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

Had my first flight today! I had trouble (naturally) keeping up with all of the information (horizon, speed, altitude, etc) at the rate my CFI was going, but know that's something I'll get used to in time. Going to start watching more pre-solo videos on YouTube before our next lesson.
 
Did my first ILS approach under the hood on Thursday and it. Was. Glorious.

Don't get me wrong. Instructor called me a "needle chaser" when I should have just followed the huge purple line on the Garmin but when we hit 4,700' and the hood came off, it was just spectacular to see the runway right effin' there.

CFI would sign me off to solo if I had a medical but I don't (yet) so we've just been doing simulated instrument work and PPL maneuvers whenever we're up. I love the instrument stuff, especially recovering from unusual attitudes.
 
at 9.3 hours working on a sport pilot cert. Today I worked on emergency procedures, short/soft takeoff/landings and did an instrument out approach/landing. Instructor gave me the Pre Solo Test to take home and work on. Said I should expect to solo in the next 2-4 hours.
 
I'm in IFR training, now, but have only recently completed my PPL. Since I'm under 5 posts here, I figure this gives me a chance to +1 that, and introduce myself. I'm 42, and wanted to fly since I was 13. Finally with the slowdown at work this summer, I had the time and money to do it!

My training story is probably like a lot of others. My first CFI left around 9 hours for another job, so I "tried" out a couple others. The first wasn't a good personality fit, the second worked out. My goal was to solo as close to 10 hours as possible, and I let my CFIs know this from the beginning. I knew it wasn't likely, but is a goal. I only set that for myself, as I had read somewhere that the biggest determining factor for how many hours it'll take total would be the time between 10 hours and when you finally solo.

Well, I solo'd in about 12, so mission accomplished for that! I was flying 1-3 times per week, trying to condense the time overall. Everything continued pretty smoothly, and after 36 hours, I felt ready. Got to spend the last hours just fine tuning for the checkride. At 40.1 hours, my checkride was scheduled and I was ready to go.

Then came the serious of unfortunate events...Checkride day came, and it was a 17knot crosswind, gusting to 26. A *smidge* more than I was comfortable in my Warrior II! Passed the oral, and we deferred the practical for one week (Friday).

On Monday, my CFI were going to go up in the Warrior II, b/c my last flight was in an Archer II (For my 40.1 hours, I had time in a Cheetah, 2 different Warriors (-160 and - 161), and an Archer). Preflight and there's oil all over the engine bay. Valve cover gasket missing 2 bolts, and weeping all over. Think we'll pass flying today...

Tuesday, the plane was scheduled for 100-hr. No biggie. I felt comfortable for the test. Get a call Wednesday afternoon, though, that the plane is down for extensive maintenance, and I'd need to either delay again, or fly another plane. Evidently, the warrior came out of the 100-hr, and the fuel pump went out. It was landed safely in a field, but still... That would have sucked.

Thursday and I decide I'll take out the -150 I had flown my cross countries in (but never practiced maneuvers). But... it was down for its 100 hr.

So Friday morning, I took the checkride in a plane I had ~8 hours today, hadn't flown in over a month, and never practiced maneuvers in. I didn't feel it was my best, as I didn't do as well as normal on a couple things. Yet, somehow, I passed. Woohoo!!

So anyways, 40.1 hours to Checkride, and passed. It's given me a good appreciation of "sh*t happens" and to be flexible/calm regardless. Now on to IFR training, and hopefully less "unfortunate events" around checkride time in a year or two when it's time!!
 
Working on Ground now waiting on a mew engine installation into the plane I’m going to start in. Hopefully in the next few weeks.
I’m 47 years old and finally get a chance to go for it!! Going all the way to CFI and then hopefully on the a regional after I get my hours logged. I have wanted this all my life. So excited
 
Just passed my instrument rating checkride last week. What a relief. Definitely a lot of info to learn and the flight test is pretty tough, but doable.
It took me 1.5 years between different planes, building xc time, flying in actual IMC, changing instructors due to covid.
 
