A wise person once told me it would cost about $10,000 to get my private pilot licence… and I should have the money before I even started flying lessons. Although I had a large portion at the time, I didn’t have that much. But I calculated I would save what I needed during the early part of training, which would then be available as I finished.

So in 2003, I began flight lessons. Everything was great: I did my first solo and got all the way to some cross-country flights!

But then two things happened: (a) my flight instructor left and (b) I got nervous.

Having no instructor obviously put a pause on all training but it also gave me a chance to look at my pool of money for flying. I was replenishing it fine, but would have no reserve when the training was done. That was not something I wanted–more money is better than not enough–so I temporarily stopped.

For seven years.

A New Beginning… And Then Another

Flight training resumed in 2012 but only for two flights. Hurricane Sandy came through with her stormy weather and wiped a month of training flights off the schedule. Then my new instructor left. (Do I have some unwanted effect on people?)

I restarted flight training again about a month ago. Is the third time the charm? My goal is to have a PPL in hand by the fall.

Through some very fluky timing, I got an instructor who was a fellow student in my 2012 ground school classes! He’s a great teacher and role model for what can be accomplished in a relatively short time.

I’m progressing fairly well, mainly because I did so much in 2004 and 2005. We’re basically refreshing what I first learned over a decade ago–which definitely speeds things up.

When it’s all done, getting a private pilot licence is going to have cost me more than 10 grand (maybe it already has, I’m kind of afraid to do the math!) but it will be worth it.

My only concern: I almost tripped over my flight bag yesterday. Do you think they’ll actually let me fly an airplane alone?