ORIGINAL: CGRetired
I was just wondering. Beginners come in to the 'Beginners' forum and ask the same question: I want to learn how to fly but I don't want to use an instructor. What plane should I buy?"
The obvious answer, to me anyway, and to several others in this forum is "Well, buy the cheapest one you can because, without an instructor, you will be replacing it on short order, and possibly several times until you either run out of money, or patients, or both!"
Why would someone NOT want to use an instructor?
Pride/ego - Some people just have to say they did it on their own.
Shy - Some people don't like to look foolish in front of others. Note that this is different from the pride one.
Uninformed - Many are under the impression that there are no instructors nearby or that they will cost too much.
Unfriendly club - Unfortunately, some clubs do not exactly welcome new people with open arms. Faced with such a club, it's not hard to see why a beginner might conclude that they would be better off on their own.