Bigtim's right, the simulator helps you get a lot of the mistakes out of the way without risking your plane. This spring, a student called, he had contacted our club president in October. They decided he should practice on the sim through the winter, and bring a plane out in the spring. He did that, and had about a hundred hours on the simulator logged, before trying the plane. He made a decent landing on his second flight with the trainer, and was on his own right away.

You still have time this summer to get to know an instructor or two, and pick one to work with. I suggest you ask around until you find one who will work with you on a schedule. I've decided I can work on a schedule, and will work with students on Mondays or Wednesdays to the exclusion of flying my own. That leaves me the rest of the week to fly my own planes. Find an instructor you like, and see what schedule works for him, and I think that's the best arrangement you can make.

If you find a pro, let us know where and how it went. Good luck,
Dave Olson