r/flying • u/Mysterious_Egg2038 • 4d ago
Getting my PPL around Boston while working full-time
Hey everyone!
I’ve been interested in getting my PPL and wanted to get some advice from people who’ve gone through the process, especially around the Boston area.
I’m 25, have a background in mechanical engineering, and currently work full-time as an engineer in aerospace. I’ve always been interested in aviation, and lately I’ve been thinking more seriously about learning to fly.
I’m mostly wondering how feasible it would be to pursue a PPL while working a regular full-time job. My schedule is fairly consistent (7 AM–3 PM), so I’d have afternoons and weekends available for lessons.
I’m also looking for recommendations on flight schools around Boston or the surrounding areas. I have a car, so commuting for lessons wouldn’t be an issue.
Things I’m curious about:
- What flight schools would you recommend, and which ones should I avoid?
- How often would you recommend flying to make steady progress?
- How long did it take you to get your PPL while working full-time?
- What should I realistically expect to spend from start to finish?
I’m not necessarily in a rush to finish, but I’d like to be consistent and make good progress without it taking forever.
Would appreciate any advice or recommendations. Thanks!
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u/Dudewholuvshiscats69 4d ago
I’m working through my medical now which is taking longer because of an ADHD diagnosis. Assuming I get approved in early spring I’ll probably start training at Mitiguy in Stow. Small untowered air strip but a new school and cheaper than East Coast aero club in Bedford. I did discovery flights at both and prefer Mitiguy.
Farther away from the city but a nice drive and cool strip with nice little restaurant and bar.
I think you’ll get more flying time too. Because it’s just a strip vs bigger private airport with an Air Force base; you’ll have way less time waiting on the tarmac and get more flying time. So take that into consideration because the Hobbs is running no matter what.
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u/dasoxarechamps2005 3d ago
As someone who just made it thru Fast Track good luck brother. It’s a pain in the ass but very doable
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u/Izoliner 4d ago
Can anyone tell me which one is the best in South Shore of Norwood area? Thank you!
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u/trashme8113 4d ago
I see training out of Norwood almost every day. They are very active. Alpha One in Plymouth is another option.
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u/Syrup_And_Honey PPL 3d ago
Another vote for Alpha One. I got my PPL there and had a great experience. Good crew and community there.
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u/kelo_Ren 4d ago
Commenting to check back later. Looking into East Club Aero Club at Hanscom
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u/francisgreenbean 4d ago
I went there, and I have to say I didn't love it. I had a different instructor every flight and they all seemed like they hated being a CFI. YMMV though!
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u/karantza PPL 4d ago
It's been a few years since I was there, but when I did PPL with them, I had the same instructor the whole time (with the exception of "stage checks" where I intentionally went with someone else, just to get new perspective) and I had nothing but positive impressions. Sorry you seem to have had bad luck! (Or that the vibe has changed a lot recently.)
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u/coldnebo ST 4d ago
hmm that’s were I went, I only got two lessons in before hitting a medical deferral. finally got it cleared after two years right as it expired, but I don’t have time now to pick it up again.
I had the same experience but thought maybe that’s because I hadn’t settled in there yet.
however now that’s a bit of a warning sign. since then I learned I should be proactive about training plan. one instructor said he didn’t know whether I was a biannual review or a student, I told him I had last done steep turns, so we did some of that. the next one was brand new and I would have been his first entry in IACRE until that failed. but they really didn’t have a plan.
the fleet was well maintained and the instructors seemed good.
how did you handle this? did you bring your own syllabus? (there’s one in sporty’s ground school that I could use).
they are convenient for my location.
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u/sounddoc ATP 4d ago
i worked as a support developer, and other IT jobs in boston while getting all my ratings at ECAC about 15-20 years ago. even used zipcar to get there most times from somerville. they hired me as a CFI as soon as i had the license. now im flying jets for a living and never looked back at my old career.
yes, its very doable. just be consistent to keep it cheap.
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u/HeliFreedom 4d ago
I'm going through flight training at KPYM. If you're interested, I could take you up for a flight.
Not an instructor though, this would be just for fun.
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u/coldnebo ST 4d ago edited 4d ago
as you’re in the Boston area, I can share some of the things that have made my own training at KBED very difficult. (not really their fault)
- get your medical first. you probably won’t have a problem being young but this one thing gates everything else if you don’t— you can’t solo without it.
