New comer w/ Strong desire to Fly!

by Marc
(Phila., PA USA)

I weigh a little over 300 lbs,(under 350.)And my waist is about 58 inches. Would this prohibit any school from giving me flying lessons in a single engine plane?

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Marc,

In my humblest of opinions, ABSOLUTELY not! If a school told you that you couldn't fly then I would take your money else where and then report the school for discrimination. There is no reason that you cannot learn to fly.

With that being said, you may find it cramped in the cockpit, but so long as the controls can move freely and unhindered then the sky is the limit.

The cabin width of a Cessna 172 is 39.5 inches. It has a useful load of 830lbs at max fuel load. You and an instructor should be able to fit in the cockpit and still be able to take a full fuel load.

I would look for a school that uses a Cessna 172 or Piper airplanes as their instructing airplanes. These give you the most room. Stay away from the schools that use Diamond aircraft as the cockpits are really small.

I hope this helps you in your decision. I personally would not give up on learning to fly. There is no reason why you cannot get in an airplane and learn to fly.