So, student pilots.. Who are we and where do we stand?

Day 5: 250 NM cross country today. KCHS to KCAE via a SID VOR to the VOR A circle arrival. Come out of view limiting device roughly adjacent the numbers for 29 so it’s quick. Mean cross wind but did a decent job. Taxi back, pick up our clearance for KMYR then cleared to take off. Headed to KMYR at 6000 feet with a ground speed of 145-150 Kts. Used the auto pilot to fly the whole route including the whole RNAV 18 into KMYR. That is slick! At DH I kicked the AP off and flew the missed. CFI picked up our clearance on the initial climb out and we flew theV1 airway from there toward KCHS. Asked for the ILS 33 and got it with vectors. About the time we were turned in to pick up the ILS we hear the tower talking of a C-17 coming in with an emergency. They cleared us for the approach but asked to keep speed up. I flew the whole approach at 120 knots. In pretty bumpy air. Made it off the runway before runway 3 intersection.

CFI says I’m ready, take a day off. So rest tomorrow, fly Sunday then check ride Monday morning.
Woohoo!
 
Late breaking update. CFI just called. DPE would like to move the Check Ride up to 11AM tomorrow.

And because we all need some drama, Amazon, who promised to deliver my hood yesterday, instead handed it off to USPS to deliver maybe today. So this morning I’m off to the craft store to get stuff to build one. (No foggles for me with bifocals!)

8B52141E-5132-48DA-A998-9A010220ED92.jpeg 70447A1C-9A62-455B-ABB8-6BC3F61AE335.jpeg

The finished result. The clips allow me to take it off and put it on the bill of the cap without taking my hat off or mucking with my headset.
 
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Hi, new student pilot here, with 35 years flying in all kinds of flying simulators and 19 years flying rc models, finally the stars and the wallet align so I started my training last month, about 20 hours and trying to nail the landings without nailing the plane to the ground, like my CFI says we can only break the plane once.

I guess that's why I choose to learn on a rental plane, you know what they say "Don't do it at home, go to a friend's house"
 
My biggest hurdle has been to separate the way I land the models and the way I land the full scale plane, I'll guess is a matter of practice.
 
In regards flying a pc simulator with a yoke, throttle quadrant and pedals vs the cessna 172P it certainly helps, but nothing like the real thing, at some point the simulator yoke sensitivity makes the level out and flare a bit difficult to do, extremely touchy. Also the distance perception is also an issue to judge when to turn for crosswind, downwind, base and final.
 
Completed my long solo XC today. The solo XCs really are the best part of flight training IMHO. Stopped by a Class C on one of the legs with some really friendly folks working at the (very nice!) FBO. First real experience with linemen, too. Really surprised to be treated so well pulling up in the flight school Cherokee to have them pump 20 gallons of AvGas. I'll definitely be back when I get my ticket. Just a super fun way to spend the morning.
 
Got most of my dual xc, night, and instrument work done yesterday. Still have a bit more to go on that. My CFI gave me a night solo endorsement to get to/from my home airport and the flight school. It's the first night solo he's ever written so that was a bit of a confidence boost. I texted him when I landed just because I'm sure any CFI would be slightly nervous with a night solo. Anyway, I'm at the point where I can see the finish line for my private certificate. Won't be long.
 
Hi everyone! Just joined this magnificent forum after enjoying reading many helpful posts. I'm pre-solo for PPL but getting close! Finally have had that magical moment when landings just clicked, after beating up the pattern for months. Now to get the rust off my maneuvers...
 
I started on my high performance endorsement and new club checkout yesterday. C-182Q. 1.5 hours. Slow flight, clean and dirty. Steep turns (got the wake burble both ways-surprised the heck outa me). 4 landings and general operations of the systems. It sure climbs nice. It's taking some getting used to as the controls are heavy (by comparison to 172s and especially the DA-40 I was flying for my instrument!). But CFI says 2 more flights and he'll be ready to sign me off. Flying out of KSFB (Sanford, FL) instead of KORL (Orlando Exec) so all the class C stuff to deal with. Not completely new as KCHS (Charleston) was also class C but Sanford has some of it's own fun and is also under the Class B from KMCO (Orlando International). Seems like good fun. Then I'll have access to a traveling airplane and they also have a Seminole so I can start of my multi.
 
I soloed last Sunday! It was so exciting. I made some mistakes and started learning from the as soon as I took off again. My husband made a video so I’ll get to look back at it anytime. Such a huge moment in my short aviation life!



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I soloed last Sunday! It was so exciting. I made some mistakes and started learning from the as soon as I took off again. My husband made a video so I’ll get to look back at it anytime. Such a huge moment in my short aviation life!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice! Congrats!
 
