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

Vortex said:
How'd it go? My CFI wants to endorse me pretty soon for mine. Just did a ground lesson today going over some things, tomorrow morning we plan on maneuvers and t/o + landings. gotta wait for IACRA to send me my temp though.
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It was good. Left a busy ATL area D airport for a less busy D. Much less nervous than I expected. 3 full stop taxi backs.

Landing 1 - great
Landing 2 - ok, but it started to wheelbarrow on me, or felt like it did after well after touchdown and rolling out a little bit
Landing 3 - bounced, but held it ok, I pulled power a little early and quickly, then rounded out early, most of the ingredients to float and fall the last 5 feet.

My seat dropped down suddenly, which changed my sight picture a bit. Super fun, but lots to work on to keep getting better.
 
JacksonHandy said:
It was good. Left a busy ATL area D airport for a less busy D. Much less nervous than I expected. 3 full stop taxi backs.

Landing 1 - great
Landing 2 - ok, but it started to wheelbarrow on me, or felt like it did after well after touchdown and rolling out a little bit
Landing 3 - bounced, but held it ok, I pulled power a little early and quickly, then rounded out early, most of the ingredients to float and fall the last 5 feet.

My seat dropped down suddenly, which changed my sight picture a bit. Super fun, but lots to work on to keep getting better.
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That's awesome to hear, man! I'm going to try to record my first solo if I can snag a GoPro before then.

It's really great you know exactly how your landings went, really good to be able to reflect on that. I just hope I'm solid on my own takeoffs and landings soon!
 
Happy update! Since my last reply in January, a lot has changed.

- I finished my ground school portion, and am now gearing up for the PPL written exam.​
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- I finally got my Medical in March, after 5 months of deferral to OKC.​
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and, as of yesterday...​
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- I have completed my FIRST SOLO!​
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Onward and upward!
 
Completed a “discovery” flight yesterday but it was actually the start of my training and he logged me for an hour. Got my medical, DHS endorsements and student pilot license logged in iacra. Super windy day yesterday which made it fun.
 
Wind calmed down the last couple days. Got another 15 landings in most were decent. CFI gave me the keys this morning, did 3 more solo. Last one was a little rough as it was getting windy again but brought the plane back in one piece and flyable. lol

He signed off the solo endorsement for the local training area. Glad that part is done for now.
 
Rolled a whopping 6 hours today, boy am I hooked on this. Did 10 landings mostly on my own with some coaching as crosswind decided to come play at the end. Probably the most rewarding thing I’ve done, or at least up there.
 
XCs done, did my planning night before, and winds were a little different on the day, but all checkpoints less than 1 min off. Total fuel was right on when I stuck the tanks back home, I was kinda proud of that. 3 hr solo and .7 hood are only requirements left to meet, then it’s time to dial it in and wait for a DPE. I gotta be honest though, an hour alone doing ground reference isn’t nearly as fun as the XC stuff.
 
IFR student here.

Got my first actual IMC over the weekend, was pretty damn awesome. It was a little tougher to hand fly than under the hood even though it seems like it shouldn't be any different. Enjoyed talking to ATC "for real" this time instead of just for practice approaches. Hoping weather cooperates to get some IMC closer to mins as all the IMC was pretty much just en route.

Also my first several landings after taking the hood off at mins were absolutely terrible, it was like I completely forgot how to land. The last few flights have all been good landings though so at least I'm starting to figure out how to fly an instrument approach AND land the plane properly afterwards lol.
 
Lesson today, was basically for radio procedures into controlled airspace. Very windy/gusty most of my attention was on keeping the plane shinny side up. Made 3 out of the 4 landings ok in gusty crosswinds. CFI had to intervene on one of them. Got a gust from the left then another one from the right during flare. Would not have been able to make all the calls and changes without a second person. Actually, at times couldn't keep my fingers on the radio knobs.

Wish this weather would straighten out. He wants me to do 1 cross country now but can't in these conditions.
 
fast99 said:
Would not have been able to make all the calls and changes without a second person. Actually, at times couldn't keep my fingers on the radio knobs.
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How's that go again?

Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.
 
Half Fast said:
How's that go again?

Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.
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That's the order and what I was doing. Forecast was for wind and gusts we knew that. CFI said I needed more time in less than ideal conditions and using the radio, got both. Doing the same stops in reverse next week. Think conditions deteriorated more than he expected. Too much of my attention was focused on keeping plane upright. We tested those pesky Warrior wing bolts. lol
 
fast99 said:
Too much of my attention was focused on keeping plane upright.
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No, not if doing otherwise would have caused loss of control. Don't worry about navigating or communicating unless you have the plane 100% under control. AVIATE FIRST! The radio and nav activities can wait, and they won't be much help if you're spiraling toward the dirt.
 
