Crosswinds Flying Club does not provide flight instruction, but we allow members to receive instruction from pre-approved independent instructors. Participation in the club is a great way to learn more about flying through interaction with other members. We are different than a flight school in that we own the planes and have a strong interest in taking care of them - we are also the ones flying the planes. We keep rates low because club volunteers do as much as possible to keep the planes in top condition.
There are numerous references on the web for new pilots including:
If you haven't taken your aviation medical you can find an Aviation Medical Examiner at http://ame.cami.jccbi.gov/. You don't need a medical to take begin instruction but will need it before you can solo - it's just a good idea to get it out of the way. The medical form is provided at the doctor's office but here's a copy for your review: http://www.leftseat.com/pdffiles/8500-8new.pdf.
The FAA requires 40 hrs of flight instruction although most pilots need 50-70 hours of flight instruction - no matter where they take instruction. There's also ground instruction with your instructor and self-study. A written test (actually given through a computer testing service) is required (the written test can be taken at any time) as well as an oral test and flight test with a FAA Designated Examiner at the end of training. If you fly at least twice a week you can probably finish in six to nine months or so.
For training, you don't need many pilot gadgets. Our planes have intercoms so you won't need a portable intercom. You can easily spend another $1,000 to $2,000 on a handheld radio, GPS, noise-canceling headset, and other gadgets that are nice but not essential for initial flight training. Your flight instructor will tell you what supplies you need to start.
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