Well in an exciting turn of events, I just got awarded the 757/767 out of NYC. It’s definitely been a wild year. From being almost furloughed to getting awarded a semi-wide body fleet as my first plane at Delta. Not sure what this means for 737 training.
 
Juan Vallejo:
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...-where-do-we-stand.61619/page-91#post-3058801
Coming from a similar background, as far as rc piloting: These full-scale things are much less sensitive than a model: haul that yoke back 3-6 inches to flair a 172 - where the typical rc model flair is - maybe - 1/16" on the transmitter stick. Took me a long time to get over that difference, and a lot of bad landings that put wear on the nose wheel.
 
Well in an exciting turn of events, I just got awarded the 757/767 out of NYC. It’s definitely been a wild year. From being almost furloughed to getting awarded a semi-wide body fleet as my first plane at Delta. Not sure what this means for 737 training.

75 is the prettiest airplane Boeing has built in my lifetime. Sorry 78, you’re just too bendy. LOL.
 
Took me a long time to get over that difference, and a lot of bad landings that put wear on the nose wheel.

Make that lesson stick. In many aircraft you’ll break a lot more than just a wheel landing on the nose gear.

Cessna 182 for example is known for that bending the entire firewall. Very expensive and depending on numbers can total the aircraft as an insurance loss.

In aircraft with underwing struts you can shove gear up through things that weren’t made to be poked by high speed large diameter tube arrivals.

In retracts all sorts of expensive hard to obtain bits can be broken.

Always be as nice as practicable to your landing gear.

You’ll do fine. :) Good observation.
 
75 is the prettiest airplane Boeing has built in my lifetime. Sorry 78, you’re just too bendy. LOL.
Hmmm, for prettiest Boeing, I am sticking with Queen of the Skies. Otherwise, the 777 started shipping when I was youngish and is pretty awesome for all the advances it picked up compared to the predecessors.
@jordane93 I have to imagine the destinations are more interesting on the 75 vs the 73, plus NY base is pretty nice too.
 
Hmmm, for prettiest Boeing, I am sticking with Queen of the Skies. Otherwise, the 777 started shipping when I was youngish and is pretty awesome for all the advances it picked up compared to the predecessors.
@jordane93 I have to imagine the destinations are more interesting on the 75 vs the 73, plus NY base is pretty nice too.
Main difference is Europe and Africa. I bid it because it’s a slight pay raise and I won’t have to cover EWR. The 737 does a decent amount of trips starting out of EWR. It’s kind of a pain to drive out there.
 
Hmmm, for prettiest Boeing, I am sticking with Queen of the Skies. Otherwise, the 777 started shipping when I was youngish and is pretty awesome for all the advances it picked up compared to the predecessors.
@jordane93 I have to imagine the destinations are more interesting on the 75 vs the 73, plus NY base is pretty nice too.

Maybe I should have said “released” in my lifetime.

727 is awfully pretty in its own way too.
 
Juan Vallejo:
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...-where-do-we-stand.61619/page-91#post-3058801
Coming from a similar background, as far as rc piloting: These full-scale things are much less sensitive than a model: haul that yoke back 3-6 inches to flair a 172 - where the typical rc model flair is - maybe - 1/16" on the transmitter stick. Took me a long time to get over that difference, and a lot of bad landings that put wear on the nose wheel.

We'll get there
 
The cut the power and glide part of the landing just go against what I have been doing.

Keeping some power until the gear is rolling is what I'm use to do.

But trying my best to ignore my instincts and do as my instructor says.

Just to wrap it up, finally my instructor seems more relaxed when I'm landing, I guess is a good sign
 
I was signed off for my IR check ride in December. Then the longest, slowest moving low pressure system blanketed the area for 2 weeks. Once in a while, the weather and examiner would come available, but all planes were booked. Or plane and weather, but no examiner. Thus ensued many cancellations. That’s the Midwest for you.

I switched clubs and planes, high wing to low wing, steam gauges to G5s, Garmin to Avidyne, (this is a dumb switch when you are signed off). Oh well, its just fuel and time and weather watching in January and February in the Midwest.

Finally, signed off again (those endorsements do expire, ya’know) and now the weather watching and DPE scheduling dance resume. Cancel. Cancel. Cancel. I am sure he is super impressed in my ability to declare ‘no go’ when ice is forecast at 500’ and up. Finally, 2 weeks later, the forecast the night before is good…ish. I’ve been flying years…I’ve got this. Work time off booked, plane booked, DPE booked, what can go wrong? Launched to meet the DPE. Bumping along. Bumping along. Banging along. BUMPING AND BANGING along…this kind of sucks. That 8-12 KTS TAF morphed into 12G24 but only 30 degrees cross on landing, and not more than 60 sheering at 3000, so doable, right?

