67kts.. It's been a few years. Haha..