From: dmw@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (david.m.williamson)
Subject: Re: FAA approved or not
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 23:23:44 GMT
Summary: learn at a small airport

In article <1992Nov20.030617.21240@nntp.uoregon.edu> margolin@oregon.uoregon.edu (Brian Margolin) writes:
>This is my first time on this newsgroup.  I want to get my private pilots
>liscence (I think I've had enough of FS 4.0) and want some advice.  Does it
>matter whether or not a particular school is FAA approved or not?  It seems
>that the FAA schools operate under part 61 and the non-FAA approved schools
>operate under part 41.  Also, is it important to learn at a larger airport
>with a tower or is it okay to learn at a smaller airport with no tower? 
>The school at the larger airport (this is the FAA approved school)
>suggested that it was better to learn at a larger airport because you learn
>how to use the radio and deal with heavy traffic situations right away.  

I wouldn't be too concerned about FAA approved or not.  There are many
very good schools on either side of that fence.

I got my PP at Marlboro, NJ, a very small airport just at the edge of
the New York TCA.  It has one 2100' runway, nearby power-lines and
rising terrain, no tower, no AWOS, and only recently got a VASI for
runway 27.  While I practiced lots of T&Gs at a nearby airport before
solo, my first solo landing was at Marlboro.  When I went for my
check-ride, the examiner didn't even ask me to demonstrate a short field
landing--he knew I could do them because of where I learned.  Since
then, I have never felt intimidated by a short field landing even now
that I am flying bigger and faster airplanes.

Some of my friends learned at airports with longer runways.  Some of
them are afraid to land at Marlboro, even during the day, even with a
very lightly-loaded airplane.  These same people land too fast, screech
the tires, and are generally rather imprecise about the whole affair.

In talking with others who learned at tower controlled airports, I
wonder how good some of them are at flying into non-tower airports.  I
had one such person ask me how I knew when to turn base.  Some of them
have not had much practice deciding which runway to use, after having
been constantly told which one to use.  While I am sure this is not
the case for anyone who reads this newsgroup, it does happen.

I can only draw on my own experience, but I would not trade learning
at a small field for anything else.  While I may not have had as much
practice talking to ATC, I got enough to get by.  Working on my
instrument rating eliminated any "mike-fright" I might have had, but
even before that I managed to get in and out of ARSAs just fine.

I learned that the responsibilities of a pilot are the following (in
order of priority):  First - aviate (i.e. fly the airplane), Second -
navigate, Third - communicate.  While learning at a tower controlled
airport undoubtedly helps more with 3, learning at a non-tower airport
helps more with 1 and 2 (IMHO).

Wherever you go, make sure you get an instructor that is knowledgable
and that you LIKE.  You are going to spend many long hours in a cramped
cockpit with this person.  If you think he or she is a real jerk or
doesn't have a clue, you aren't going to learn as much.  You are paying
for this, so don't be afraid to change instructors.

Best wishes, whatever you decide.  Your primary training will probably
be the most enjoyable time of your experience as a pilot.

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              >|      David M. Williamson, d.m.williamson@att.com
              >|                  Commercial, ASEL, IA
 -->  -->  --> |    ---   ======   ---    ---    ---    ---   ---    ---
              >|          Proud part owner of Archer N7185F
              >|
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