Getting started... Best tip?

cipio

cipio

Pre-takeoff checklist
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TL;DR: What's your single best tip for a brand new Pilot in Training?

(Collective tips at the bottom of this post)

Hey everyone....just a quick post to kick off my adventures on the forum. I am a new PPL trainee...still waiting to hear from a prospective instructor, but just joined the local aero club with the goal of a PPL in hopefully about 6 months.

I've been active in the RC modeling community, and built up a pretty decent presence (YouTube/Facebook/Google+) doing instructional/build/demonstration videos over the last couple of years. However, I'm just getting started in the full scale aviation community, so still trying to navigate the online waters. I figured jumping into POA is the place to get engaged. Seems like a lot of great info here!

I tend to "give back" in everything I do...since I do a LOT of learning on my own through the support of forums like this and YouTube videos, so my plan is to do the same thing with my journey to obtaining a PPL. I set up a brand new YouTube channel (with a whopping one video so far, LOL) and a new website to start chronicling my training progress. I'm hopeful that others looking to get started, and don't know how or just want some additional info from someone going through it as well.

So after about 6 months of research and calculator smoke, I've decided to join the local aero club, and take advantage of their low C152 rental rates and ridiculously low instructor rates. I am a very motivated self-learner, so I am working on the ground-school and aviation knowledge stuff as much as I can on my own. That should make the instructor time much more efficient.

I feel like I have a pretty good handle on just about everything, but there's always a chance that I missed something I should be paying attention to, or an opportunity to learn from someone else's experience.

What's your single best tip for a brand new Pilot in Training?

I'll see how I am doing so far! ;-)

Thanks...and fly safe.

==================================================
Thanks for all the great feedback. Here are the tips, in no particular order, hopefully properly consolidated.


  • Start with a Discovery Flight
  • Fly as often as possible
  • Read Stick and Rudder
  • Find a good CFI
  • Trim in flight whenever possible
  • Make sure you are good on 3rd class med requirements BEFORE applying
  • Study and prepare before each flight
  • Enjoy the process!
  • Schedule extra lessons for bad weather backup sessions
  • Fly the airplane!
  • Read Airplane Flying Handbook
  • Read Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
  • Land slowly! (proper speed for your conditions)
  • Take control of the airplane...sometimes you need finesse, sometimes muscle.
  • For landing in crosswinds, mentally plan to use rudder to align with centerline, and ailerons to move side to side across the runway
  • Always land on the centerline even if you don't think you have to
  • Win the lottery, AKA need more money! ;-)
  • Budget more than you need
  • Fight through the plateaus - persevere -- don't quit
  • Stay off of PC flight simulators without your CFI there to help interpret or focus the simulation
  • Have fun!
  • Don't use the same old tired aviation quotes in your sig. ;-)
  • Fly at least 2-3 times per week
  • trim for airspeed, power for altitude adjustments
  • A private pilots certificate is just the license to learn how to be a pilot
  • train at a controlled airport or with controllers when possible
  • become intimate with all of the scenarios from the emergency checklists
  • Be smooth, but be positive with the controls.
  • Always respect the weather.
  • Do your homework
  • Get your medical after a few hours spent flying dual
  • A-N-C: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
  • Don't be in a hurry. If you feel you're rushing through things, slow down and get it right.
I think that about sums it up! Thanks. This is now a great reference as I get started in my training.
 
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Find a good CFI, ask around at your local airport, on forms (also check out backcountrypilot.org ), your CFI is the single most important thing in your training.
 
I can only give you ONE?

Okay, TRIM! Trim for level flight, trim for approach speed, trim for climbout...... it is only one tiny tip, but it will help you.
 
Spend less time on Facebook, YouTube, Google etc and more time flying.
 
Welcome POA! 1st, make sure you are going to be good with your 3rd class medical requirements and don't apply for it until you are certain. 2nd, don't dilly dally with the training, try to fly 2-3 times per week and you will save money, you will be much more in the game mentally and progress through the training much quicker.
 