Humbled this past Saturday on a check ride: did great on the oral, maneuvers were OK, but when it was time to fly back to the airport for landings/ pattern, nerves and an aching head resulted in some crappy flying. The DPE told me to taxi to the fuel pump after the hard landing. Then it was entirely obvious!
Can’t blame the DPE - was several poorly done piloting events. The thing hard to figure out is how I did the pattern stuff really well, just the day before!
Sigh.
Back to the instructor for some more pattern work. Got 60 days to use that ‘partial credit’ !
 
40YearDream said:
...nerves and an aching head ...
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Not unusual and nothing to beat yourself up over. Checkrides are a ton of mental energy spent; I know a DPE who does the landings up front and will offer to do something else if nerves start to become a factor.
 
I decided tonight that I'm tired of waiting to fly whether or not I ever get to fly my night xc and take the checkride. So I'm just going to go fly solo stuff and make my instructor keep updating my endorsements until everything works out. Who cares how many hours I have at the checkride. LOL It's been a very frustrating last couple of months flight-wise!
 
40YearDream said:
Humbled this past Saturday on a check ride: did great on the oral, maneuvers were OK, but when it was time to fly back to the airport for landings/ pattern, nerves and an aching head resulted in some crappy flying. The DPE told me to taxi to the fuel pump after the hard landing. Then it was entirely obvious!
Can’t blame the DPE - was several poorly done piloting events. The thing hard to figure out is how I did the pattern stuff really well, just the day before!
Sigh.
Back to the instructor for some more pattern work. Got 60 days to use that ‘partial credit’ !
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Don't feel bad... I had to redo a piece of my IR checkride because I turned the wrong knob on the panel... Came back another day, turned the right knob this time and was done in 15 minutes. You'll get it done
 
Yesterday's flying consisted of two sessions . Morning working on landing pattern work and 9 landings .
Afternoons was aborted and emergency engine failure landings. 9 more landings . total time 2.4 hours.
One really nice greaser , and 17 where we could use the aircraft again .

This morning my CFI called at 7:30 wanting to know if I wanted to fly today, if so, I had better get the aircraft out of hanger and fueled before 9AM as power was going to be off till 2 pm.
It's 40 miles to the hanger, so beat a hot path south down I-15 to airport .

Had plane out of hanger and fueled by 8:30 . CFI is also the airport manager, said we best have a cup of coffee before the power went off. 9AM on the dot the power was off. He asked if I was ready to solo. Of course but I need to finish preflighting as I had only checked the oil before pulling out of hanger and taxiing to fuel pump.

To my surprise he jumped in his pick and said ,"give me 3 take offs and full stop landings . I'm going out to middle of field to observe you" ,and away he went . Well to my surprise the airplane had gathered a nice layer of frost sitting out by the pump fuel in the hour since coming out of hanger. And one wing drain valve would not stop dripping after a fuel check .Surprised me as I had both wing tank valves changed out at annual and only 10 hours flight time since.

Mean while the CFI is sitting out in field waiting for me, finally after a few minutes he came back to see why I wasn't off and running . We messed with the valve till it quit leaking then turned the airplane to better face the morning sun on the wings and horizontal stabilizer. Back to office for Luke warm coffee and a bit more ground schooling time.

Finally it was thawed off and good to go . He hopped in pickup and I taxied off for first solo.

Can't say it was perfect but it was good.

Another student showed up but couldn't get his plane out of hanger , no emergency power to open his bifold doors . He hadn't taken his pre solo test yet so the CFI said if you want to solo to day you have to do the written test first . The other student was a bit taken back and surprised but agreed to "getter done".

Just as he finished the test and review the power came on . He got his Piper Lance out ,fueled ,preflight'd and away he went . CFI and I went out in middle of field to observe.

Sort of a double first for the CFI , The first time in his instructing career he soloed two students on the same day
Not bad for a Podunk boondocks airport with dwindling and aging population in North Montana.

