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

Today was a much better day than Thursday. Calm winds, a high cloud cover and low traffic on a Sunday. More hover training, setting down, lifting up and closed traffic patterns for takeoff and landing. Screwed up one time when the tower cleared me for landing but told me to approach mid field. Whoops, caught the "cleared to land" part and was about to complete the pattern when my instructor slapped me around a little. Just one more thing to concentrate on while I'm in the pattern - along with manifold pressure, airspeed and altitude (none of which want to stay in the same place for more than a second. All in all - a good day.
 
Did more pattern work trying to get the sight picture of the 172 down on landings. I am pretty confident now after 5 or 6 hours in the plane. After 40+ in the 152, I thought I'd never get the 172 down but it's working out ok.

Practice checkride Tuesday, possible real checkride on Monday.
 
My cousin recently got his pilot's license. I felt inspired and want to get one for myself. I always have loved the idea of flying as a child. :)
 
rich0 said:
Is the plane suitable for IFR at your airport? That's more of an issue if the ceilings are actually IFR. My airport only has GPS approaches and we do not have a suitable GPS in the plane to use them, so obviously we can't take off in IFR conditions if we want to land there. Aside from that the aircraft needs certain tests to be performed regularly to be used in IFR, and the instructor needs to also be current (might be an issue depending on how full-time he instructs).

The other issue with flying IFR is that you could get ground delays before taking off (wasting your time), and you're going to end up flying a route vs being able to practice arbitrary maneuvers.

I still would love to do it, but I can see why instructors don't want to make a habit out of it unless for actual IFR instruction. Even for IFR instruction it probably makes sense to start on the basics under the hood or in a sim where the instructor can give you a variety of "clearances" and such to practice on vs just spending time sitting on the ground for 40min and then flying a simple route and a straightforward approach with real ATC. Both probably have their place.

But, I'm not even a PP, let alone a CFII, so I'll defer t the experts on that...
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If they are so low you can't get back in by flying an ILS at a nearby airport and then coming home underneath, they are too low to fly a VFR lesson under the hood.
 
I'll hazard a guess that im the most novice poster on this site at this point. I've had two lessons so far. The first one was an introductory deal and hardly counts. Took first lesson with my wife as we were gonna do this together but i think we've lost her cause it freaked her out a little so im plowing ahead solo now. Ive been tearing up the books and officially have the fever now.

Biggest aggravation for me is the fact that i have to travel over an hour each way for lessons as nobody in my town gives them anymore. He will fly over and give lesson but i have to pay for the flight time which gets a little oppressive financially. You guys will have to help guide me thru this whole process over the next year or two.

What i could use advice on now is planes. As soon as im cleared to solo id like to go ahead and purchase an entry level plane. I just cant keep traveling that far to access a plane or it'll take forever to get my hours up. Ive been looking at the 172s. They seem to be very common trainer plane. I just dont know if i should buy a very basic one and then offload it in two or three years to get something more high performance or i could get a more tricked out 172 with the 180hp upgrade, g430, etc.. that might last me for a while. Just thinking out loud .
 
172 is a good choice, of course it depends what missions you will be using it for. It's a great trainer and has a decent useful load too.

Me, I'd buy the best I could afford, but there is also more to it than that. I'll let the experienced guys help you with that. It might be good to start a new thread and ask for recommendations regarding an airplane purchase.
 
south georgia david said:
Took first lesson with my wife as we were gonna do this together but i think we've lost her cause it freaked her out a little so im plowing ahead solo now.
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I'm in the same boat. Wife came along with me on a cross country flight and halfway home my instructor pulled the throttle to idle and said "You just lost your engine, land the plane." Heard a gasp in my headset, I never told her about those engine out drills and thought we actually had lost the engine. She claims she wants to come along again but hasn't yet.
 
Henning said:
If they are so low you can't get back in by flying an ILS at a nearby airport and then coming home underneath, they are too low to fly a VFR lesson under the hood.
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I've heard of this, but how do you get a clearance for it? (Assuming untowered fields and breaking out below reliable communication with approach/center?) Is it possible to get an approach clearance with "expect cancellation of IFR if no contact within 10 minutes?" So you can call them on the missed if you don't break out? Or is this something you would only do if the airports were close enough to each other that you wouldn't feel bad about claiming the approach airspace until you landed at your actual destination?
 
Leaving Texas in a few hours after doing a 10 day ifr course. Very fun and draining. Got lots of actual and lots of experience with crazy dfw airspace and radios. I passed my stage 2 checkride Sunday and was to take my checkride Monday. But...I'm going home a graduate of the school but no rating as the clouds were too low for a checkride. So I'll do it when I get home.
 
