An old guy finally learns to fly

Good job Okie, sounds like an awesome day. You will have that ticket in no time!! I went up tonight for my first night flight. It was pretty amazing. We had to wait out some weather before we launched, but it was good when we did. I did 7 landings at 3 different fields. Had a light gun demo at the class Delta and did a no landing light landing also. Things are moving pretty fast now. My instructor told me to get out and do some solo flying, tighten up maneuvers. Next week we will do my night XC. Good times!!
 
Hank S said:
it's only a numbers game to you, your CFI will sign you off for the checkride only when satisfied that you are ready
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I get that and completely understand. But for me it's completing all the time elements so I can focus on the test prep work. If I take my check ride at 45 or 65 it doesn't matter to me as long as I'm showing progress.
 
OkieAviator said:
I get that and completely understand. But for me it's completing all the time elements so I can focus on the test prep work. If I take my check ride at 45 or 65 it doesn't matter to me as long as I'm showing progress.
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Every flight is progress and teaches something, even long after the checkride. ;)
 
Supposed to do my night XC tonight but the weather isn't cooperating so far. This slow moving front moving trough the south. I hoping for the best but expecting to scratch it.


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Welp, not happening. We are going to try again Monday. Bummer.


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Crappy weather here too. Flew on Monday but the rest of the week has sucked.
 
Yeah, was gonna go Monday but the airplane is down for its 100 hour inspection Monday and Tuesday. Someone else has it Wednesday. Looks like Thursday, weather permitting. I am supposed to do my first solo XC next weekend, so I hope it all works out.


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You are 3 years younger than I. I am NOT OLD. Therefore you are not old. Got it?
 
OkieAviator said:
I get that and completely understand. But for me it's completing all the time elements so I can focus on the test prep work. If I take my check ride at 45 or 65 it doesn't matter to me as long as I'm showing progress.
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You are right to track and monitor your own progress and question lack of bureaucratic process after you honestly can assess performance of prior tasks to PTS standards. Flight training is a building block process and moving on to some things before the fundamental prerequisite skills are sufficiently developed is counter productive time, effort, and cost wise. That said, there are enough leeches in the industry that for me to tell you that you aren't going to get milked would be a lie. So yes, keep track, but also be completely honest and objective in your self evaluation. In fact, in your entire aviation career you must be brutally honest with your self assessments. That is the only way one learns everything to be learned from experience, that is how you survive aviation.

In the end, it is your training to manage, you do what you feel serves you best. The CFI can only guide you through the process, the learning is up to you.
 
OkieAviator said:
Did quite a bit of flying today mostly by GPS. I tracked fuels consumption through total flying time but kept course heading through the GPS. I had a sectional on hand if something went wrong with the GPS.

Did my long solo XC with 3 stops, 169NM total in both C & D airspace. That left me with .7 hours required for solo XC time so I went ahead and did a fairly quick 117NM flight. After some more night time and some simulated instruments all that I have required to do is the practical practice. I'm still short by about 5 hours of the required 40 hours so I have some time left still.
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Do you not have a proper fuel totalizer? I swear I don't know how people fly without one.:nonod: It came with my Travelair and I've put it on every plane since. I get information that is accurate to within a quart a full tank range flight, and I end up a quart high. Even the Ag Cat got one. Such critical information to have accurate knowledge of. When tied to the GPS I get a warning when conditions change and I can't make my destination with preset reserves. That is what technology buys you, accurate information easily and instantly accessed.
 
Mike,

Good job so far!

If you have a chance, try to include Copperhill, TN (1A3) among your planned destinations.

You can get a tiny bit of "mountain" experience, and maybe get a lunch out of it as well!

I'm 65, but got a slightly earlier start, earning my private at 25. Right now just flying Light Sport, sans medical, and loving it!
 
Henning said:
In the end, it is your training to manage, you do what you feel serves you best. The CFI can only guide you through the process, the learning is up to you.
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That's a good way to put it. I've taken an active role in my lesson/flight planning but in a way that's not overbearing on the CFIs. I'm probably more suited as a 141 student but since I'm not doing this for a career and I needed some flexibility the 61 training seemed more appropriate.

Henning said:
Do you not have a proper fuel totalizer?
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Nope, it's a rental and doesn't have one. Since I'm still training I'm using the E6B, POH and Nav Log to track fuel :)
 
OkieAviator said:
That's a good way to put it. I've taken an active role in my lesson/flight planning but in a way that's not overbearing on the CFIs. I'm probably more suited as a 141 student but since I'm not doing this for a career and I needed some flexibility the 61 training seemed more appropriate.



Nope, it's a rental and doesn't have one. Since I'm still training I'm using the E6B, POH and Nav Log to track fuel :)
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Yeah, you need to know it, but if/when you buy a plane, it's the first thing to add if it doesn't have it already.
 
I got my PPL in the early 90's while I was in my late 30's. Life happened and I didn't fly for
almost 18 years, but I'm back just passed my BFR (Bi-annual Fight Review) in my late 50's.
Mike you will never find a more helpful group of people on pilots. I think it's because. We all started in the same place, straight & level, turns, stalls, etc so everybody brings understanding.
 
