Zander
Filing Flight Plan
Hello to everyone!! Last week I passed my checkride!! Yippee!! This is my first official post on the forum. I have been lurking for the last 6 months or so and found lots of great information that helped me to get my certificate. I learned so much from this forum that I wanted to pass along some advice to others. I hope it is helpful!
Becoming a Private Pilot takes a great commitment of time, energy and money, but it is well worth it.
How I did it:
I took my time and proceeded at my own pace. I have always had an achievers mindset and I have been setting and achieving goals for most of my life. I start any goal by writing it down and then setting a date for achievement. When I first wrote this goal I was determined to get my certificate in 4 months maximum! (get er done!!) But, after my third or fourth lesson I realized that while I could probably accomplish my goal in 4 months, I had no reason to rush, and in all reality, I would probably benefit from a slower training pace. Also, I was having a real blast and was being challenged by the training. So, I decided to change the completion date to 1 year. I am glad that I did! It took a lot of pressure off of me and made me a better, safer, student. I was able to complete my goal in a relaxed 10 months. Now I am looking forward to planning some cool day trips....first stop : Catalina Island?!! Maybe, we'll see....:smile:
Lessons & tips:
Do your ground training work on a regular consistent schedule - ie..30 minutes per day/ 3 days per week. It is a good idea to start this a few weeks before you start flying so you are way ahead of the curve.
Buy the book " Say again please" to learn the right way to talk on the radio - that way you can focus on flying the plane and learning your maneuvers. (got that one right here!)
Pass the written exam early in your training. Complete the ground training, take a few practice tests on the internet (there are plenty of sites to do this) and then go do it.
Ask your CFI plenty of questions. Why are you learning full power and power off stalls? What is the purpose of ground reference maneuvers? Why are we practicing steep turns? Keep asking Why? The answers are important.
Learn your VOR and NavAids cold! During my checkride, I was required to track VOR's and to intercept radials. It is easy, but it takes some practice and training.
Learn your Airspace and Charts. Take a current Sectional chart and learn everything on it. Pick a random spot on the chart and have your CFI explain to you what class of airspace you are in at the surface, at 700 ft,1200 ft, at 3000 ft, 10,000 ft, at 14500 ft, at 18000 ft, etc.
Know your maneuvers and performance take offs and landings. Practice those stalls, steep turns, and ground reference maneuvers. Practice those short and soft field takeoff and landings until they are second nature. you will be required to demonstrate each of them.
Get plenty of "hood" time practice. I almost blew my checkride because of problems under the hood. I had only 3.0 hrs of training under the hood - the minimum requirement. Well, I barely kept things within the guidelines. I didn't think it was important, until I could barely hold my heading and altitude....
Focus on the JOURNEY, not the goal. Learning to fly and becoming a Private Pilot is lots and lots of fun, so relax, slow down, and enjoy the experience! I know I did!
Resources Utilized:
Becoming a Private Pilot takes a great commitment of time, energy and money, but it is well worth it.
How I did it:
I took my time and proceeded at my own pace. I have always had an achievers mindset and I have been setting and achieving goals for most of my life. I start any goal by writing it down and then setting a date for achievement. When I first wrote this goal I was determined to get my certificate in 4 months maximum! (get er done!!) But, after my third or fourth lesson I realized that while I could probably accomplish my goal in 4 months, I had no reason to rush, and in all reality, I would probably benefit from a slower training pace. Also, I was having a real blast and was being challenged by the training. So, I decided to change the completion date to 1 year. I am glad that I did! It took a lot of pressure off of me and made me a better, safer, student. I was able to complete my goal in a relaxed 10 months. Now I am looking forward to planning some cool day trips....first stop : Catalina Island?!! Maybe, we'll see....:smile:
Lessons & tips:
Do your ground training work on a regular consistent schedule - ie..30 minutes per day/ 3 days per week. It is a good idea to start this a few weeks before you start flying so you are way ahead of the curve.
Buy the book " Say again please" to learn the right way to talk on the radio - that way you can focus on flying the plane and learning your maneuvers. (got that one right here!)
Pass the written exam early in your training. Complete the ground training, take a few practice tests on the internet (there are plenty of sites to do this) and then go do it.
Ask your CFI plenty of questions. Why are you learning full power and power off stalls? What is the purpose of ground reference maneuvers? Why are we practicing steep turns? Keep asking Why? The answers are important.
Learn your VOR and NavAids cold! During my checkride, I was required to track VOR's and to intercept radials. It is easy, but it takes some practice and training.
Learn your Airspace and Charts. Take a current Sectional chart and learn everything on it. Pick a random spot on the chart and have your CFI explain to you what class of airspace you are in at the surface, at 700 ft,1200 ft, at 3000 ft, 10,000 ft, at 14500 ft, at 18000 ft, etc.
Know your maneuvers and performance take offs and landings. Practice those stalls, steep turns, and ground reference maneuvers. Practice those short and soft field takeoff and landings until they are second nature. you will be required to demonstrate each of them.
Get plenty of "hood" time practice. I almost blew my checkride because of problems under the hood. I had only 3.0 hrs of training under the hood - the minimum requirement. Well, I barely kept things within the guidelines. I didn't think it was important, until I could barely hold my heading and altitude....
Focus on the JOURNEY, not the goal. Learning to fly and becoming a Private Pilot is lots and lots of fun, so relax, slow down, and enjoy the experience! I know I did!
Resources Utilized:
- The book "Say again please" was a great help for those who are intimidated by the radio calls required. It is well laid out and I found it helped my communication and confidence tremendously.
- King Schools "get it all" pkg for VFR Private Pilot was a very effective. John and Martha King are corny as heck, but they know their stuff and you will learn and retain critical knowledge.
- Sporty's Private Pilot Oral Examination Test Prep Book.This little book is like the "Cliff's Notes" for the Oral exam, priceless.
- Practical Test Standards pamphlet - tells you exactly what to expect on your checkride. Become proficient at all of the items and your Checkride will be a cinch.
- Pilots of America Forum. Go there and read some of the threads, lots of great information.