Land out after following the approach in…doable. Meet the DPE. Paperwork exchanged. More paper$ exchanged. Let’s do the knowledge stuff. FICONs and what to do if no report - good stuff. (Call the FBO or manager). Performance charts and how much runway do you really need (turns out the charts omit the stopping distance!). Cross country and alternates (go for the airport with towers, and lights, lots of lights!).Unless there is front moving that way, then choose the other one with lots of lights. Some on lost comms…vectored, cleared filed, etc. Wrapped after 90 minutes and said “Do you want to fly?”

So, here’s the thing. You want to stack the deck in your favor. Weather…and the approaches it favors. The plane you’ve flown the most. Slept well, etc. So what if you have cancelled more check rides than the number of licks it takes to get to the center of the tootsie roll pop? Its the Midwest, in winter. Suck it up and cancel.

I did the math. If I do the ride and pass, I’m done. If I don’t pass, well, I get to go fly with an instructor, and then fly with the DPE again (and cancel a few more times with each for good measure). Or take a discontinuance, and get to fly with the DPE some other day (and cancel a few more times). YOLO!

Buckle in - I ask, “Do you want a briefing?” “Nope.” “Okay, I have 1 house rule with experienced pilots - do not exit the plane while the prop is spinning.” “Deal.”

And off we launch….and the mistakes pile up. I didn’t have a plan for when exiting the simulated cross-country for the rest of the maneuvers, buttononolgy-wise, oops. So, x-country demo, bam-done. Unusual attitudes, bam-done. “Turn right 30 degrees and we’ll set you up to intercept the localizer.” Button mashing ensues. “Turn right 40 degrees and intercept, cleared for the approach.” Uh oh this happening fast…and I know this and…look down at the iPad and see I am final and yet, the G5 violently disagrees. Look and hope (this isn’t how to fly an approach)…and brain seize…alright cheat a little off the iPad and hope the G5 syncs up to my way of thinking. Post-mortem: direct to a way-point is different than VTF on an ILS. You can kind of get away with direct-to an IF on a GPS approach, but ILS’ have procedure turns and that isn’t going to work. “I am going missed.” “Good choice. Let’s get you vectors and try again.”

Vector around, and this exposition is getting to @denverpilot territory so let’s tighten it up. More button mashing, same approach, VTF this time, and still….did not auto switch from GPS to LOC, even though the flight plan was there. Post-mortem: NAV logs show it bitching about a greater than 45 degree intercept. Post-post-mortem: ‘Suck it up buttercup, ATC will do that to you too. You do know how to manually switch it to radio based sources, dontcha?’ I figured that out 15 minutes later into the now discontinued check ride. Go back again for the non-precision variant, and fly it on the #2 NAV radio....which was working just as it should and I ignored #1.

We setup for the DME arc, more button pushing. Hit it and turn on course. Follow it smoothly. Moments later time to setup for the HILPT and then last approach partial panel. Hit the hold and exit the fix slowing down the for last approach. ‘Just hold it together….’….’1500’ to go’ turn a little here and there. Did I mention the never ending bumps for the last 50 minutes? Yeah, it sucks. “1000 to go….hold ion’….’700 to go….come on, nice wind shear and bumps, i can do this’….’100 to go, crap what happened in the last 600…oh that’s full scale. crud.’ Post-mortem: fixation because I was tired...that's real and have to plan for it. Total Hobbs for 4 approaches, a bit of the DME arc, and the rest of the stuff, 1 hour. That is fast!

Landed… so that’s a Notice of Disapproval. Sigh. It was the logical choice to go for the win, but I still regret it today. Oh yeah, today. Knocked out 2 approaches with a DPE, to ATP standards, about as unexciting as a check ride should be. Got my ticket punched. Cloud buster ability - unlocked.
 
Did the first bit of night flight last night for my PPL. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but it was actually a lot of fun once I settled in. We were doing full stop taxi backs at a local Class Delta where the tower ceases operations at 2100. I've always wondered how the switchover works when a tower closed, and I found out on downwind. The tower announced its closure and the cessation of Class Delta services, advised that I was in the pattern and the guy went home. What was funny to me is that I was the only plane in the pattern while the tower was winding down. By 2115, there were probably four of us. Anyway, fun times all around.
 
Just started my ppl training and I am very excited. I had to go through the special issuance process but I finally obtained my 1st class medical. I am only two flights in and the rain has been nonstop here in Georgia.

Where are you in GA and where are you flying out of?
 
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