Becoming a Private Pilot | First Solo

The Pilot Guy

The Pilot Guy

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The Pilot Guy
So I recently completed my first solo flight in a piper Cherokee 140. It was three full stop landings and takeoffs. The video I have included is the very first one.

I also wrote a short blog post about how someone can become a private pilot. I did a lot of research prior to making the decision to start flying. Hope it helps anyone in here lurking questioning whether they have what it takes. The answer is you do if you love it!


How to Become a Private Pilot
 
What's the deal with the countdown? The audio cut out but you said "(unintelligible)second burn"

And easy on the throttle up. ;) Caress her, don't jam it down her throat.
 
The countdown is a 10 second burn prior to takeoff. My CFI requests this to clear out the lines and reduce the heat on the fuel line after taxi.

Yeah, I have recently learned not to jam on the throttle because it might "choke" I am better about it now.

In the moment however, I was so psyched I could not control myself.
 
Congrats on your first solo, but that blog post isn't terribly accurate about the process.

For instance, the minimum is 40 hours, but real time can be quite a lot longer, particularly for older people. It's also "just" 35 hours for a Part 141 flight school (though, once again, it can take a lot longer). Sport pilot can be used for "exotic vacations," but has limitations some of us consider unacceptable. Like very small airplanes, no more than one passenger, no night flying or flight over 10,000 feet (not that an LSA over that altitude would be much fun), extra training needed for Class B/C/D airspace, no possibility of instrument rating, etc.

One glaring bit is that you don't have to do 20 hours dual then 10 hours solo. Those are minimums, and are usually interleaved. For instance, you don't need to do the dual cross country before the first solo, and most people don't.

There are a number of websites that describe the process. Perhaps linking one of them?
 
I got ya about being psyched. Never heard of the 10 second burn thing though. You probably have a decal right next to the throttle which warns of the at least 2 seconds time from idle to full power. Anyway, congrats.
 
The Pilot Guy said:
The countdown is a 10 second burn prior to takeoff. My CFI requests this to clear out the lines and reduce the heat on the fuel line after taxi.

Yeah, I have recently learned not to jam on the throttle because it might "choke" I am better about it now.

In the moment however, I was so psyched I could not control myself.
Click to expand...

I've never heard of that. Is this airplane prone to vapor lock?

While you are not moving, the engine cooling is dramatically reduced.

Yes, you do need to take it easy on the throttle. The engine can easily stumble during a touch'n'go. Not fun.
 
I wonder what that red lever is for. You didn't touch it at all in your video.
You did touch your tablet a few times. Not a great thing for a fresh solo student.
Grab the KNOB of the trim. Much easier to feel how much you're moving it than just flicking it around with your index finger.
 
MAKG1 said:
I've never heard of that. Is this airplane prone to vapor lock?

While you are not moving, the engine cooling is dramatically reduced.

Yes, you do need to take it easy on the throttle. The engine can easily stumble during a touch'n'go. Not fun.
Click to expand...

The plane is not prone to vapor lock to my knowledge. In fact I have flown in three Piper Cherokee's owned by my CFI and he requires me to do a 10 second burn on each of them.

It must be his personal preference on his aircraft. I will ask him on Saturday before my solo maneuvers.
 
rolivi said:
I wonder what that red lever is for. You didn't touch it at all in your video.
You did touch your tablet a few times. Not a great thing for a fresh solo student.
Grab the KNOB of the trim. Much easier to feel how much you're moving it than just flicking it around with your index finger.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the mixture throttle? That's the fuel mixture lean or rich. It was intended to be on full rich due to the temperature and operating conditions of the aircraft.

My tablet has my checklists on it. Simply scrolling to different pages of the checklist for the Piper Cherokee 140.
 
MAKG1 said:
Congrats on your first solo, but that blog post isn't terribly accurate about the process.