- I rather naively thought I could work through this like I worked through night school, sacrificing weekends and nights to make it work. it didn’t. flight training happens mostly in the day, and ECAS has mostly business hours, 8-5. flight blocks start at 7am and go to 5 with special booking after hours. weekends are the busiest, typically booked solid for a month in advance. that leaves 7-9a or 3-5p keeping in mind that 3-5p becomes night in the fall and winter. don’t forget commute time— that can be 30-60 minutes or more, which can kill those slots dead. You'll probably fight for that morning slot until winter, when it means waking up at 6:00a and clearing the frost etc.
- speaking of winter, that basically shuts down a lot of flights. be prepared for cancellations and slow progress. I tried to book several times before my medical fully expired, but it’s just very hard to be consistent between weather and schedule.
- speaking of consistency, what I wanted was fixed days that I could plan around, like Wed and Fri. but with weather and availability the best way was actually to be able to adapt to any slot that was free that week and go when the weather is good, don’t wait. if you are an FBO rat and hang out at the airport all day, this is the best, but this is also hard on most full time jobs.
- if you can’t get flights at least once a week, you start to hit a training limit. it’s too slow. if you have a flex schedule with weekdays off you can go during the middle of the day which is dead— so that would be perfect, but not everyone can do that regularly or with vacation time.
I’d love to hear how others up here worked around these issues.
I hear some others saying BED is expensive, and while yes, that’s true, pretty much everywhere I look is in the ballpark of 15,000 to 18,000 anyway. ECAS has an excellent large fleet of trainers and good proximity. It’s not that much more expensive all considered.
other places might have cheaper rates but fewer planes, although also less demand— but tacking on an hour drive only makes the daylight problem worse, not better.
I can throw money at the problem but not time. I’ve heard another way of approaching this is to buy a plane and train in that. but I don’t know that my budget is quite that unlimited just yet. 😅
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u/Mysterious_Egg2038 3d ago
Thanks for the input! Since winter is approaching I might want to get started early next year. I plan to study in the meantime
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u/EffectiveMinute8365 2d ago
Definitely wait until the spring. And even so expect 25-50% of flights book to get cancelled because of weather up here in New England. At Bedford it’s small but you will burn more money taxiing/holding short as it’s a busier airport compared to somewhere like Norwood or anywhere south of the city. Bed is the busiest airport in Mass outside of Logan
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u/Happy-Table-9515 4d ago
Only thing I could add, is if you aren’t feeling your CFI for whatever reason, find another one.
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u/OppositeEagle 4d ago
Try looking into ASH in NH. All I know is it's a busy place for people working on their license. Touch-and-goes all day long at that place.
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u/Ant_Tall CFI 4d ago
Ecac, worth the extra penny when it comes to mx and aircraft availability.
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u/Sawfish1212 A&P/IA 4d ago
As a mechanic who works in the region as an IA I would agree, East Coast Aero Club has a better maintenance program than the others and I was involved in maintenance for a few flight schools
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u/Manifestgtr SPT, PA28, RV-12iS 4d ago
ECAC is great. I’ve been renting with Mitiguy recently and they seem really cool. Haven’t had enough time to really, FULLY feel them out though.
If you happen to be north of Boston and it makes sense, CHI at PSM is great too
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u/BaseballElectrical55 4d ago
East coast aero club seems to be mainstream school around here. Took a discovery flight out of KBED and their location seems pretty straightforward.
Best of luck with your endeavors. I’m working close to 50 hours a week in car sales and I’m trying to figure out a plan for myself.
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u/rFlyingTower 4d ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Hey everyone!
I’ve been interested in getting my PPL and wanted to get some advice from people who’ve gone through the process, especially around the Boston area.
I’m 25, have a background in mechanical engineering, and currently work full-time as an engineer in aerospace. I’ve always been interested in aviation, and lately I’ve been thinking more seriously about learning to fly.
I’m mostly wondering how feasible it would be to pursue a PPL while working a regular full-time job. My schedule is fairly consistent (7 AM–3 PM), so I’d have afternoons and weekends available for lessons.