Do a discovery flighti f you haven't already. It can count towards your flight training at a highly discounted price and I pretty much agree with what Jason said.
 
eman1200 said:
Spend less time on Facebook, YouTube, Google etc and more time flying.
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Quit my job, too? :)

My plan for training is minimum 2 flights per week. More if it works, but hoping for no less than two. I think that's a reasonable expectation. That doesn't of course include the many hours of couch flying and hangar talk, which imho, is very helpful for getting concepts to sink in.
 
dtuuri said:
Read the Introduction for Stick and Rudder and take it to heart.

dtuuri
Click to expand...

I actually replied to this earlier..but I think it is still stuck in moderator jail!

Great book. I own it!
 
James331 said:
Find a good CFI, ask around at your local airport, on forms (also check out backcountrypilot.org ), your CFI is the single most important thing in your training.
Click to expand...

That's the one variable I haven't completely resolved. Flying with a club, they attempt to match you to a CFI, based on scheduling requirements and hopefully personality, etc. I'm waiting to see who they identify so that I can meet them and then determine if they are a good fit for me. If not, I am prepared to ask for another option. They don't start this process until after you join. That was actually something that bothered me, because I wanted to join AFTER I found a CFI. Oh well... I understand why they do it this way.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I can only give you ONE?

Okay, TRIM! Trim for level flight, trim for approach speed, trim for climbout...... it is only one tiny tip, but it will help you.
Click to expand...

Nice...okay. That's something I will have to work to incorporate. That's one of the things that's hard to work on beforehand! ;-)
 
JasonM said:
Welcome POA! 1st, make sure you are going to be good with your 3rd class medical requirements and don't apply for it until you are certain. 2nd, don't dilly dally with the training, try to fly 2-3 times per week and you will save money, you will be much more in the game mentally and progress through the training much quicker.
Click to expand...

Good tip! I just went and looked through the regs on the medical, and I should be good to go. I could see where failing a medical (while not entirely a dead end) could certainly complicate things.

As far as the training...I am with you on that. I have already set aside more funds than I expect to spend so that I don't run out near the end.
 
jordane93 said:
Do a discovery flighti f you haven't already. It can count towards your flight training at a highly discounted price and I pretty much agree with what Jason said.
Click to expand...

Check! I have exactly 0.8 hours in my log book from a discovery flight that I took in November. That's actually the moment that I was certain that this was something I wanted to pursue, and I've been walking that out every since. Waiting until now to start the training is a combination of:

1. Optimal weather/daylight
2. Wife approval/support --> primarily with regard to:
3. Time availability
4. Financial ability.
 
Thanks for all of the great feedback so far. I've started to compile the tips at the end of the first post as an easy reference to those who are coming here to read them!

Let me know if I missed anything.
 
I agree with all of the above advice. I would add to fly as often as you can and if the weather is not always good where you are, schedule an extra lesson each week so you don't miss out too much due to weather.

Don't be too focused on getting to solo, etc. in X hours, just enjoy that you are learning to fly!

Try to be as prepared as possible prior to your flights, study, study study!
 
cipio said:
Nice...okay. That's something I will have to work to incorporate. That's one of the things that's hard to work on beforehand! ;-)
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Don't worry too much about trimming at his point, in the C152 or most 2 place trainers it isn't all that important. Once it's trimmed for hands off in level cruise you could just about forget about the trim wheel and get by pretty good. The importance of trimming becomes obvious only after you get into larger and heavier airplanes.
 
peerlesscowboy said:
Don't worry too much about trimming at his point, in the C152 or most 2 place trainers it isn't all that important. Once it's trimmed for hands off in level cruise you could just about forget about the trim wheel and get by pretty good. The importance of trimming becomes obvious only after you get into larger and heavier airplanes.
Click to expand...

Bad advice. Law of primacy, John.

Bob Gardner
 
cipio said:
Check! I have exactly 0.8 hours in my log book from a discovery flight that I took in November. That's actually the moment that I was certain that this was something I wanted to pursue, and I've been walking that out every since. Waiting until now to start the training is a combination of:

1. Optimal weather/daylight
2. Wife approval/support --> primarily with regard to:
3. Time availability
4. Financial ability.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have a good plan! If you want to get a head start on reading, you can always take a look at the free FAA publications online like the Airplane Flying Handbook and the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.
 
The best tip?

Fly. You're over-thinking it.

