Flight Funded Experiment

Building a Flight Funded Career

I'm a commercial pilot building useful aviation study products to fund the next block of flight hours. KDP aviation workbooks are the cleanest verified proof line.

Free IFR scenario pack 📚 Pilot workbooks See the receipts
✈️
391.3
Total Flight Hours
Next planning threshold: 500 · Long-term benchmark: 1,500
💰
$1,208.34
Estimated KDP Aviation Royalties (USD)
150 full-catalog books tracked through Aug 24 · 142 March-August aviation units · + €71.47 EUR + A$9.49
📈
7.9
Avg Hours / Month
Lifetime avg · Logbook report Jun 25, 2026
⏱️
~14
Months to 500 Hours
~14 mo at 7.9 hrs/mo · planning estimate
🎯 500-Hour Planning Threshold 391.3 / 500 hours (108.7 remaining · ~14 months)
Takeoff 78.3% to 500 hours Goal: 500 hrs
✈️ Later Target — Airline Minimum (ATP) 391.3 / 1,500 hours (1,108.7 remaining)
Takeoff 26.1% to ATP minimum Goal: 1,500 hrs
💸 Tracked Funding Progress $1,208.34 + €71.47 + A$9.49 dashboard-estimated KDP aviation royalties tracked through the August 24 snapshot
March-August estimated aviation royalties tracked through August 24 5.6% of near-term gap $21,740 near-term flight gap

Last updated: Aug 24, 2026 · Compare the pilot workbooks →

What’s Funding the Hours

Aviation Study Products
Live
Reconciled Jan-August KDP tracking now stands at 150 full-catalog books. The August 24 dashboard snapshot shows 20 paid aviation-workbook units, $161.11 USD plus €24.64 EUR in estimated aviation royalties, 0 refunds, and 883 KENP; March-August aviation tracking stands at 142 units and $1,208.34 USD plus €71.47 EUR and A$9.49 in dashboard-estimated royalties. The 150th full-catalog unit is non-aviation. These are not settled payouts, and the dashboard does not prove Amazon Ads attribution or scale. PPL contributed 8 August units, Instrument 5, Commercial 4, Multi-Engine 2, and Radio Calls 1. Compare the pilot workbook series →
Cleanest revenue proof line

Pilot workbooks that help fund the next block of flight hours

The workbook catalog is not a vanity shelf. It is the current proof that useful aviation study products can sell to pilots and turn into flight-hour money.

Compare Pilot Workbooks
Historical experiments and current status

Kalshi weather bot — hypothesis closed

Weather-only realized live PnL is -$142.16 after sports activity was stripped out. The LaunchAgent is off, collectors are paused, the hypothesis is closed, and no trading result is included in the funding total above. Read the final post-mortem →

FeedFare — live app, unproven funding lane

FeedFare is live in the App Store and Build 26 was approved Apr 2. This page does not claim verified app revenue or include app revenue in the funding total above.

AI automation notes — background

The OpenClaw playbook remains available, but it is not the lead offer and this page makes no buyer-demand claim for it.

What Flight Funded Is Measuring

01

Flight hours

The whole point is to reach the next planning threshold, then recheck real operator openings and requirements. This page tracks the hours, the pace, and whether the timeline is actually improving or just getting romanticized.

02

Income quality

Not all revenue is equal. I care about whether an income stream is durable, repeatable, and boring enough to count on. That is why KDP matters more right now than hype around one lucky trade or a flashy launch week.

03

Proof standards

Only reconciled flight-hour and royalty evidence belongs in the headline totals. Other experiments stay outside those totals unless their contribution can be verified.

Read next if you want the full picture

These pages explain the flying path and the aviation products funding the experiment.

📚 Pilot Workbooks 🎙️ VFR Radio Calls ✈️ Commercial Pilot Career Guide 📘 Commercial Workbook Launch 🛫 Multi-Engine Workbook Launch

How the Experiment Works

01

The Problem

I need 108.7 more flight hours to reach the 500-hour planning threshold. It is not a universal hiring minimum. At about $200 per hour, it is roughly a $21,740 gap, so I am building useful assets to help fund the next block.

02

The Strategy

I'm building aviation study products that solve specific training problems, then tracking whether reconciled KDP royalties can fund additional flying.

03

The Proof Standard

Headline totals come from the flight log and reconciled KDP exports. Experiments without verified funding contribution stay in the collapsed historical record.

04

The Transparency

I update this page with real numbers from the experiment: flight hours, revenue, and major milestones. No fake wins, no inflated screenshots.

Milestones

Condensed proof log: only the numbers that changed the flight-hours or revenue thesis. Longer receipts stay off the page.

