Can you imagine being just 21 years old and having a flight instructor certificate, 800 hours of flight time AND a bachelor of business administration from a nationally-recognized university?

Well, that's what happens here in Cincinnati. The University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Aviation Technology Program is a world-class offering providing the perfect balance between educational excellence and real-world experience.

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The last time I posted, we looked at flying just for fun and some of the fun things that you can do with your pilot certificate, now let's take a look at what I would call some of the "fun ratings" available to you.  These are ratings on your pilot certificate that you may not use on a regular basis but are a lot of fun to pursue.

We'll also take a look at some additional fun experiences you can have with your pilot certificate.

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I earned my pilot’s license nearly 15 years ago, and have flown regularly since then. But today, I’m a student pilot again, going through the ups and downs of flight training. Why? I’ve decided to get my helicopter rating.

While I have over 1600 hours in fixed wing aircraft, flying helicopters is completely new--the aerodynamics, the aircraft systems and the acronyms I know from airplanes often don’t transfer. More than once, my instructor has said the famous words: “My aircraft!”

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Quite often when you see advertising for flight instruction or visit a local flight school, you will see and hear about the utility that being a pilot provides.  A pilot certificate can be a great tool in business travel.  It can allow you to get to some customers more quickly and directly than driving or flying on an airline.

Flight schools with a "career pilot" program stress the path that you must travel to get from where you are now to a pilot's seat that pays.  Their focus is often on getting you to the front seat of an airliner or corporate aircraft.  They will show the benefits and perks that this type of flying can entail.

Now, there is nothing wrong with either of these types of ads.  Having a pilot certificate does provide you with a great deal of utility opportunity.  A career as a pilot is a lofty goal and it can be very satisfying.  In addition to the airline and corporate flight careers, there are also pilot careers hauling freight, flying as a bush pilot, aerial survey, airborne security, and many others including my personal favorite, the professional flight instructor.

Let's get back to the flight school ads and the point of my ramblings today.  Think about the ads that you have seen in your flight school search.  When was the last time you saw one that said "Come Learn to Fly Just for the Fun of It?"  It is like we have forgotten that flying is an amazing and fun thing to do!

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If you’ve caught the flying bug or you’re looking out the window and it’s a nice day and you’re dreaming of flying, go take a flight!If you’re contemplating enrolling in a training course, but haven’t fully committed to the lifestyle or investment, you can still go take a flight! If you’re trying to decide between a bike ride or round of golf and flying, go take a flight! (Yes, it’s more fun!) In fact, you can take flight after flight after flight. After all, it’s about having fun. And while it really can be this easy, there are still some important choices to me made that will have a profound effect on your future flying and even your desire to come back again.

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