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

Working on my PPL, solo'd in 7 hours and currently sitting at 37.2 with my Checkride scheduled for Oct. 5th. Beyond excited to get through that and started on my instrument training.
 
Learned how to fly the 7x today. Its as memorable as the first solo.
 
Weather again! Winds, this time. Long solo cross-country NOW scheduled for Wednesday, when the weather is beautiful! But, first, TOMORROW, WRITTEN TEST! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!
 
Don't sweat it, a little bit of reviewing and a good night sleep. When taking the test if you find a question that has you stumped, move on and come back to those you are not certain on. The amount of time allotted is more than enough to go back through the whole test many times. Good Luck
 
Just did my 3 point cross country today. One of my last few requirements. Which means it's starting to become real to me my License is coming soon.


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I planned my long XC two nights ago for yesterday morning. The planning took me a lot longer to do than anticipated. I was checking and re-checking. Well, the planning was all for practice. I showed up at the field at 11:00z, preflighted and went to the FBO to talk about the flight, review flight plan and prepare for the flight overall. We discussed a slew of topics and lastly we review the TAF for my departure airport at my return time. Direct crosswinds with gusts at the limits of the demonstrated cross for the aircraft. The determinate question "Great, you know the planes demonstrated limits. What are your crosswind limits?!" That sealed the no-go deal. It was a solid learning experience about making sure to cover your plan all the way to the hangar - not just the hightlights of getting to my destinations en route. My CFI did a great job. I laughed.. he asked "When are you coming home, tomorrow?"
 
Haha. Yeah I went HNB - SIV - MVN - HNB. Which is basically southern IN and part of Illinois. I had to drop from 4500 to 4000 due to clouds on my second leg and landed at MVN 190 at 10. Used 23 no issues. Heading back to HNB which is 09 - 27. My CFI said if you can land HNB you can land anywhere lol. So I had 180 at 10 after 3.5 hrs which was enough to test my 45 hours skills and used 20 degree flaps dropped that left wing and landed left wheel pulled the yoke down and boom. My last major requirement needed was now accomplished. Very satisfying and a lot of fun. Best of luck to you in your training and don't worry. It was my 3rd scheduled day. Weather interfered with the first two.


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Coming back to this thread after a while. Not officially a student pilot anymore, but always learning. Got my Instrument rating a couple months ago and passed my Commercial checkride on Saturday. Next step is my multi and CFI.
 
85% on the written, all minimum flying requirements met.

Solo practice Friday, then mock checkride/progress check with a different CFI Saturday, last check with CFI Sunday, then hopefully scheduling the checkride for the next weekend!

It's my last weekend in town, because I leave for my wedding and honeymoon after that (6 weeks off woohoo!). I wanted to finish before I left but now everything is up to how I do on the mock, and if the weather cooperates. OHHHH and it's time for the UN General Assembly AND the Pope is in town, so it's TFR city.

This is gonna be close...
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
10 hours in, PPL. The first few hours I was getting frustrated and humbled...thought it would/should come natural. Instructor said that was silly talk, that I was doing fine. Told myself if I didn't start to "get it" between 10-20 hrs that I would give it up. I'm starting to "get it" now. Awesome feeling. Feeling "connected" with the plane.
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You will have plateaus and possibly some backsliding. There are no magic number of hours. The minimum hours are not the actual hours it takes for most. The keys are patience and tenacity.
 
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I'm really new to this, actually taking my first lesson in 2 days, then another the day after that. I'm excited but am getting more nervous after reading some of the posts on this site, sounds like it'll be more difficult than I had thought!
 
Got .6 hours in the pattern, scheduled for 1+. Brought a passenger who wasn't up to it. Only got 3 landings in. Did get to do something new though, ATC didn't leave enough separation for us with runway traffic, CFI requested left 360 on final and I got to do that. Still struggling with flare timing.
 
Starting the little bit of training to knock out the ATP. Gonna try to do the single-engine along with the multi.
 
Publicly letting everyone know that TODAY, I am officially going to get off my @$$ and start "REALLY" studying for the CPL written test. Been putting this of to long.. Hopefully this will motivate me. :)
 
JasonM said:
Publicly letting everyone know that TODAY, I am officially going to get off my @$$ and start "REALLY" studying for the CPL written test. Been putting this of to long.. Hopefully this will motivate me. :)
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If you plan on getting your CFI take the CFI written as well. They are pretty much the same test
 
jordane93 said:
If you plan on getting your CFI take the CFI written as well. They are pretty much the same test
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Hadn't given that any thought. My ultimate goal is to be a CFI. You say pretty much the same.. What are the main differences? Would the study materials for CPL be sufficient to pass that test?
 
JasonM said:
Hadn't given that any thought. My ultimate goal is to be a CFI. You say pretty much the same.. What are the main differences? Would the study materials for CPL be sufficient to pass that test?
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As far as I remember the only difference between the CFI and CPL will be some questions on how to teach maneuvers. Other than that, the tests are pretty much the same. I'd say if you have the CPL study book that is sufficient enough.
 