Aug 24, 2026
KDP reached the 150-book full-catalog proof gate. The August 24 dashboard snapshot shows 21 paid units across the full catalog, including 20 aviation-workbook units, with 0 refunds and 883 KENP. Reconciled tracking reaches 150 full-catalog books and 142 aviation units / $1,208.34 USD plus €71.47 EUR and A$9.49 in dashboard-estimated aviation royalties, not settled payouts. The 150th full-catalog unit is non-aviation. Amazon Ads remains HOLD because this dashboard does not prove attribution.
150 tracked books142 aviation units$1,208.34 tracked883 KENP
Aug 11, 2026
August KDP proof advanced again. August month-to-date shows 14 paid aviation-workbook units processed through Aug 10, $115.90 USD plus €15.35 EUR in estimated royalties, 398 KENP through Aug 11, and 0 refunds. Reconciled tracking reaches 143 full-catalog books and 136 aviation units / $1,163.13 USD plus €62.18 EUR and A$9.49 in dashboard-estimated royalties, not settled payouts. Amazon Ads remains HOLD SCALE because this dashboard does not prove attribution.
143 tracked books14 August units$1,163.13 tracked398 KENP
Aug 6, 2026
August KDP proof advanced. August month-to-date shows 6 paid aviation-workbook units processed through Aug 5, $49.66 USD plus €8.88 EUR in estimated royalties, 112 KENP through Aug 6, and 0 refunds. Reconciled tracking reaches 135 full-catalog books and 128 aviation units / $1,096.89 USD plus €55.71 EUR and A$9.49 in dashboard-estimated royalties, not settled payouts. Amazon Ads remains HOLD SCALE because this dashboard does not prove attribution.
135 tracked books6 August units$1,096.89 tracked112 KENP
Aug 1, 2026
Final July KDP proof reconciled. July closed at 24 paid aviation-workbook units, $192.85 USD plus €21.54 EUR and A$9.49, 438 KENP, and 0 refunds. Reconciled tracking reaches 129 full-catalog books and 122 aviation units / $1,047.23 USD plus €46.83 EUR and A$9.49. Amazon Ads remains HOLD SCALE pending exact-window campaign, search-term, targeting, and placement proof.
129 tracked books24 July units$1,047.23 tracked438 KENP
Jul 27, 2026
Tracked aviation royalties crossed $1,000 USD. The July 1-26 dashboard shows 17 paid aviation-workbook units, $146.61 USD plus €12.13 EUR, 411 KENP through Jul 24, and 0 refunds. Reconciled tracking reaches 122 full-catalog books and 115 aviation units / $1,000.99 USD plus €37.42 EUR. The newest sale postdates the latest Ads window, so Amazon Ads remains HOLD SCALE.
122 tracked books17 July units$1,000.99 tracked411 KENP
Jul 18, 2026
July KDP proof advanced without changing the Ads gate. July 1-18 shows 9 paid aviation-workbook units, $68.71 USD plus €12.13 EUR, 123 KENP, and 0 refunds. Three newly processed paperbacks move the reconciled tracked catalog total from 111 to 114 books; March-July aviation tracking reaches 107 units and $923.09 USD plus €37.42 EUR. Amazon Ads remains HOLD SCALE because the July 1-16 Ads exports still show 5 clicks, $2.05 spend, and 0 attributed orders.
114 tracked books9 July units$68.71 + €12.13123 KENP
Jul 12, 2026
ForeFlight experience report updated. Total time reached 391.3 hours, with 272.8 PIC and 120.7 cross-country. The gap to the 500-hour planning threshold is 108.7 hours; 400 TT is 8.7 hours away.
391.3 TT272.8 PIC78.3%
Jul 11, 2026
July KDP snapshot and total book count reconciled. July 1-9 shows 6 paid aviation-workbook units, $49.53 USD plus €5.66 EUR, 76 KENP, and 0 refunds. The Jan-July KDP Orders Processed export totals 111 books sold; March-July aviation tracking remains 104 units and $903.91 USD plus €30.95 EUR. Ad scale still waits for same-window Amazon Ads proof.
111 books6 July units$49.53 USD76 KENP
Jul 1, 2026
June KDP final exports reconciled. The aviation workbook lane reached 98 March-June units and $854.38 USD plus €25.29 EUR. June final aviation totals are 36 units, $327.51 USD, €15.88 EUR, and 682 KENP; ad scale still waits for same-window Amazon Ads proof.
98 units$854.38 USD€25.29 EUR682 KENP
Jun 25, 2026
ForeFlight experience report updated. Total time reached 389.4 hours, with 270.9 PIC and 118.8 cross-country. The gap to the 500-hour planning threshold was 110.6 hours.
389.4 TT270.9 PIC77.9%
Jun 24, 2026
June KDP proof updated from the latest dashboard. The aviation workbook lane reached 90 March-June units and $775.14 USD plus €25.29 EUR, with 637 KENP and zero refunds in the June dashboard export.