Henning said:
Yeah, you need to know it, but if/when you buy a plane, it's the first thing to add if it doesn't have it already.
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Too late! However the plane is going in next week to the Avionics shop and getting an overhaul. With that is a Garmin 650 which has a fuel flow reading.
 
Night XC last night. It was a blast. Short solo XC this weekend, I'm a little nervous for that, but it will be fine. It really seems to be speeding up now.


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I am set for my short solo XC this Sunday. Already did my long solo XC. Doing my night XC in a couple of weeks. After that I have a bit more hood time to do, then just tightening up all my maneuvers to PTS.

-Brian
 
B17Rex said:
I am set for my short solo XC this Sunday. Already did my long solo XC. Doing my night XC in a couple of weeks. After that I have a bit more hood time to do, then just tightening up all my maneuvers to PTS.

-Brian
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Funny how different instructors do things.
 
mikeinbama said:
Funny how different instructors do things.
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Yeah. I thought it was weird to do the long solo XC first too, but my instructor wanted it that way since we flew the dual XC the day before so everything would fresh.

Also, my long solo XC was my first time out of the pattern solo. Only prior solo experience was my first three trips around the pattern! Was a bit nervous, but the flight went just about perfect.

-Brian
 
mikeinbama said:
Night XC last night. It was a blast. Short solo XC this weekend, I'm a little nervous for that, but it will be fine. It really seems to be speeding up now.
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Once you start doing the XC Flights it just zooms by. Was just told a few hours ago my next flight will be an End of Course (EOC) flight with a CFI I've never flown with before. Since it will be a mock oral and practical flight will be pushing that off until next week so I can keep studying while I'm on travel next week.
 
First solo XC tomorrow. The forecast looks good. I am both excited and nervous. I know I am ready, but still. I am flying the same route that I did my dual.
 
mikeinbama said:
First solo XC tomorrow. The forecast looks good. I am both excited and nervous. I know I am ready, but still. I am flying the same route that I did my dual.
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Nice!

If weather cooperates tomorrow, I am doing my short XC. Then next Friday do some night time take offs and landings, then the following Friday do my night XC to John Wayne.

-Brian
 
jsterner said:
Mike, looking at your avatar you aren't even close to being an OLD guy. I'm 78 and after 49 yrs away from flying recently got my medical, renewed my PPL and checked out for solo. It is great and you won't regret it.


Jerry
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Well done Jerry! I can only hope to pass my medical at 78. :cheers:
 
Hey, just got my PPL three weeks ago, after starting two years ago at the age of 40. My first post-checkride flight took my wife up. What a joy to share with her the support that she had for me in the journey.

Enjoy the ride!
 
OkieAviator said:
Too late! However the plane is going in next week to the Avionics shop and getting an overhaul. With that is a Garmin 650 which has a fuel flow reading.
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Does it come with the transducer, or just a display of the info input from a separate fuel totalizer unit? My 430w had a fuel display, but it required a third party input.
 
XC is done. All went well, I hit all my checkpoints within a couple of minutes. Had a couple of radio things come up that I had never heard before, but I rolled with it and it was fine. Don't know if anyone here has ever landed at ALX, But runway 36 runs uphill and it has a bit of a swag past the numbers. It creates an illusion of being too low, so naturally, I flared too high and dropped it in, but the plane was still flyable....lol. It was hazy as usual in Alabama this time of year, a few clouds were building as I headed home and I had to drop down below them and it got pretty bumpy the last 15 miles or so. All in all it was a great day. I took a flying machine, put it in the air, navigated about 175nm, brought it home safely and the plane and I are both good to fly again. Next week will be my long XC. @ 250nm or so, some class D and a TFR for a ball game to navigate. It should be fun.
 
GJ Mike! That's some good amount of flying. As someone else put on this forum, doing a solo XC makes you feel like a 'real' pilot. The more you go up the easier it seems to get, might be the more relaxed you get.

Henning said:
Does it come with the transducer, or just a display of the info input from a separate fuel totalizer unit? My 430w had a fuel display, but it required a third party input.
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Not 100% sure. I'll ask my plane partner.
 
Congrats, Mike! Just a little more to go. Cross-country is what flying is all about. Guess I really can tell about you by hearing you on the radio.

Good to meet you Saturday. The flight home was fast and smooth, and the clouds were nicely broken up by then. Yell when you come to town, we'll work in a flight.
 
Thanks everyone. Hank, it was nice meeting you too. I will certainly let you know when I come your way, I would love a ride in your airplane, it is a nice one!! Well, no rest for the weary. My instructor told me to plan another XC for next Saturday, 1A9-CSG-LCG-SCD-1A9, 206nm. Some class D, some dodging stadium TFR's, but looks like fun. After this XC, I will need some landings at a towered field, one hour of simulated instruments and one night landing to have requirements done. Then it's just getting ready for the ride. Today, I have 28 hours.


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As long as no one is sick and the plane is OK, the weather will eventually clear up.

At least you have two trips all planned out, in different directions for weather.
 
Sorry Mike. Its such a planning process and a drive for me to fly it stinks when they don't work out.
 
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