We parked our planes side by side wind tip to wing tip on the ramp for a photo opportunity.

At 80 I am the oldest student the CFI has ever soloed .

A good day all in all.
 
Trobaugh said:
One thing that has been on my list of things to do for awhile has been to earn my Commercial certificate. I finally have the finances and time to be able to get it done! I recently passed the written and I will get to start the flying portion in August. I am very excited to be able to do this.
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Update: After a delayed checkride for weather, I am happy to report that I passed the Commercial checkride yesterday! A big shoutout to the EAA for the scholarship I was awarded to help in this endeavor. Next on my list of things to do is CFI.
 
40YearDream said:
Humbled this past Saturday on a check ride: did great on the oral, maneuvers were OK, but when it was time to fly back to the airport for landings/ pattern, nerves and an aching head resulted in some crappy flying. The DPE told me to taxi to the fuel pump after the hard landing. Then it was entirely obvious!
Can’t blame the DPE - was several poorly done piloting events. The thing hard to figure out is how I did the pattern stuff really well, just the day before!
Sigh.
Back to the instructor for some more pattern work. Got 60 days to use that ‘partial credit’ !
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Happens. Don’t let it get to you mentally. Remember, the penalty for a failed ride is just that you have to go fly some more. LOL. Terrible fate! Ha.

Trobaugh said:
Update: After a delayed checkride for weather, I am happy to report that I passed the Commercial checkride yesterday! A big shoutout to the EAA for the scholarship I was awarded to help in this endeavor. Next on my list of things to do is CFI.
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Congrats!
 
Southpaw said:
Finally it was thawed off and good to go . He hopped in pickup and I taxied off for first solo.

Can't say it was perfect but it was good.


We parked our planes side by side wind tip to wing tip on the ramp for a photo opportunity.

At 80 I am the oldest student the CFI has ever soloed .

A good day all in all.
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Congratulations! Awesome feeling isn't it?
 
I have about 20 hrs in my logbook and getting closer and closer to my first solo. But I fly with my instructor on rental plane and I sense I will pay for rental half of plane price while I reach the PPL. What if I buy my first plane after first solo? Will I be eligible to fly on it without passengers and instructor? Hope to build my hrs on it much more effective than on rental plane. Will this scenario work?
 
Gino Shtirlits said:
I have about 20 hrs in my logbook and getting closer and closer to my first solo. But I fly with my instructor on rental plane and I sense I will pay for rental half of plane price while I reach the PPL. What if I buy my first plane after first solo? Will I be eligible to fly on it without passengers and instructor? Hope to build my hrs on it much more effective than on rental plane. Will this scenario work?
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The FAA doesn’t care which airplane you fly when training, as long as your instructor is comfortable teaching in it and signs you off for solo in it, etc. Like any other airplane.

Your insurance company may charge extra or have limitations on flying solo, depending on what aircraft you purchase. You’ll have to research that on your own. Your instructor should be able to assist.
 
Passed IR practical exam this morning/afternoon. Did well enough on the oral portion to move on to the flying portion. Nailed partial panel, all three approaches and the hold. All credit due to the teaching and patience of my CFII who got me to the point where this was like falling off a barstool. Still processing it. Hardest thing I have done since private. Maybe harder in terms of material to study. I was way overprepared. Like I said, I am still processing it.
 
I had an awesome weekend - I got to go flying twice in a row!!!

Yesterday was a great weather day - hardly any wind and beautiful blue sky. I got to the airport just as another of my instructor's students was getting ready to solo, which was super cool to get to watch! After he got done, I did some landing practice - we worked on short and soft field take-offs and landing. Short field takeoffs are so much fun. LOL I was finally getting my groove back for the last couple - definitely some rust there!

