Back to training...

momalley

momalley

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
718
Location
Floral Park, NY (FRG)
Display Name
Display name:
momalley
I have my 1st lesson scheduled for Monday at noon after an 11 year hiatus from training. I had about 13 hours in the book before I stopped. I already have my medical in hand, written scheduled for 9/13 (my 37th birthday) and $10k in hand.

I hope to take between 3-5 lessons a week and would like to complete training within 40 hours from now (50+ total). I will be training in a Warrior II at a busy Class D (KFRG) on Long Island and hope weather works in my favor over the next 8 weeks or so.

Wish me luck :)
 
I was in almost identical situation. Flew for 13 hours (not trained, just flew, CFI did not teach me anything at all), and stopped for 9 years. Restarted training and loved it. 9 months later, I had my PPL.

Good luck. Lots of hard work, but also a ton of fun!
 
So excited to hear all about it! Good luck!
 
With that schedule and the funds you should have no problems ,welcome back .
 
frfly172 said:
With that schedule and the funds you should have no problems ,welcome back .
Click to expand...
That's the goal. I wanted to make sure that there would be nothing that would hold me up from completing it this time around.

I also received my Zulu 2's in the mail today :)
 
36 years between my last flight, and getting time in a J3 to start flying again. It's even better the second time around!
 
momalley said:
I have my 1st lesson scheduled for Monday at noon after an 11 year hiatus from training. I had about 13 hours in the book before I stopped. I already have my medical in hand, written scheduled for 9/13 (my 37th birthday) and $10k in hand.

I hope to take between 3-5 lessons a week and would like to complete training within 40 hours from now (50+ total). I will be training in a Warrior II at a busy Class D (KFRG) on Long Island and hope weather works in my favor over the next 8 weeks or so.

Wish me luck :)
Click to expand...

Hey, we share the same birthday! Best of luck and have fun!
 
Go for it! I hadn't flown since 10/23/12 - - so many projects: photography, my books in-process or distribution, craft fairs, property management, WX problems - - until 8/17/2013. Since 8/17, 10.4 hours which included a first, yesterday: FIVE HOURS. Wiscasset > Augusta > Knox County(Rockland) > Wiscasset. TOL maneuvers at each, deplaned and visited at Rockland where a 16 yr. old student pilot told me he is from Cushing(my home town). Turns out he's my 3rd cousin. I remember when his mother was born; and HER mother(my cousin) and I grew up in houses 1000' apart. I suddenly felt old, knowing that his grandmother and I grew up together.

Anyway, five flights from Saturday to Saturday. Oh, the fuel burn in the Skyhawk has been amazing me, averaging 5 to 5.5 GPH while doing pattern work, TOL, taxiing. Yesterday, topped off with 20.34 gallons after 5.0 hours flight time. 4.068 GPG. Holy ****!

Tom Downey: is it a combination of the broken-in four new cylinders(2012 Annual) and the PowerFlow Tuned Exhaust that accounts for such efficiency? Liking it!

HR
 
Well......lesson was cancelled today as the plane got a flat tire while landing over at KBDR about an hour before my lesson :(
 
momalley said:
Well......lesson was cancelled today as the plane got a flat tire while landing over at KBDR about an hour before my lesson :(
Click to expand...

Don't forget cancelled lessons can still be a good chance to learn something from your instructor.

Once, when we were grounded due to IFR ceilings, my instructor and I still went out to the plane and practiced flows. He would ask for different segments of the primary and emergency checklist. Then demonstrate the correct flow and how to verify correctness with the checklist. It really helped when it was time to practice during flying.

Additionally, you can work with the CFI on the knowledge portion. Practice things like required equipment (TOMATO FLAMES), VFR visability requirements, Airspace details, and more.

Just because he says, "well, we can't fly today" doesn't mean you won't have a chance to learn something aviation related.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Don't forget cancelled lessons can still be a good chance to learn something from your instructor.

Once, when we were grounded due to IFR ceilings, my instructor and I still went out to the plane and practiced flows. He would ask for different segments of the primary and emergency checklist. Then demonstrate the correct flow and how to verify correctness with the checklist. It really helped when it was time to practice during flying.

Additionally, you can work with the CFI on the knowledge portion. Practice things like required equipment (TOMATO FLAMES), VFR visability requirements, Airspace details, and more.

Just because he says, "well, we can't fly today" doesn't mean you won't have a chance to learn something aviation related.
Click to expand...
Except he's stuck with the plane at KBDR
 
And he left the spare in the hangar? :tease:
 
momalley said:
I have my 1st lesson scheduled for Monday at noon after an 11 year hiatus from training. I had about 13 hours in the book before I stopped. I already have my medical in hand, written scheduled for 9/13 (my 37th birthday) and $10k in hand.

I hope to take between 3-5 lessons a week and would like to complete training within 40 hours from now (50+ total). I will be training in a Warrior II at a busy Class D (KFRG) on Long Island and hope weather works in my favor over the next 8 weeks or so.

Wish me luck :)
Click to expand...

Good Luck! I am at Ventura at FRG.. Stage 2 X- country underway. Which FBO are you flying out of?
 