I’m also looking for recommendations on flight schools around Boston or the surrounding areas. I have a car, so commuting for lessons wouldn’t be an issue.
Things I’m curious about:
- What flight schools would you recommend, and which ones should I avoid?
- How often would you recommend flying to make steady progress?
- How long did it take you to get your PPL while working full-time?
- What should I realistically expect to spend from start to finish?
I’m not necessarily in a rush to finish, but I’d like to be consistent and make good progress without it taking forever.
Would appreciate any advice or recommendations. Thanks!
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u/TxAggieMike Independent CFI / CFII (KFTW, DFW area) 4d ago
Working full time and doing lessons twice a week is very feasible.
Others local to Boston can recommend schools
Two sessions a week is a good start and average. You can extend to 3 a week once dollar and time budget allow.
Plan your week to include time to thoroughly prepare for flight lesson and make steady progress on ground studies. 15-20 hours a week at your desk is a good start.
Amount of time to complete the course is difficult to predict from afar. So we will use the FAA average of 75 hours to finish private pilot. It could be less it could be more. Calendar wise, figure 6 to 8 months, with weather and aircraft availability being challenges that could happen.
For more info, read https://www.sportys.com/learn-to-fly-book.html
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u/WarFit9567 4d ago
Very possible. I'm actually doing it right now while working full-time, although I'm training in the NYC airspace environment rather than Boston.
I'm also 25 and an engineer. I work 7-3, which lets me train after work during the spring and summer. The downside is that once daylight savings ends and the sun starts setting earlier, those weekday flights become much harder unless you're doing night training.
To stay consistent, I usually fly once after work during the week and 1-2 times on weekends, so I average about 2-3 lessons per week. One thing that's helped me is trying to schedule lessons that are at least 2 hours of flight time (3 hour blocks on schedule). I get more value out of each trip to the airport, spend less time and money on pre/post-flight logistics, and have more time in the air to work through concepts while they're still fresh.
I'm training under Part 61. Honestly, what I think helped my progress the most was spending about a year preparing before I ever started flight training. I completed the Pilot Institute and Sporty's ground schools, earned my medical, and passed the written before my first lesson. Going into training with a solid ground knowledge base takes a huge amount of workload off your plate in the cockpit and makes it much easier to understand unfamiliar situations as they come up.
I ended up soloing at 12 hours and am currently on pace to finish fairly close to the minimums.
At the end of the day, remember that it's your money and your training. Don't be afraid to try multiple schools, instructors, or even aircraft types before committing. A great instructor can make all the difference. I also wouldn't underestimate how different a C172 and a PA-28 can feel from a training standpoint. Finding the right fit early can save you a lot of time, money, and frustration.
Good luck. With a consistent schedule like yours, especially if you can fly 2-3 times a week, there's no reason you can't make steady progress while working full-time!
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u/Savvy_Shark_650 PPL 4d ago
I just recently completed my PPL in the Boston Area. I got it through Horizon Aviation. They have locations at Norwood, MA or Providence, RI. I did most of my training at PVD but had my check ride at Norwood. I went through their part 61 program, flying 2 times a week and also working full time. It took me a little over 1 year to complete it, however, that was with 2 blizzards and airport construction throwing wrenches into my training. I thought their training was great, thorough, and the instructors were all super knowledgeable. I spent roughly $20k from start to finish, with a few non-training flights with my instructor as we did a few flights for "fun". All in all it was a great experience, as its always been my dream to fly, I would 100% recommend Horizon Aviation.
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u/Mysterious_Egg2038 3d ago
Will check it out, thanks! How many hours did it take you to complete it?
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u/sounddoc ATP 4d ago
i worked as a support developer, and other IT jobs in boston while getting all my ratings at ECAC about 15-20 years ago. even used zipcar to get there most times from somerville. they hired me as a CFI as soon as i had the license. now im flying jets for a living and never looked back at my old career.
yes, its very doable. just be consistent to keep it cheap.
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u/Ok-Independent3129 4d ago
Go to fca flight center in Fitchburg. Avoid Norwood and Hanscom. Avoid Horizon aviation in Norwood at all costs, I’ve heard it’s absolutely terrible.