Half Fast said:
No, not if doing otherwise would have caused loss of control. Don't worry about navigating or communicating unless you have the plane 100% under control. AVIATE FIRST! The radio and nav activities can wait, and they won't be much help if you're spiraling toward the dirt.
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Understand, CFI apologized at one point. This isn't flat land so there are updrafts and downdrafts as well as the base wind and gusts. Just wasn't a good learning environment. That might be why we are doing the same lap in reverse next week.

One thing that makes this easier all the controllers in this area are patient, courteous and don't get short if I forget something.
 
So, I had my commercial checkride scheduled today. The weather forecast was not good for today, but the CFI and DPE wanted to try today anyway or at least get the oral out of the way.
Well, I wasn't fond of the idea but went with it. As expected, the practical has to wait for another day, and my oral ended up being 3.5 hrs long. lol
I knew that was going to happen. I was nervous but somehow I pulled through without getting stumped on anything. Hoping the weather cooperate ls for tomorrow to do the practical.
 
Catch me flying persons or property from place to place for hire or compensation.

Commercial checkride is out of the way.





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So, update on CFII ride, wasn’t able to get it this time around. Need more practice presenting and flowing better on the material. Currently located in Conroe, TX loading a u-haul with all my family’s belonging and moving back to Boise, Idaho. Will need to revisit CFII ride at another time.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I guess I am a student again. ATP CPT starting in 2 weeks. This was just going to be a hobby.
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Hahahaha

I literally just wanted to learn how to fly an ultra light because I saw an ad for it during a football game. Here we are working towards ATP.
 
ahmad said:
Hahahaha

I literally just wanted to learn how to fly an ultra light because I saw an ad for it during a football game. Here we are working towards ATP.
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Yeah, every heroine addict started with a joint.....
:biggrin:

Good luck to both of you!
 
Getting ready to redo my EOC, to refresh my 60 days per 141 IFR course. Then hope that my check ride isn't pushed a third time for weather being of July. I should have had this rating in March.:rolleyes:
 
be
SixPapaCharlie said:
I guess I am a student again. ATP CPT starting in 2 weeks. This was just going to be a hobby.
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it will be a different way of flying if you opt for airlines.
Very regimented and standardized procedures with crew (CRM) resources management, with you may not be used to… but will get familiar with.

If you go non airline, charter, rules are all over the place.
Good luck.
 
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Yesterday was a great day.
Started the multi training. Cfi said let's just do a quick flight to get a feel for the airplane and no maneuvers. we get up and 15 minutes in he goes you are very smooth on the controls. let's do the maneuvers. so we do slow flight, stalls, turns, one engine loss etc. Then he warned me that the landings in the Seminole is usually a little hard because of weight etc. I land it with a greaser. he scratches his head and he says obviously you know what you are doing. Just need to study the material. call the dpe and find out checkride timeline.
Now my head is so huge my hat doesn't fit.
 
A question about crosswind landings. Really botched a solo crosswind landing last week. Didn't dent anything but scared the crap out of me. Went out today did a few touch and goes just to get my confidence back. Going out again next week to do a few more. CFI wants me to solo about 100 miles to a controlled airport with 5 runways that winds are almost guaranteed. Here's my question, will ATC direct me to the runway with the least crosswind?
 
fast99 said:
Here's my question, will ATC direct me to the runway with the least crosswind?
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Maybe. Will the DPE request a crosswind runway? Maybe.

I suggest you learn to handle crosswinds before your checkride.
 
Half Fast said:
Maybe. Will the DPE request a crosswind runway? Maybe.

I suggest you learn to handle crosswinds before your checkride.
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Asked the CFI for crosswind training, know it is a weak point. Wants to send me on this cross country now. Not sure I understand the thought process. Is CW and other landings like short field usually done later in training?
 
StraightnLevel said:
That sounds odd. I wasn't allowed to fly a solo cross country until after I had short & soft field landings, and I had to demonstrate them on the stage check prior to the endorsement.

Does your solo endorsement have wind restrictions?
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yes, if I am reading it right, less than 15, X wind less than 8 on last solo
 
jsstevens said:
I am signed up (and deposit paid) to get my CP-MES with Brooke’s Seaplane Service in August. Beech 18 on floats. Round engines. I’m looking forward to it!
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I am now IR current and one landing shy of passenger current in a twin as prep for this MES rating. Next month I go bac out to Jones Bros for a couple of hours in the C-185 amphib to be seaplane current as well before I show up. I'm looking forward to both!
 
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