90 units$775.14 USD€25.29 EUR637 KENP
Jun 21, 2026
June KDP dashboard moved again. The aviation workbook lane reached 88 March-June units and $755.96 USD plus €25.29 EUR, with 584 KENP and zero refunds in the June dashboard export.
88 units$755.96 USD€25.29 EUR0 refunds
Jun 10, 2026
June KDP dashboard export reconciled. The aviation workbook lane reached 75 March-June units and $641.81 USD, with PPL and Instrument tied on June units and Multi-Engine adding fresh eBook proof.
75 units$641.81 USD0 refunds
Jun 3, 2026
ForeFlight experience report updated. Total time reached 384.5 hours, with 266.0 PIC and 113.9 cross-country. The gap to the 500-hour planning threshold was 115.5 hours.
384.5 TT266.0 PIC76.9%
May 22, 2026
Flight log updated from KMCE→KCIC and back. At that checkpoint, total time reached 381.2 hours and the 500-hour gap dropped to 118.8 hours.
381.2 TT262.7 PIC76.2%
May 31, 2026
May KDP dashboard reconciled. The aviation workbook lane reached 62 March-May units and $526.87 USD, with PPL still leading and Multi-Engine adding a second paperback unit.
62 units$526.87 USD0 refunds
May 17, 2026
KDP export reconciled through May 16. 51 processed workbook units booked, with PPL still leading and Multi-Engine now showing its first processed unit.
$424.15 USD€9.41 EUR51 units
May 16, 2026
Flight log updated. The 500-hour gap is down to 124.8 hours, with commander time now at 23.1 hours.
375.2 TT256.7 PIC75.0%
May 13, 2026
May KDP kept moving. March-May tracking reached 47 workbook sales. Actual buyer intent, not spreadsheet incense.
47 sales$392.63 USD€9.41 EUR
May 10, 2026
Flight log crossed 373 hours. Next clean gate became 400 TT, then the larger push to 500.
373.2 TT254.7 PIC126.8 hrs left
May 8, 2026
KDP joined the verified tracker. The workbook lane became a real proof line, with PPL leading and Instrument second.
37 units$299.58 USD€9.41 EUR
May 2, 2026
March-April exports reconciled. Aviation workbooks moved from idea to verified sales evidence.
31 units$256.00 USDPPL leads
Apr 29, 2026
April KDP hit real traction. PPL carried volume while Instrument added higher-dollar units.
24 sales$198.34 USD€9.41 EUR
Apr 23, 2026
Logged 1.5 flight hours. The public 500-hour plan updated with the latest gap math.
371.0 TT129.0 hrs left500 plan →
Earlier checkpoints
Apr 25, 2026
OpenClaw Playbook shipped. Product lane went live on Gumroad while Kalshi stayed paused.
shippedbot paused
Apr 21, 2026
April KDP reached 18 paperback sales. PPL led, IR followed, and Multi-Engine joined the catalog.
18 sales$140.80 USD
Apr 17, 2026
Multi-Engine workbook went live. The aviation catalog now covered private, instrument, commercial, and multi-engine prep.
catalog complete$125.04 USD
Apr 13, 2026
KDP reached 17 paid units. April alone was up to 9 paperback sales, with PPL clearly leading.
17 units$139.88 est.
Apr 10, 2026
Weather bot results corrected. Sports activity was separated from weather-only results; Kalshi stayed paused.
-$142.16 weatherredesign
Apr 6, 2026
Commercial workbook went live. The aviation catalog expanded to PPL, IR, and Commercial.
Amazon livecatalog grows
Apr 3, 2026
FeedFare and KDP both improved. App progress continued while workbook sales validated the lane.
appKDP
Apr 2, 2026
FeedFare Build 26 approved. Activation-first onboarding, quiz rules, and delayed paywall shipped.
App StoreBuild 26
Mar 31, 2026
KDP became the cleanest proof line. The first Instrument ebook royalty hit while paperback sales kept proving demand.
first IR ebookpaperback proof
Mar 28, 2026
Kalshi went live, then got humbled. The post-mortem showed the weather strategy was not capital-ready.
live testpaused
Mar 2, 2026
FeedFare went live. First public iOS app shipped with free and premium tiers.
FeedFare →App Store →
Feb 26, 2026
First KDP sale landed. The PPL Workbook generated its first paperback royalty.
first salestranger money
Feb 23, 2026
Flight Funded launched. Track the hours, track the revenue, and see whether the stack funds more flying.
public experiment
Related Aviation Guides

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This experiment exists to buy more flight time. These are the pages that explain how I'm training, studying, and trying not to light money on fire.

✈️ Checkride Prep Guide 📱 Best Apps for Student Pilots 🛩️ Commercial Workbook on Amazon 🛫 Multi-Engine Workbook on Amazon 💸 Cheapest Ways to Build Flight Hours