Get in an airplane. Just do it. Never let doing it "best" get in the way of doing it at all.
 
Since landing is the hardest thing a PPL student does (in my opinion), I've got a tip for your landings:

Land slowly!

There are lots of details you'll work out with your instructor, but a lot of otherwise decent CFIs allow their students to add 5 or 10 or 15 knots to their approach speeds, and this causes lots of problems. Make sure your CFI has a specific conversation with you about approach speed, and it doesn't hurt for both of you to pull out the POH and look at the recommended speeds.

"A good landing is a slow landing." - Bob Gardner (hope I got that right)

More than anything else, this made the difference in the quality of my landings.
 
asechrest said:
There are lots of details you'll work out with your instructor, but a lot of otherwise decent CFIs allow their students to add 5 or 10 or 15 knots to their approach speeds, and this causes lots of problems.
Click to expand...

This is the one thing I wish my instructor had done. It took a long time for me to figure it out on my own. Energy management in the approach phase in its entirety was actually fairly neglected.

That being said, I still think he was a fantastic instructor.
 
asechrest said:
Land slowly!
Click to expand...

This is wildly premature for a student with less than an hour and one lesson.

But, the correct advise is to approach and land at the correct speed. In many cases, that does mean slower than you would think, but it is not good to overdo that.

The manuals do say to approach at, say, 60-70 knots. Unless there are some gusty winds around, 60 knots is the better speed. But not 55 (at least, not for a beginner).

There is lots of advice to offer in this field. The only timely advise so far is to just get in the $#@% airplane. You gotta do that before you do any of the other stuff mentioned here.
 
MAKG1 said:
This is wildly premature for a student with less than an hour and one lesson.

But, the correct advise is to approach and land at the correct speed. In many cases, that does mean slower than you would think, but it is not good to overdo that.

The manuals do say to approach at, say, 60-70 knots. Unless there are some gusty winds around, 60 knots is the better speed. But not 55 (at least, not for a beginner).

There is lots of advice to offer in this field. The only timely advise so far is to just get in the $#@% airplane. You gotta do that before you do any of the other stuff mentioned here.
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I don't consider it premature. It's just a few weeks away, perhaps, maybe less if the CFI has him thinking about landing before actually having him fly it all the way down. Plus, you guys took all the other advice. :)

The rest of your post is nitpicky, but not incorrect. I did say there were plenty of details to work out with the CFI.
 
Here is another Tip. There will be a time when you will be wanting to land the airplane without your CFI helping. Make that airplane your B*TCH. What I mean by that, is take control, put some muscle into them legs, grab the horns and give it hell!!!!!!!!!! I am being serious. Don't act lazy and expect the airplane to land itself nor be afraid to make it do what you want it to do. :)
 
For landing in crosswinds, mentally plan to use rudder to align with centerline, and ailerons to move side to side across the runway. Keep that in your mind until you taxi clear of the runway.

Trim is important no matter what aircraft you fly. Can you fly a 152 without trimming?. Sure, but it's not the right way and will only create issues later.

If you are training on a large runway, always land on the centerline even if you don't think you have to. One day, in a small runway, it _will_ matter. If the centerline is not somewhere between the mains (hopefully dead center), the landing is not acceptable.
 
1) Fly the plane. Above all else, just fly the d*** plane.

Forget theory, instruments, CFIs, regs, the engine catching fire, whatever- just fly the plane.
 
1. Budget 50% more than your highest estimate. Spend the change on a "I passed my checkride" debauch. Sometimes even a single can of PBR can be a "debauch", it's all about keeping the pilot mindset. :D

2. You're likely to plateau at least once and probably 3-4x in your training. Stick with it. Tell your CFI if you're getting frustrated, there is plenty to learn, hone, or refine -- no point staying in the quicksand. Sometimes a completely unrelated "ah ha" moment will help with a struggle elsewhere in the syllabus.

3. For Private Pilot, stay off of PC flight simulators without your CFI there to help interpret or focus the simulation. For some reason I get trainees who are Flight Sim nuts and their rudder skills are completely goofy -- even the ones with pedals on their sim rig.