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Passed the Oral today.
When the rain stops, We Fly!
 
mcmanigle said:
I've heard of this, but how do you get a clearance for it? (Assuming untowered fields and breaking out below reliable communication with approach/center?) Is it possible to get an approach clearance with "expect cancellation of IFR if no contact within 10 minutes?" So you can call them on the missed if you don't break out? Or is this something you would only do if the airports were close enough to each other that you wouldn't feel bad about claiming the approach airspace until you landed at your actual destination?
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How would the approach clearance be terminated if you landed there (given no radio coms to cancel IFR)?
 
i only need about 40 more hours, then i start commercial training. its been pretty good. im splitting the costs with a guy in a warrior. its costing us about 65/hr wet each. the flight school says when i get my commercial license, they would like to hire me for NYC/sightseeing flights which would be a pretty sweet gig until i get my CFI and start teaching
 
Henning said:
How would the approach clearance be terminated if you landed there (given no radio coms to cancel IFR)?
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My understanding is you have to cancel by phone. You "own" the airspace until you do, and they send people looking for you if you don't...
 
mcmanigle said:
My understanding is you have to cancel by phone. You "own" the airspace until you do, and they send people looking for you if you don't...
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Interesting, I've never run into the situation before, I've always been able to cancel IFR on the radio.
 
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Waiting to get back to home base next week when I'll most likely solo. Flew out of KCHS (class C). That was insanity! C17s were doing touch and gos. Also saw a government plane doing the same (similar markings as AF1) Glad my CFI took care of the radio calls. Taking off felt really weird with the runway being as large as it was. It felt like I was levitating straight up. Went to a neighboring airport for some more landings along with engine outs on take off and landing back on the runway. Coming back to KCHS was pretty wild. Turned from base to final at 115 knots and crossed the threshold at 80+knots and no flaps. Floated as far as I could so we could clear the runway asap. If wx cooperates I'll be back out there Friday.
 
Pretty boring compared to you folks that are working on solo's, XC's, (unintentional) inverted flat spins - BUT

I just picked up my Third Class Medical Certificate

(warm beer and stale cookies will be served in the lounge)
 
I PASSED THE CHECK RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:goofy: :goofy: :goofy: :goofy: :goofy: :goofy: :goofy: :goofy:

WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
3 practice checkrides in a row cancelled due to weather. Well the 3rd is tomorrow but the forecast doesn't look good.

Instructors seem to have off all over the place the next 2 weeks and any available slots are filled with other students.

Very frustrating.
 
Originally started training back in 2001 had about 40 hours of dual time flying Cessna 152 and 172s, but then 9/11 happened which made flying around the Washington DC area close to impossible among a lot of other thing. Never really got back into it until now, so three weeks ago checked out a couple of flight schools in the area. Did not want to learn in the traditional 172, so went with a school that had an Cirrus SR-20 and an instructor that I compatible. Feel right at home with the all glass panel avionics, finally seems to me like GA technology has caught up with the current century (well aware this has little to do with actually flying an aircraft, but damn its nice). Just got back from my fourth lesson, yes it is worth the time and effort. Looking forward to completing my training, then getting right into IFR training.


Medium term goal is to purchase something like an SR20 for IFR training, longer term is to try and get into something like a Piper Matrix. But first things first, glad to have found this forum it has already helped me greatly.

Cheers
 
Been trying to get practice at a shorter runway, but haven't been signed off for additional airports & not a priority for the school.

Checkride today, and guess the only item I got dinged or failed on:mad2:? OTOH, the "simulated short field" at my home airport was great.

And the instructor "doesn't have time to fly" until Thursday:mad:.
 
Long solo xc done. Man, it was a rough flight. The entire stinkin time, I couldn't find smooth air. But I did it, the landings were all pretty decent, good fuel mgmt, radio work, etc. I'm exhausted!
 
Still waiting to do my solo xc and 2nd supervised solo. Winds have been mid-teens gusting to mid-twenties all of last week. I have lessons scheduled for Monday afternoon (3-6pm) and Friday morning (9am-noon). May also schedule a late night to do my night xc to get that out of the way.
 
eman1200 said:
Long solo xc done. Man, it was a rough flight. The entire stinkin time, I couldn't find smooth air. But I did it, the landings were all pretty decent, good fuel mgmt, radio work, etc. I'm exhausted!
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Good job. The solo is big but I think the long solo XC is bigger because it's much more than just flying the pattern.

I had a practice checkride on Thursday with an unfamilliar instructor. I pretty much nailed everything, and he said I'm ready. Going to do one more with a different instructor this wednesday and if he identifies anything I need work on, I'll go up with "my" CFI for another flight or two. If not, the checkride will be scheduled for about a week later.
 
Had my first lesson one year ago this month. Loved it. Changed jobs, starting a new career, 2 kids in private school.

Someday...
 
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