Last Chance to tell Ben What to do!

spiderweb

spiderweb

Final Approach
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Ben
Things are getting so busy, and this summer might be the last time I have for a long while to do some serious training. My CFI is setting up the summer training season, so he wants to know my plans. So, here's your last chance to tell Ben where to go--er, I mean, what training to take!

I'm thinking I'd either like to go for the commercial certificate or the multi. I have no aspirations of flying for a living, but I also don't have the money for a twin; thus both ratings aren't immediately necessary. I'm sure, though, that they would both do me worlds of good.
 
Why don't you take a flying vacation and just build up some hours for a while? It seems like you're training constantly. Refine what you know and then decide what direction you'd like to go.

Or get some aerobatic time. All the upsidedown folks here are starting to get me interested. :D
 
Brian Austin said:
Or get some aerobatic time. All the upsidedown folks here are starting to get me interested. :D
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One option: Take a few days and go to Chandler, AZ and go to John Walkup's school. You can get your tailwheel in the Great Lakes, do some acro, and finish it up with a spin ride in the Pitts S2C. Woohoo!!!

http://www.aerobatics.com/

(I'm sure there are lots of places closer to Baltimore but I don't know any of them so I always suggest Chandler)

Chip
 
Don't forget about Glider. Just the antidote for tons of hood work. This is all look, feel, and vario (listening to the pitch :) ).
 
Good suggestions. Interesting that no one thinks I ought to do the two things I was thinking about. I don't feel too much in need of a break between training, because training is so much fun for me. Also, I did have nearly a year between getting the private and starting the instrument.

Aerobatics is a great idea. I have done some, and my teacher is certainly qualified to put me through an aerobatics course. He has a syllabus for a basic course, but he can teach all levels. Up to now, I only know the most basic things such as two rolls and an inside loop.

I thought the commercial might be good just to get back to basics and improve on them.

Still pondering. . . .
 
gibbons said:
One option: Take a few days and go to Chandler, AZ and go to John Walkup's school. You can get your tailwheel in the Great Lakes, do some acro, and finish it up with a spin ride in the Pitts S2C. Woohoo!!!

http://www.aerobatics.com/

(I'm sure there are lots of places closer to Baltimore but I don't know any of them so I always suggest Chandler)

Chip
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I love that place. I did an hour in a Supercub there on my way to a tailwheel, only to stop to spend money on school. I'd like to pick it up again later this year, with something a little bigger, I think. I'm just too flippin' big for the Supercub.

Great people. Decent planes. LOTS of Great Lakes biplanes there.
 
Wow! Somebody doesn't like me! Another "one" star.
 
wangmyers said:
Wow! Somebody doesn't like me! Another "one" star.
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Somebody must like you... it's up to two stars now! And no, I wasn't the one to add a star, although the thought had crossed my mind... :D
 
n741dm said:
Somebody must like you... it's up to two stars now! And no, I wasn't the one to add a star, although the thought had crossed my mind... :D
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Ben, keep in mind, the 'rating' at the top of the thread is referring to the thread itself, not the initial poster. There is no accumulation of thread rating 'points' assigned to a user from anything I've seen in the admin section.*

*Disclaimer: every time I think I have this software down, Chuck jumps in and proves me wrong. Take it for what it's worth. ;)
 
LOL! I've figured out what it is--it reflects my metal prowress as the day goes by. I start at "terrible." Yes, but then I have my coffee, and I can be upgraded to good 'ol "bad." After I've taught a few students, had lunch, and had some more coffee, I eventually reach "average." HOORAY!!!
 
Brian Austin said:
Ben, keep in mind, the 'rating' at the top of the thread is referring to the thread itself, not the initial poster. There is no accumulation of thread rating 'points' assigned to a user from anything I've seen in the admin section.*
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LOL! But I'm the guy who started the thread!
 
Ben, if you can't get out and do something fun like aerobatics, taildragging or glider, go for the commercial. It's a good break from the hood work.
 
Ben, I went through the same dilema after getting my IR. I opted for the Comm because I new I wouldn't have the $ to even maintain currency in a multi let alone go anywhere. I made a spread sheet of the experience requirements compared with what I had and then spent 6 months planning flights to build the requirements (Note - it is far easier to get the night XC in during the winter than in July like I did!). So I did get flying around experience as well. During this period I also studied for, and took, the written. When ready I went to GATTS for the three day course (also got me a 400 mile XC getting there).
 
I'd also suggest something more fun like soaring, or acro. If the choice is between a multi and a commercial I suggest you make that choice based on which wojld be mroe useful in the immediate future. If you get the multi rating, you will be able to log any time in someone elses twin that they let you handle the yoke. When it comes time for you to get that Seneca you've talked about, those free hours in the logbook will be worth a lot WRT qualfying for insurance. The multi rating is almost all about flying a twin on one engine and being prepared for one to fail.

Training for the commercial means flying a bunch of maneuvers that you may or may not find interesting. The worst part is that you will have to pass a written test, something that's not required for a multi rating. That alone would probably steer me towards the multi if I had to choose between that and the commercial. Then there's the fact that you are probably going to find the instrument part of the multi checkride easier now than it will be later since your IR is fresh.
 
Something else I might consider is the fact that there are at least three multies I can rent right here at BWI--a Seneca II (not KI), an Aztec, and a C310.
 
Might consider going and getting a seaplane rating in an amphib somewhere and combining it with a commerical. I know some folks that have done that and say its just the best. Tailwheel is always a blast too or maybe soaring?
 
