An Old Guy Learns to Fly, Part One

Introduction by Ed Downs

Article by Dr. William July, Ph.D.

In my work with Aviation Seminars, I have the pleasure of meeting lots of people interested in learning to fly. People come to this from many backgrounds, different career goals and some, just for the fun of learning something new.

The author of this short series of articles is Dr. William July, Ph.D., a ZOOM student who came to me through Aviation Seminars.  He was very interactive during the class and communicated with me after class.  He is finding the “adventure” of learning to fly a real eye-opener.  As a published author, Dr. July asked if In Flight USA might be interested in running a short series about what it is like for an older guy to take on a pilot training.  Dr. July and I have exchanged several notes and his prospective is both interesting and entertaining.

Dr. July is a licensed psychologist in private practice with three clinics in Texas. (Visit his website at  https://www.drwilliamjuly.com). In addition to being a psychologist he has been a nationally best-selling relationship author of four books from Doubleday. He also wrote a textbook chapter on Personality in a Psychology textbook. Prior to becoming a psychologist he also had an exciting and interesting life. His background includes having been an entrepreneur, psychology professor, and a police officer. He has been a regular guest expert for CNN, the Fox News Channel, and the Great Day Houston Show. 

Dr. July is excited about sharing his experiences.  And, In Flight USA is both excited and proud to share his adventures and thoughts. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Dr. William July.

A photo taken after my first flight lesson. (Photo courtesy Dr. William July)

Well, there’s no more denying it. I’m well into my 50s, much closer to 60 than 50. Despite my attempts to deny this, I get reminders such as the AARP targeting me in their advertising along with IHOP and pharmacies offering the “over 55 discount.” Seeing friends on Facebook retiring after working somewhere 20 or 30 years is another reminder. Oh, and I’ve lost my hair and have gray in my beard. Fortunately, I use the Just for Men, Jet black moustache and beard dye regularly. I’m not ready to be a silver fox yet.

But I don’t feel old. In fact, today at my age, 56, many people are kicking into a new gear and I’m one of those people. In my career, my clinic continues to grow and that keeps me setting new goals. I remarried a few years ago after my first wife died of cancer. I also have a reasonably decent dad bod. My firm belief is that we should squeeze every ounce of gusto out of life while we are here, before heading to that ultimate great heading somewhere else in the universe.

That’s why I started flight training at age 56. It’s something I wanted to do 20 years ago but the circumstances of life had other plans for me. I often read articles or see YouTube videos about learning to fly after 40 and I laugh to myself. Forty! Man, I’m 56 and learning. So, this article is for the rest of us.

First, let me say this is the path that is working for me. I’m sharing this to give the reader some ideas but I’m not suggesting my path to licensure is the only or best way. This in fact is my first point. As a mature person, you know yourself. You know how you learn. You know your strengths and challenges. You know your financial position. Your health is not a mystery. You are in a great position to define the best training path for yourself.

In this series of articles, I’m going to share some ideas that may be helpful if you’re around my age-ish and getting started in aviation as a hobby. Here are some things you should really think about before committing to this adventure.

Photo with my CFI; Scott Cavalcante, CFI, West Houston Airport (Photo courtesy Dr. William July)

Why Flying?

First, ask yourself why you want to fly. Why do you want to spend thousands and thousands of dollars along with days and nights studying? Oh yea, because that’s fun? For me the answer is two parts. First, I plan to fly for business. I have driven between my offices in Houston and Dallas more times than I can count. As a pilot, I can fly for some of those trips. Flying to my other office will not be cheaper, but it will be a heck of a lot more fun than driving every time. But when I fly, I will miss stopping at Dairy Queen for a dipped cone. That is a shame. The other reason I want to fly is the freedom. The idea of being up in the air going where I want and when I want is exhilarating. Of course, this freedom is highly regulated and restricted by a lot of laws and regulations.

Try A Different Approach

Consider doing ground school and your written exam first. I’ve had a lot of amazing life experiences, but I didn’t know diddly-squat about aviation. The closest I had been to a cockpit was passing by it as I boarded a commercial airliner waving at the captain.

There is a lot to learn in becoming a private pilot… a lot!  I remember seeing a billboard by a local airport with a person smiling in a Cessna that said, “Learn to Fly.”  What they didn’t show on the billboard was a confused student pilot racking their brain with an E6B in one hand and a nasty looking chart in the other. Or the many joys of working weight and balance problems while eating lunch at work. If I see that plank one more time! That’s why I took the written exam first. I had only been on two flights before I took the written exam.

By doing the exam first, I’m now able to focus on learning much better. I have the luxury of not having to study for the written while learning to fly. I’m able to focus on learning and performance and the eventual check ride. Also, the things I’ve learned for the written exam helped me feel a little less confused as my lessons began to progress. It has still been confusing and overwhelming at times, but at least I began with some form of foundation. As a mature person with so much to do outside of this hobby, checking off ground school and the test reduced a lot of stress.

Respect the Test

I see a lot of people bragging online about their written exam scores. But I failed the first time. Now, it is not because I could not do the work, I’m a very educated man and I’ve passed some difficult board exams, the kind that eat Ph.D.’s for lunch. But actually, that was my flaw as I prepped for the written. I figured I could push my way through the written exam with a moderate amount of study. Wrong. I missed passing, also known as failing, by just a few points. I realized I was going to have to attack the private pilot’s exam with the same intensity I used to pass my board exams. Then I went in for the retake strong and confident, came out with an 85. Then, I had one bigger box to check off the list before returning to flight lessons.

In the next article, I’ll discuss the joys of getting a Class III medical certificate when you’re 56. I also think student pilots my age should strongly consider getting the medical early, if not before everything. I got it, but it wasn’t as easy as it would have been 20 or 30 years ago. More on that in the next article.