4. Don't forget to have fun. It's work. It's brain-melting. It's exhausting. It's expensive. It's also a skill few have and it's good for life. The juice is worth the squeeze. Keep the long view. Smile. It's so much better up there than down here..

5. Even other pilots roll their eyes at that "for once you have tasted flight..." da Vinci quote. Find an obscure one to use initially, and use the da Vinci only in case of irony. :D
 
Don't put too much stock in advice on technique from self appointed internet "experts".
As for a "tip" or perhaps a couple of "tips";
#1...choose a good instructor and BTW one that you can get along with on a personal basis, you'll be spending a lot of time together.
#2...try to budget your time and money to schedule at least 2 or 3 lessons per week for the duration, less than that and you'll spend too much time re-learning what you should have retained from the previous lesson.
 
Remember this one thing, and your learning experience will be much easier. Every time you target a new airspeed, trim for that airspeed. If the plane is climbing/sinking more or less than you desire, change your power setting. Never hold elevator pressure to maintain anything, you only apply transitional and temporary pressures. (I even spin the trim doing steep turns.)
 
Can I just add that perseverance is key. You'll feel like giving the whole thing up, once or twice, um, maybe more, but if you can just carry on, you will be rewarded! There's a ton of help out there, in here, in books, online. Be patient, have fun, and keep your eye on the prize! The day you can say you're a pilot, well, that's cool.
 
Thanks much for all of the great tips. I will consolidate in post #1 tomorrow when I have a few minutes.
 
A few,

1. A private pilots certificate is just the license to learn how to be a pilot.

2. If you will not train at a controlled airport or with controllers, seek them out. Mic fright is a real thing, and the more you talk on the radio, the more comfortable you will be after you get your shirt cut.

3. Before you even start the engine, become intimate with all of the scenarios from the emergency checklists. More than one plane has burned up on the ramp during startup, and when the fan stops 100 ft above the runway during takeoff, it's way too late to freshen up on procedures. V speeds should be memorized or at least posted conveniently in the cockpit (not on the checklist that is wedged underneath the rear seat).

4. "Sample" at least 2 CFIs. Some are just building time to move up to bigger jobs.
 
JasonM said:
Here is another Tip. There will be a time when you will be wanting to land the airplane without your CFI helping. Make that airplane your B*TCH. What I mean by that, is take control, put some muscle into them legs, grab the horns and give it hell!!!!!!!!!! I am being serious. Don't act lazy and expect the airplane to land itself nor be afraid to make it do what you want it to do. :)
Click to expand...

LOL! I've landed in some winds that were, for me & my 172, pretty challenging on days when not a lot of other pilots were flying. I don't remember if it was my CFI or a forum where I read similar, but I'll second Jim's advice. You likely won't need it now during your primary because the wx will mostly be benign, but if you keep at it you most certainly will, and it will serve you well at that point.

Last year I was landing at my home airport with a direct cross of 16 G 23 which gets my attention. I told the tower on final "if this doesn't go well, I'm headed to OSU" because it would be right into the wind up there. For his part he yawned but at least he knew what I would do next.

I readily admit the landing wasn't pretty. Probably looked hilarious from the tower cab, and might have frightened small children, but I stuck that plane on the runway and taxied off to my hangar. Was a great landing in my book. ;)
 
JasonM said:
Here is another Tip. There will be a time when you will be wanting to land the airplane without your CFI helping. Make that airplane your B*TCH. What I mean by that, is take control, put some muscle into them legs, grab the horns and give it hell!!!!!!!!!! I am being serious. Don't act lazy and expect the airplane to land itself nor be afraid to make it do what you want it to do. :)
Click to expand...

Lot of truth there. Don't be afraid to use full deflections, especially doing crosswind landings. Be smooth, but be positive with the controls.
 
JasonM said:
Here is another Tip. There will be a time when you will be wanting to land the airplane without your CFI helping. Make that airplane your B*TCH. What I mean by that, is take control, put some muscle into them legs, grab the horns and give it hell!!!!!!!!!! I am being serious. Don't act lazy and expect the airplane to land itself nor be afraid to make it do what you want it to do. :)
Click to expand...

This is one that I wish I would have had. I was much to gentle pre-solo with power changes to get myself back on the glide slope.
 
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