Owad1971 said:
Good Luck! I am at Ventura at FRG.. Stage 2 X- country underway. Which FBO are you flying out of?
Click to expand...
I'll be flying with a small club, Positive Rate Gear Up. They have 2 Warriors, an Archer, an Arrow and a Tomahawk. The planes are over on Charlie Ramp.
 
With the flat tire fixed I was able to get my lesson in today. Headed over to the north training area and put 1.5 hours on the Hobbs.

I got to do a lot, preflight, radios, taxi, takeoff, slow flight, power off stalls, steep turns, constant speed climbs and descents, climbing turns, simulated engine outs and a landing. It felt great to be back in the air!!

I have another lesson scheduled for tomorrow after work. We will be doing short/soft field takeoff and landing and working to get me ready for my solo. My CFI is going on vacation for a week and I will probably work on touch and go's with another CFI while he is gone.

I would be awesome if I'm able to solo within the 1st 10 hours back.
 
We will also be doing ground reference maneuvers....as long as the weather holds out. Today's lesson is 5pm-7pm
 
Today's lesson added 1.8 to the Hobbs...

Did mostly turns around a point and s-turns. Also did some simulated instrument work and some VOR navigation.
 
My regular CFI is on vacation this week and this afternoon I went up with another CFI to do some pattern work...1.3 on the Hobbs, 4 landings and a go around when tower decided to put a 152 on the active runway when we were short final!!!

Not sure what was going on with the controllers today. Pattern wasn't very busy but the forgot about us a couple of times and put us very close to a twin while we were about to turn base to final.

I actually found it to be a very good lesson today on how you need to keep an eye out for traffic even when you think ATC is providing your separation.

I now have a total of 20.5 hours (15 of them from 11 years ago). Both CFI's feel that I should be ready to solo in another 2-3 lessons. I just need to get my Pre-Solo Written completed this week. Hopefully I can get 2-3 lessons scheduled for next week.
 
ATC is only human and they do screw up on occasion. The PIC is always in the aircraft. If solo, it's you, otherwise it's your instructor (until you get your private certificate). It is NEVER any controller.

I've been cleared for takeoff while waiting second in line. I've been instructed to turn base while on a taxiway. I've been instructed to turn base before the numbers (huh?). I've been instructed to extend downwind and then forgotten about (and there is another Class D in that direction). I've had my tail number read back incorrectly numerous times. And so on.
 
Lessons scheduled for this evening, lunchtime tomorrow and Friday afternoon. I have also completed my Pre-Solo Written
 
2.4 hours this evening, 1 hour of it night and 0.8 hours of it hood work. Also got to go to a new airport (BDR) to do some touch and go's and get some fuel at $1.35 less a gallon
 
momalley said:
2.4 hours this evening, 1 hour of it night and 0.8 hours of it hood work. Also got to go to a new airport (BDR) to do some touch and go's and get some fuel at $1.35 less a gallon
Click to expand...
Where are you flying out of in NY? I should get my rental checkride finished on friday with Ventura at FRG.
 
Did 1.1 hours on the Hobbs today for lunch.....just touch and go's. Still haven't been able to nail the landings....Winds were a little stiff today at 15-20kts. Not bad, just don't yet have the finesse of the flare figured out :(
 
momalley said:
Not bad, just don't yet have the finesse of the flare figured out :(
Click to expand...

Find the past threads of going down a long runway at 6-12 inches AGL. Have your instructor do it a time or three. That's your sight picture. Memorize what it looks like when you are looking at the end of the runway and what the peripheral vision picture looks like.

Now you do it.

Once you can successfully hold off the aircraft just-above-the-runway-without-touching a few times, your landings will become much smoother and our confidence in this phase will have increased.
 
How stable are your approaches, and how accurately you nail your airspeed on approach?
 
I had a few hours 20 years earlier and so I took $20k and bought a Cherokee then found an independent CFI to train me. About 5-6 weeks later of nearly flying every day I got my PPL at 55 hrs including what I abandon before. But the next 5 years I got 550 hrs and moved on to a Turbo Comanche.

See if you can join a club or partnership on a 172 or Cherokee or Warrior or Traveler in your area. This will save a great deal over paying retail rental rates and you can get more hours for your bucks. Probably learn a bit more about maintenance and ownership costs the safe way, splinting them with 3 other guys.



momalley said:
Well......lesson was cancelled today as the plane got a flat tire while landing over at KBDR about an hour before my lesson :(
Click to expand...
 
mtuomi said:
How stable are your approaches, and how accurately you nail your airspeed on approach?
Click to expand...
Approaches are pretty stable, its just that last couple of feet....I'm sure I'll get it soon enough, may just need a day where I'm not getting bounced all over the place
 
momalley said:
Approaches are pretty stable, its just that last couple of feet....I'm sure I'll get it soon enough, may just need a day where I'm not getting bounced all over the place
Click to expand...

I flew from FRG on Tuesday and it was pretty hairy, winds were 17G22KT, not an ideal day for smooth landings :)

What speed do you fly the final and do you use full flaps?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top