For instance, the minimum is 40 hours, but real time can be quite a lot longer, particularly for older people. It's also "just" 35 hours for a Part 141 flight school (though, once again, it can take a lot longer). Sport pilot can be used for "exotic vacations," but has limitations some of us consider unacceptable. Like very small airplanes, no more than one passenger, no night flying or flight over 10,000 feet (not that an LSA over that altitude would be much fun), extra training needed for Class B/C/D airspace, no possibility of instrument rating, etc.

One glaring bit is that you don't have to do 20 hours dual then 10 hours solo. Those are minimums, and are usually interleaved. For instance, you don't need to do the dual cross country before the first solo, and most people don't.

There are a number of websites that describe the process. Perhaps linking one of them?
Click to expand...

I will make the proper corrections. That is not an ordered list for the requirements. Those are a composite view of what you will be doing. I was under the impression sport pilots could have no passengers so I learned something. Thank you!
 
Yup. Mixture. Have a review with your CFI about proper leaning technique for Taxiing, leveling off in the pattern, etc.

I didn't re watch it, but you did mention Carb heat after your landing. You never turned it on did you? That's odd for little Pipers but mandatory for little Cessnas.
 
rolivi said:
Yup. Mixture. Have a review with your CFI about proper leaning technique for Taxiing, leveling off in the pattern, etc.

I didn't re watch it, but you did mention Carb heat after your landing. You never turned it on did you? That's odd for little Pipers but mandatory for little Cessnas.
Click to expand...

We have talked about taxing and he has told me to have it on full rich. I will press the matter during my next flight. To be honest the only time I have not had it at full rich was during a flight in the early morning.

Never pressed the issue and asked why but I will with your recommendation.

No, I did not turn on the Carb Heat. After landing I was just re-ensuring that carb heat was in fact off as a part of my check list.
 
At the point in the video, it appeared that he'd already completed his run up checklist on which the mixture would have been adjusted already. I never touch my mixture control if I'm staying in the pattern after I've adjusted it during the run up. And I don't touch it on climb until above 5,000'.
 
The Pilot Guy said:
The countdown is a 10 second burn prior to takeoff. My CFI requests this to clear out the lines and reduce the heat on the fuel line after taxi.

Yeah, I have recently learned not to jam on the throttle because it might "choke" I am better about it now.

In the moment however, I was so psyched I could not control myself.
Click to expand...

Please don't jam the throttle forward, especially on a carb'd engine. Drives me nuts when I see people cram it like that. You don't get into your car and punch the gas pedal to the floor do you? So don't do it in the airplane. Granted, I know you're learning, but cut that practice.

The "countdown to blast off" sounds like another belief that a CFI has in their own mind that doesn't pose any real issue. I've never heard of such a thing anyway... :dunno:

Anyway, congrats on the solo!!
 
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Actually, if he's running MoGas the leaning is a little less important since there is no lead to foul the plugs. But if he's burning 100LL you want to lean that sucker.

And you'll want to know that when you start renting elsewhere, owning your own, or renting dry instead of wet.
 
Timbeck2 said:
At the point in the video, it appeared that he'd already completed his run up checklist on which the mixture would have been adjusted already. I never touch my mixture control if I'm staying in the pattern after I've adjusted it during the run up. And I don't touch it on climb until above 5,000'.
Click to expand...

He back taxied with mixture rich. This is one for the PoA CFI team who will be along shortly. On such a field, do you back taxi, runup, and go? Or do you runup, back taxi, and go?

Even when I have had to back taxi I've always had some runup area at the end so I'd keep her lean until there.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I got ya about being psyched. Never heard of the 10 second burn thing though. You probably have a decal right next to the throttle which warns of the at least 2 seconds time from idle to full power. Anyway, congrats.
Click to expand...

I've been told to "be gentle," but never heard about 2 seconds. Ever watch a video of Bob Hoover filmed inside the cockpit? He uses a fraction of a second to shut down an engine, and about twice that long to restart it. After watching him do it, I'm a little quicker on my own motions. But 2 seconds??? Even my grandmother wasn't that slow when she quit driving at 88 (in Atlanta, not the suburbs).
 
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Don't know if that was for me Rob but I own my plane and I'm already at close to 3,000' sitting on the ground. I lean goodly.
 
