Have Questions?

You will be legal to fly any airplane with one engine that lands on wheels. (some extra powerful models require special training) The most common Single Engine Land (SEL) airplanes have 2 or 4 seats, but larger faster airplanes are available. You could even fly models with fuel injected, turbo-charged engines with retractable landing gear. One of the coolest experiences in aviation is right after takeoff when you reach down and flip the gear switch, and the hydraulic cylinders pull the landing gear up. Now you’re REALLY flying!

When you take lessons to drive a car, there is a point where the teacher gets out and lets you take it around the block. The same is true for flying. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s the most memorable flight of your life, the first solo!

Small planes don’t have bathrooms on board. It’s just like driving on a long trip. Travel for an hour or two, then stop somewhere for a break. Some nicer airplanes do have autopilots so you can look at maps and tend to other things. Most trainer planes do not have autopilots. Just like with driving, keep one hand on the wheel to do other things.

Flying an airplane is serious business. You will need to be talking to Air Traffic Control on the radio and following radar directions. Music would interfere with that. Maybe if you were flying out over the Sandhills. Cell phones do not work while in flight unless you are really low.

Small planes don’t have nearly as many buttons as the pictures you see of big airliners. There is a switch for the landing light, a switch for the fuel pump, and a few other things. Everything is labeled so you don’t need to memorize them. We’ll skip a lot of the switches at first and just do turns and climbs, and then add more things as you get more comfortable.

You bet…if you want. Check out our aerobatic airplane! Most people stick with the trainer plane though since it’s cheaper. During your training for the Private Pilots License we will only do gentle maneuvers.

There are over 624,000 pilots in the United States. Almost 85,000 people started training to be a pilot last year. All of these pilots fly 223,000 general aviation airplanes using 20,000 airports in our country alone. By learning to fly, you will be joining an elite team of men and women. But remember… “pilots are just plane people with a special air about them”.

My name is John Cox and I teach 11th grade Physics at Pius X High School in Lincoln. I soloed on my 16th birthday and then progressed through the Private, Instrument, and Commercial ratings. I now have a Flight Instructor with an Advanced Ground Instructor rating. I also have a Bachelor’s degree from UNL in Mechanized Agriculture, a Bachelors degree from UNO in Electronics Engineering Technology and a Nebraska Teaching Certificate in Secondary Math and Physics.

Many instructors give lessons in order to build time on their way to an airline job. I am not giving lessons just to build time. I am a professional flight instructor with the goal of being the best flight instructor possible. My dream is to share the beauty of God’s creation with people who appreciate the amazing capability of these machines to lift off the ground and fly with the birds and clouds.

The best combination is a simple inexpensive airplane, a patient experienced instructor, and a quiet relaxing airport close to Lincoln. That’s what I offer. I also record each lesson with a digital video camera and send the memory chip home with you each time. There is just too much to learn and absorb during the flight to catch it all. Watching the video at home is like getting a second lesson for free.

Now is the perfect time to take flying lessons. Young people have the advantage of time and money while older students have the advantage of patience and experience.

Learning while in high school builds confidence and responsibility in students, boosting their maturity level quickly. Job interviews and college applications both benefit from such an impressive accomplishment as flight training. You will have an advantage over other applicants to University flight schools and the Air Force Academy if you already have flight training and a civilian license. The math and science components of aviation ground school reinforce lessons in math and science in school, with many of the same concepts. A student bored with school often comes to life in the excitement of a flight training environment.

Adult learners are excellent students. They typically immerse themselves fully in the learning process, reading every aviation book and article they can find. Experience gives these pilots-in-training the cautious attention to detail that make for a great pilot. After conquering the Private Pilot training, most adults say “I wish I’d done this years ago!”

How do you plan to use your license?
Where would you go?
Why do you want to be a pilot?
When would you want to start your training?
How often would you want to take lessons?
When would you want to be done?
Do you have a good, quiet place to study your textbook?
What flight experiences have you had so far?

Call me and we’ll make an appointment for an Introductory Flight. We will meet at the airport go for a tour, show you the books we will be studying and go for a ride. This will count as your first flight lesson. After that, we’ll make another appointment and you will be well on your way to learning to fly.
John Cox
Certified Flight Instructor
Lincoln, Beatrice, Crete, Seward
(402) 239-3953
jc01220@windstream.net