Soloed today! Wow! Unbelievable!

Yesterday was supposed to be my solo, but I had a big RPM drop and really rough running on the run up with the right mag. When I requested to taxi back, I figured the tower thought I chickened out. My CFI is great, he wasn't going to say anything, but I figured he was thinking I backed out...I wanted to demonstrate the problem to him, the he said "lets try again tomorrow". There were a few things that just did not work yesterday and that was kind of the last sign that told me just to be patient and try the next day (got a late afternoon start due to IFR morning, one go-around I called due to slightly questionable approach that I could have possibly gotten away with, lots of traffic, coupled with the arrival of 3 military Ospreys out of nowhere on my final landing, different C-152 than I was training with, different runway than I was used to, different traffic pattern, and just being kinda exhausted.

Overnight and all day was tough. Thinking about it constantly. A mix of the feeling of going to see the dentist and Christmas morning opening presents. Finally got my 3 takes offs and landings and then was set loose.

Lots of interesting things for all solo 3 take offs and landings (full stops, taxi backs). Crossing runways holding short; requested intermediate taxiway crossing to depart, due to ground traffic; tower requesting lineup and wait; tower requesting all traffic to extend downwind half mile once (3-5 planes in the pattern;, other aircraft not complying and them getting curt tower responses; someone in front of me extending downwind WAY past anything I've ever done so my typical pattern was blown out of the water; someone turning crosswind WAY past normal and having to avoid traffic "on the fly"...head on a swivel; floating on one landing. Learned a LOT, even though I had no CFI with me. Thankfully, all of the above is stuff we either encountered in training, or was told about, or just figured out on the spot.

Wow. Just an unbelievable feeling. I thought I'd be apprehensive, or scared, but when a I was ready, I was ready. Too much fun and concentration to be scared.
 
PPL student. 65 hours in. Getting close to check ride time. Had to switch from Piper to C172 right at about 40 hours. Due to our club changing planes. But I actually like the C172 now better. Nervous about the engine out drill but I have a good instructor so will just practice practice practice. This is a great site by the way. I read the latest posts every day.
 
Started flight school in June 2013. Currently hold:

Comm helicopter
Inst helicopter
Comm SEL
Inst SEL
Comm/Inst MEL
Complex endorsement (obviously)
High performance endorsement

Finishing up CFI-A as we speak...should be doing IACRA by end of next week
 
Tfoster100 said:
PPL student. 65 hours in. Getting close to check ride time. Had to switch from Piper to C172 right at about 40 hours. Due to our club changing planes. But I actually like the C172 now better. Nervous about the engine out drill but I have a good instructor so will just practice practice practice. This is a great site by the way. I read the latest posts every day.
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I liked you better as a low wing guy!
 
31.5 hours in to my PPL training at KGMU (Greenville, SC). Just finished my night flying with my instructor, and now have to take my written exam before going on my solo cross country. Super nervous about the written, but trying to study as much as possible.

You guys are awesome. Been reading your training stories/comments all weekend.
 
Learning something new every day
Over the course of 2015 so far
- earned the right to sit in the left seat of the Grand Caravan without anyone in the right seat. Flew that thing quite a bit - Bahamas, FL, Grand Cayman
- got my Commercial AMEL
- got into the right seat of a Citation I with 9.5 hrs total multi (Van time helped a lot)
- got my 61.55 training done and added SIC privileges for CE-500 series, fly a Bravo
- wrapping up the same for CE-525, enjoying CJ1 and 2

Staying busy, learning new things. Feels good. Getting paid to do it feels double good
 
Student pilot here....2.4 hrs in three weeks so far. Weather, plane availability, and CFI availability have been a killer. Hoping the stars align and things pick up from here on out.
 
moonshine said:
Learning something new every day
Over the course of 2015 so far
- earned the right to sit in the left seat of the Grand Caravan without anyone in the right seat. Flew that thing quite a bit - Bahamas, FL, Grand Cayman
- got my Commercial AMEL
- got into the right seat of a Citation I with 9.5 hrs total multi (Van time helped a lot)
- got my 61.55 training done and added SIC privileges for CE-500 series, fly a Bravo
- wrapping up the same for CE-525, enjoying CJ1 and 2

Staying busy, learning new things. Feels good. Getting paid to do it feels double good
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It must be the C208B. I did the same thing you did. I flew the caravan and then started slipping my way into some bigger stuff. A year ago I had 500 Hrs. Today I'm flying internationally on a long range biz jet as a co pilot. Now I have nothing left to shoot for in my aviation career as far as goals.
 
Totaled my truck and got laid off all with-in the month :mad2:. Kinda grounded my training for know.
 
5.5 hrs TT
Third class medical and student license (SI) in my hot little hands today
Going up twice next week!
 
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