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This is really inspirational. I've always wanted a pilot's license, and now it seems that at least the first step is easier than ever. I am terribly afraid of

This is really inspirational. I've always wanted a pilot's license, and now it seems that at least the first step is easier than ever. I am terribly afraid of single-engine planes, though. I'd probably get to sport pilot and immediately keep going to whatever the next level was that allowed me to fly twin-engines.

snom370 16y ago
You're far more likely to kill yourself due to inexperience, than due to engine failure or any other technical malfunction. You might also consider getting a glider license to fly motor gliders, as they give you more time and options to land if you're worried about that. From http://www.schiratti.com/humour.html http://www.schiratti.com/humour.html: Control: You're unreadable, say again. Motor-glider: I've turned off the engine, is that better? Control: (looong pause) :)
- sohooo 16y ago
  I don't know the pilots DSL, but that link was fun to read :)
jrockway 16y ago
Well, there are no twin-engine sport planes; you have to get a regular private pilot's license and then get a multi-engine rating. Having an extra engine doesn't mean you are going to survive an engine failure. If you don't react quickly to the failure, you're in trouble. And remember, although a multi-engine plane decreases the chance of all engines failing, it increases the chance of an engine failing. So you increase your risk of Something Bad happening. People don't fly multi-engine light aircraft for safety, they do it for better performance. (AFAIK, anyway.) Single-engine planes have quite good glide ratios, and there are a lot of good places to land them. Try it in the simulator some time.
- tom_b 16y ago
  Any recommendations on PC based simulator setups?
  - joshwa 16y ago
    X-Plane! http://www.x-plane.com/ http://www.x-plane.com/ In active development, unmatched flight model accuracy, huge community of aircraft, scenery, and plugin developers, fly online in VATSIM and IVAO, excellent systems and failure modeling... You can even buy a USB-Key that makes it FAA-certified!
daeken 16y ago
I'd personally rather just fly a single-engine with a parachute. Many new planes come with them these days, and you can retrofit damn near any plane to add one.
jimmyswimmy 16y ago
To chime in with the others... 1. The Cessna 150/152 that you would likely train in at some point has a 15:1 glide ratio. That means if you are at 1 mile (5000 feet) above ground level you could potentially glide 15 miles before touching ground. You have some time. 2. You will be heavily, HEAVILY trained on emergency landing practice, to the point where you can almost do it in your sleep. Ten years after training and 5 years since I last flew, I can still tell you everything you're supposed to do, in order (though I'm too rusty to safely do it now). 3. There is an old pilot's joke about twin-engine planes: When the first engine fails, the second engine takes you to the scene of the crash. Engine failure, whatever the cause, is a reason to terminate flight immediately. 4. There is very little that makes a twin-engine aircraft significantly safer. Flying in instrument conditions (clouds, fog), water in the fuel, hypoxia and all kinds of other things don't care how many engines you have and will kill you just as quickly in a twin as in a single. All of that said - for me, it is a great source of pride to have a pilot's license. I know the risks and take the steps I can to minimize them. But realistically, there are so many more mundane and common ways to lose one's life. You're less likely to die in a private plane than in your car. Flying is fun and a healthy respect for it will keep it fun and safe.
c1sc0 16y ago
As far as I know, operating a twin-engine plane is more tricky than operating a single-engine plane which in turn is more dangerous than handling a glider.

snom370 16y ago

You're far more likely to kill yourself due to inexperience, than due to engine failure or any other technical malfunction. You might also consider getting a glider license to fly motor gliders, as they give you more time and options to land if you're worried about that. From http://www.schiratti.com/humour.html http://www.schiratti.com/humour.html: Control: You're unreadable, say again. Motor-glider: I've turned off the engine, is that better? Control: (looong pause) :)

sohooo 16y ago
I don't know the pilots DSL, but that link was fun to read :)

jrockway 16y ago

Well, there are no twin-engine sport planes; you have to get a regular private pilot's license and then get a multi-engine rating. Having an extra engine doesn't mean you are going to survive an engine failure. If you don't react quickly to the failure, you're in trouble. And remember, although a multi-engine plane decreases the chance of all engines failing, it increases the chance of an engine failing. So you increase your risk of Something Bad happening. People don't fly multi-engine light aircraft for safety, they do it for better performance. (AFAIK, anyway.) Single-engine planes have quite good glide ratios, and there are a lot of good places to land them. Try it in the simulator some time.

tom_b 16y ago
Any recommendations on PC based simulator setups?
- joshwa 16y ago
  X-Plane! http://www.x-plane.com/ http://www.x-plane.com/ In active development, unmatched flight model accuracy, huge community of aircraft, scenery, and plugin developers, fly online in VATSIM and IVAO, excellent systems and failure modeling... You can even buy a USB-Key that makes it FAA-certified!

daeken 16y ago

I'd personally rather just fly a single-engine with a parachute. Many new planes come with them these days, and you can retrofit damn near any plane to add one.

jimmyswimmy 16y ago

To chime in with the others... 1. The Cessna 150/152 that you would likely train in at some point has a 15:1 glide ratio. That means if you are at 1 mile (5000 feet) above ground level you could potentially glide 15 miles before touching ground. You have some time. 2. You will be heavily, HEAVILY trained on emergency landing practice, to the point where you can almost do it in your sleep. Ten years after training and 5 years since I last flew, I can still tell you everything you're supposed to do, in order (though I'm too rusty to safely do it now). 3. There is an old pilot's joke about twin-engine planes: When the first engine fails, the second engine takes you to the scene of the crash. Engine failure, whatever the cause, is a reason to terminate flight immediately. 4. There is very little that makes a twin-engine aircraft significantly safer. Flying in instrument conditions (clouds, fog), water in the fuel, hypoxia and all kinds of other things don't care how many engines you have and will kill you just as quickly in a twin as in a single. All of that said - for me, it is a great source of pride to have a pilot's license. I know the risks and take the steps I can to minimize them. But realistically, there are so many more mundane and common ways to lose one's life. You're less likely to die in a private plane than in your car. Flying is fun and a healthy respect for it will keep it fun and safe.

c1sc0 16y ago

As far as I know, operating a twin-engine plane is more tricky than operating a single-engine plane which in turn is more dangerous than handling a glider.