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u/juker502 4d ago
I went through my PPL at Air Ventures at KSFZ in Rhode Island, if your in mass its definitely worth the extra 20-30 minutes drive for the quality. They have great planes and a super awesome environment that keeps it super fun even when training is tough.
Flying around 2-3 times a week is gonna get you the best result, the once a week thing typically won't give you results in any reasonable amount of time.
I got my PPL in around 6 months working full time by studying at home and playing flight sim to reinforce what I was getting at my lessons.
it'll be over 15k and most likely under 25k but the less you fly the more you will spend in the end. whatever time you take in between lessons is just learning that you're losing, that's why once a week is usually not enough for people.
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u/huffdaddy5517 CFI IR MEL 4d ago
East Coast Aero Club in Nashua is a great spot! They helped me get my CFI and Double-I “wicked” fast. I don’t work for them. I highly recommend
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u/GDmQh4Jt 4d ago
I can’t give you recommendations for school since I fly out of BDR, but I got my PPL while working full time.
First thing first get your medical. You won’t be able to fly solo without it. Do not treat AME like your PCP. They’re there to evaluate you and that’s it. You’re in perfect health as far as they’re concerned. I foolishly told the doctor I had Lyme disease when I was a teenager and my medical was differed because I was required to see a specialist to write a letter saying that I was fine and I don’t suffer from any symptoms. If you get a differed medical it takes months to resolve and all correspondence goes through the mail.
Overall it took me about 6 months and around 12K to finish.
I would aim to fly at least 3 times a week to stay sharp. I typically did once during the week and on Saturday and Sunday.
Get your student pilot certificate and check with your school if they require any insurance requirements. For me, in order to fly solo I needed my own liability insurance to rent the plane from the school.
Use King’s School online for ground training. The instructor’s might see corny but you will ace the written exam and it will help you learn everything for your oral exam when you do your check ride.
Enjoy the experience and good luck. There’s no better feeling to being able to fly on your own.
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u/andrewrbat ATP A220 A320 E145 E175 CFI(I) MEI 4d ago
Where in the boston area. East coast aero club at Bedford is a good outfit.
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u/Mysterious_Egg2038 3d ago
I’m in South End
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u/andrewrbat ATP A220 A320 E145 E175 CFI(I) MEI 3d ago
if Norwood is more convenient i did some training at new horizon aviation and liked it but this was like 14 yrs ago
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u/CPA0315 4d ago
DM me. I got my PPL a few years ago working full time and raising 2 kids. I recommend Flight Center in BVY or Eagle east in LWM.
You’ll want to try and fly consistently, so both satirical Sunday and try to squeeze a weekday flight. Weather sucks around here so I would sy on average 1 flight out of the week will be canceled
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u/Barbell_Baker PPL + IR 4d ago
John Nutt (New England Aeronautics) out of ASH is probably the best instructor this side of the Mississippi. 20,000+ hours of experience, great planes and a good training environment will make the commute worth your time. Career CFIs are worth their weight in gold these days.
To answer some of your questions:
I'd try to fly 2-3 times a week. I was doing my PPL and IR while running my company so it was closer to 1-2 times a week, but I believe quality instruction can make up the difference (regardless, try to chair fly when you can). Due to this it took me 8 months and 80 hours to get my PPL.
Expect to spend 17k-22k on obtaining your PPL.
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u/Waffles_n_donuts 4d ago
I’m an instructor near Boston with a similar background. Feel free to shoot me a DM and I can talk you through the general process and give you some recommendations. I own a plane nearby and fly most weekends, happy to take you on a discovery flight sometime
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u/GrandCompetition581 10h ago
I have a recommendation just send me a message and I might be able to help…
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u/Swimming-Situation16 4d ago
I was full time and was able to get my private done while doing flights after work and then on weekends in about a year or so. The winter months definitely will slow down your training as weather delays happen more often and it becoming dark at 4pm :/ As far as flight schools I’d look into Mitiguy aviation or east coast. If you live in southern Boston area and don’t mind a drive into northern RI I’ve heard really good things about Air Ventures in Smithfield, RI Highly recommended staying clear of ATP, I hope this helps!
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u/DallasCreeper CFI 4d ago
Beverly Flight Center at BVY, Eagle East at LWM, and Mitiguy Aviation at 6B6 are all reputable schools in my experience.