Today it was windier, but still clear skies - after a couple of weeks of low clouds, it was awesome to see the sun again! Going through the ACS this week, I realized that I'd somehow made it all this way without doing any ground reference maneuvers, so we went up for some s-turns across a road, turns around a point and emergency procedures practice. That was a fun, fun lesson! I probably enjoyed the maneuvers more than I would have if I'd done them earlier because I'm very familiar now with how to make the airplane do what I want it to do so it wasn't that hard. I did pretty great with the s-turns - my instructor asked if I was sure I'd never done them before, so I guess they were pretty good. :) I was too close to my point at first for the turns around a point, but that's easily fixable with a little more practice. Coming back to the airport, I did twoish landings - the (direct) crosswind was up to 10 kts by the time we got back. The first one I bounced trying to keep up with the crosswind (and not succeeding...), so I think that should count for two right there... ;) I did one more short field takeoff, and then came down for an absolutely beautiful crosswind (complete with touchdown on one wheel first!) short field landing. It felt AWESOME and my instructor was very impressed! It was a great way to finish up my lesson. :)
 
I just got home from my favorite lesson so far. I was 9.9 hours in prior to today and was working with my backup instructor (my primary is on vacation for the holidays). First time working with this CFI and he got the joy of teaching me how to land. On my first one, I bounced and almost did a go-around, but didn't bounce significantly enough where I thought I couldn't recover it, so I just corrected and landed. The second and third ones were split between rounding out too high and too low. For the next 5, my CFI rated at 8 or 9 out of 10 each time. It was in a Class D with a moderately busy pattern, so we had to extend upwind a couple of times, downwind downwind a couple of times, change from a right pattern to a left pattern on the other parallel runway, and lots of #2 or #3 behind traffic. I wasn't sure how I'd do with the task management, but I'm actually very happy with it. I only got confused on radios once when Tower told me to extend my crosswind and that he'd call my downwind. Once I read that back to him, very confused, he apologized and meant that he'd call my base. Unfortunately, I was on upwind still and now was confused about the instructions, so I gracefully bowed out to let my CFI read back and then explain to me what just happened.

All-in-all, awesome day!
 
Online ground school student via Checkride Prep LLC. Hoping to continue my training at DuPage Airport (KDPA) in West Chicago, IL.
 
Well I'm almost done!!! All my solo work is complete and I'm still under 50 hours. I'll probably finish around there. Hoping to be check ready by mid-Jan given the holidays. Any advice on what to do at the end of your training?
 
Trogdor said:
Well I'm almost done!!! All my solo work is complete and I'm still under 50 hours. I'll probably finish around there. Hoping to be check ready by mid-Jan given the holidays. Any advice on what to do at the end of your training?
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Study until you dream about aerodynamics and required inspections. ;)
Go over your ground school material.
Read the ACS a couple million times.
Don't freak out?

This is me right now - almost done, checkride scheduled for mid-January. It's really exciting! :)
 
I'm sorry to hear that. Just go back. You will get it done.
 
David Seiler said:
73 hours into this adventure over the last 10+year. But 27 hours this year. Made it through 2 milestones on this run. 1. I passed my written (1st try) and 2. have completed my first XC. This is the first time I really feel like I can “get’r done“.
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Update..... passed my check ride and got my certificate last week. I took my first trip with a passenger (my son)
This has been a long road... enjoying the privilege.
 
Finally getting a chance to get started on my PPL. Had my first flight a few weeks ago and now waiting on my instructor to get home from vacation. Plan on flying 2 to 3 times a week. Super excited!
 
I've been lurking for a while, but decided to go ahead and participate in the forum, since I've found a lot of helpful information in here. I started on my PPL in late August, flying out of Abilene, Texas. On November 7, I soloed in a 172. In the meantime, I had been shopping for a 182, and I bought one at the end of October. As soon as I had soloed in the 172, we switched over to the 182 and I started learning it. I re-soloed in the 182 in early December, and then flew my first solo XC a few days later. To complete the check ride requirements, I have one solo XC left to do, I need 0.3 of IFR, and a little more work on short and soft field takeoffs and landings. It looks like good weather is coming this weekend, so I'm hoping I can finish those requirements soon. I am still in shock that I am flying...
 