I do really want to do tailwheel sometime, too.
 
wangmyers said:
I do really want to do tailwheel sometime, too.
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Come out to OKV and I'll work with you on getting your tailwheel endorsement in the flight school's Champ. Rents for $60 wet and it's painted like a war bird. Loads of fun.

Another thing I strongly suggest is to get some spin training. I combined getting my spin endorsement with getting my tailwheel endorsement in a Super Decathlon @ W45 (Luray). The airport manager owns the airplane and is a CFII.

Flying a tail dragger will remind you of how important your feet are.

Greg

182RG
CFI-IA
 
wangmyers said:
LOL! I've figured out what it is--it reflects my metal prowress as the day goes by.
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So Ben - are you saying you are hard headed? :D
 
ggroves said:
Flying a tail dragger will remind you of how important your feet are.
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It's quite possible that flying a taildragger might also make your heart sing.
:)
 
ggroves said:
Come out to OKV and I'll work with you on getting your tailwheel endorsement in the flight school's Champ. Rents for $60 wet and it's painted like a war bird. Loads of fun.

Another thing I strongly suggest is to get some spin training. I combined getting my spin endorsement with getting my tailwheel endorsement in a Super Decathlon @ W45 (Luray). The airport manager owns the airplane and is a CFII.

Flying a tail dragger will remind you of how important your feet are.

Greg

182RG
CFI-IA
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Thanks, Greg, I'll keep this in mind when I do the training!
 
Diana said:
It's quite possible that flying a taildragger might also make your heart sing.
:)
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The blues maybe.;) I've heard of more taildraggers scrapping flights due to wind than nosewheelers.
 
Well, as for utility for your future since you aspire to having aviation as reliable transportation, I'd say do the multi somewhere that does it in a Seneca II. If you want to have fun, the most fun rating I've done was my Seaplane rating, lots of fun flying low and landing by boatloads of cute girls (eh, that might get you in trouble). More fun flying was in gliders.

:dance:
 
Henning said:
the most fun rating I've done was my Seaplane rating, lots of fun flying low and landing by boatloads of cute girls (eh, that might get you in trouble).

:dance:
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"I can't help it if that's the FAA-designated landing area!"
 
Ben -
For the long run, since you apparently enjoy both flying and teaching, consider going for the commercial, then the CFI. Having a CFI certificate doesn't mean that you have to earn your living at it - take Bruce C for example - but from what I've seen you can get a lot of satisfaction out of it.
For the short run, go for the taildragger endorsement.
- Richard
 
Ben,

My sense from your numerous posts is that you would really like to someday combine flying with your performance travel. Unless you can afford a multi, additional ratings don't directly get you on that path. You've discussed dispatch rates based upon aircraft, equipment, ratings, etc and seem to make realistic assessments of what it will take to get you safely from home to your destination and back. I'd agree with Brian's early response and would also suggest that you fly a lot of cross country trips. IMHO there's no other way to get the real world experience you'll need to plan and to fly or as important, to NOT fly in conjunction with your work.

There are lots of ratings ahead for you (me too). You're working hard to get the IFR rating, why not continue the additional fun but also solid work of using it to learn what you'll need in the future? Just my two cents...

David
 
Thanks Richard and David. There is a lot to think about. The good news, as I see it, is that any of those next steps--taildragger, comm, or multi--won't take as long as getting the private or IR.
 
You want advice, so here's mine: Upgrade to Com'l ASE before you go to multiengine. If you don't, you'll be stuck doing another Com'l AME check after you've done Com'l ASE. Don't try to do your first Com'l in AME, 'cause you'll have to do all that airwork stuff that's harder to do in a twin. Glider is great, but don't forget seaplanes, too! Why not try looking for a place to do your Com'l Land and Sea at the same time in a Lake or Renegade Amphibian? That's what my wife did. We got our Com'l seaplane ratings together the same weekend: me in a Champ on floats, and she in a Lake. She got her Com'l ASEL on the same checkride. We both had an absolute blast! And most water landing areas are also near lots of other cool things to do, as well. You ought to consider it. Seaplanes are just a hoot.

ej
 
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Good points. Either way I slice it, I'd have to do two comm flights whether or not I get the multi first. I think I'm now leaning towards the multi because of the "reliable transport" factor. I am a woosie, and I REALLY like the idea that, assuming I'm proficient, I never have to worry about an off-airport landing. This is my biggest fear, and a twin largely solves this problem.

But again, thanks for your thoughts. Looks like I really have to look into seaplane at some point!
 
ejborg said:
You want advice, so here's mine: Upgrade to Com'l ASE before you go to multiengine. If you don't, you'll be stuck doing another Com'l AME check after you've done Com'l ASE.
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I'm not following that. Regardless of whether or not one has a PvtAMEL when going for a CmrclASEL you are not required to upgrade the AMEL to commercial and either way you must qualify, train, and test for both commercial AMEL and ASEL separately if you want both.

ejborg said:
Don't try to do your first Com'l in AME, 'cause you'll have to do all that airwork stuff that's harder to do in a twin.
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Actually, the airwork required for the CmrclAMEL is pretty limited and for the most part does not duplicate the CmrclASEL maneuvers. These are two separate ratings with little overlap.
 
Let me try to clarify (and correct myself). The normal progression is from PVT ASEL to COMM ASEL to COMM AMEL. This is for a good reason: If you step outside that progression, say to get a PVT AMEL before getting a COMM ASEL, then you are faced with 2 COMM checkrides later -- one for ASEL and the other for AMEL (unless you just don't want them both to be at the COMM level). That's 4 checkrides to achieve the same result that could have been achieved with 3. Big bucks for a second AMEL checkride and prep.

Forget what I said about proficiency and ground reference maneuvers. The two ratings are completely different in this regard.
 
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