Finally began the PPL odyssey last November; I am now 15 hours into it. Flying out of Redlands, CA (KREI) in a Skipper 77 and having lots of fun. I am curious if others are spending much time with FS2020 or XP11.
 
I got my written test done the other day (92%) and then crossed my fingers for the weather to clear up. It was beautiful VFR at my house and LIFR 15nm north where my flight school is located. After some weather discussion with my CFI, we decided to gamble on proceeding anyway. We did a quick review of what I missed on the written test and then he filed an IFR flight plan to fly down to the airport by my house as I knew the conditions there were good. As we were getting ready to get the clearance, the tower's beacon was still on, but they said it was now VFR so we ended up not picking up the clearance and just doing pattern work there instead. It was still a bit foggy and the sun was peaking through enough to give some glare, but that was actually pretty helpful with giving me some experience under less-than-ideal visibility conditions. After the debrief, my CFI sent me home with a pre-solo exam. Now I just have to get through another week of work without continuously being distracted by aviation stuff and then next weekend, or the weekend after (gotta love weather), could end up being my first solo.
 
Well, new here and mama gave me the go ahead... So here we go!!! I will be hitting the airport tomorrow and doing a little research!! Luckily it is about 10 miles away... Hoping things work out, and this time next year I'll be in the air SOLO!! Time will only tell....
I'll keep you posted,
Joe
 
Hey all! New here, recently passed my PPL checkride starting soon ground school for IR. Happy to be a part of this big community! Happy new year all!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk
 
Flew for the first time in almost a month last night - finally got my 100nm night cross country done!! It took three months and 17 tries to get me, my instructor, the plane, and the weather to line up, but we got 'er done! It was absolutely pitch black, thanks to no moon, a cloud layer waaay up high and very few lights on the ground. It's weird when you have no horizon outside! I realized just how much I usually use visual clues to help me stay on course/maintain wind correction - usually it's super simple to just fly the heading, but I kept wandering 5-10* off which I found quite frustrating. When I didn't have the foggles on, it was beautiful, though! :) And amazingly, even though it is January, it was above freezing! LOL

Now, I'm just hoping and praying for at least two good weather days to go up and finish the hour of review I have left and get some maneuver practice hammered out before my checkride. And for a good weather day on my checkride! :)
 
WDD said:
You did the student long X country at night? Wow. Congrats on just that !
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It was just the 100nm night xc - I think everyone has to do it? Am I wrong? Now I'm confused. LOL
 
My bad. I read too fast and thought it was your long solo. Yes - all students do the 100 nm night flight with CFI.

But hey congrats still on moving the ball!

As hard as check rides are to schedule I’d go ahead and schedule that.
 
Well I’ve read so many good stories here, I might as well jump in. I started my flight training around mid august last year (2020) after a LONG road getting my medical...I’ve been most active on the medical forums but love to see how everyone else progresses on with their training. I got my PPL on Halloween after a number of discontinuance due to weather. I feel everyone’s pain who has to go through that.

I started instrument right away after that. Because I’m doing my training part 141, and I had discontinuance with my PPL, I was 3 weeks late getting into my Instrument course through my college(Liberty). This was already an 8 week accelerated course. My choices were to postpone any IFR training until January (next semester), or try and squeeze all of my instrument training into 5 weeks. Well, I was not about to wait 2+ months to continue my flight training so I opted to try and get it done in 5 weeks. Instrument is a lot of brain work, and for me, made for a lot of days where my brain was fried. I was flying 5-8 times a week trying to learn everything. I took my written test in the beginning of December and passed with an 87. I was disappointed in that score but it was good enough to move forward. I actually completed all of my training requirements before my semester ended but I had to file an extension because getting a DPE scheduled and having the weather cooperate in December in Pennsylvania was a bit tough.

I was able to take my IFR check ride on December 30th and passed. Now on to commercial which actually starts tomorrow. I have roughly 108 hours logged total time at this point and I am loving it!
 
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