Timbeck2 said:
At the point in the video, it appeared that he'd already completed his run up checklist on which the mixture would have been adjusted already. I never touch my mixture control if I'm staying in the pattern after I've adjusted it during the run up. And I don't touch it on climb until above 5,000'.
Click to expand...

It doesn't look like he's at really high altitude, should be full rich. I learned and was based for seven years where there was a 1000' back taxi to the preferred runway, or 2000' if the wind was easterly. I'd taxi leaned about 2/3 to Cutoff, run up Full Rich, back taxi the short way and take off; if I had the long back taxi, I'd lean out until after I turned around, then go to Full Rich.

Either way, runup was done at the Hold Short, and I'd pause before takeoff to verify full rich, carb heat off, runway and compass alignment, and passenger readiness, then I'd go.
 
Hank S said:
I've been told to "be gentle," but never heard about 2 seconds. Ever watch a video of Bob Hoover filmed inside the cockpit? He uses a fraction of a second to shut down an engine, and about twice that long to restart it. After watching him do it, I'm a little quicker on my own motions. But 2 seconds??? Even my grandmother wasn't that slow when she quit driving at 88 (in Atlanta, not the suburbs).
Click to expand...

Two seconds from idle to max power, not the other way around.
 
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The Pilot Guy said:
We have talked about taxing and he has told me to have it on full rich. I will press the matter during my next flight......

Never pressed the issue and asked why but I will with your recommendation.
.
Click to expand...

I haven't watched the video yet. A lot of suggestions so far. I'll make another suggestion......don't go to your CFI and say "hey, a bunch of random unknown people on the internet said I should do this and this and that". Maybe just say something like "let's talk about leaning, I want to understand what to do and when, under all circumstances" or something like that. Maybe ask if it's good to lean while taxiing. Or ask "should I lean while staring at my tablet or taking selfies?" That'll get the conversation started.
 
Soooooo Pilot Guy, what have we learned about this forum experience?

1. Don't ever post a video
2. Do what your CFI says first and ask questions about why later.
3. Be nice to the engine and don't jam the throttle up.
4. Don't ever post a video
 
Timbeck2 said:
Soooooo Pilot Guy, what have we learned about this forum experience?

4. Don't ever post a video
Click to expand...
Nonsense. Post the videos. A lot of people enjoy them and it's fun to share your joy with others.

Just be ready for some criticism.

You did a fine job.
 
Timbeck2 said:
At the point in the video, it appeared that he'd already completed his run up checklist on which the mixture would have been adjusted already. I never touch my mixture control if I'm staying in the pattern after I've adjusted it during the run up. And I don't touch it on climb until above 5,000'.
Click to expand...

Yes, I had already done my pre-flight, checklist, and run-up prior to what I have shown you here.
 
rolivi said:
He back taxied with mixture rich. This is one for the PoA CFI team who will be along shortly. On such a field, do you back taxi, runup, and go? Or do you runup, back taxi, and go?

Even when I have had to back taxi I've always had some runup area at the end so I'd keep her lean until there.
Click to expand...

I run-up in a designated run-up area first. Announce back taxi then back taxi. Then go.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Soooooo Pilot Guy, what have we learned about this forum experience?

1. Don't ever post a video
2. Do what your CFI says first and ask questions about why later.
3. Be nice to the engine and don't jam the throttle up.
4. Don't ever post a video
Click to expand...

Forums are a nice place to learn. I'll take the criticism because I am young and still learning.

Videos are the best way for others to understand what I am actually doing. I put myself out there like a sore nerve but usually the criticisms have some validity and I like hearing things from others perspective.
 
RalphInCA said:
What checklist app is that?
Click to expand...

I use foreflight. That is just a PDF inside of foreflight. Love the application has a few caveats but it has incredible amounts of information. I would defiantly recommend it to others.
 
ok so I just watched the vid. nice job. only thing I'll add is at :07, don't run over your instructor.
 
Congrats!

One thing about the sport license, depends on your idea of a exotic vacation, it's not a ICAO license, so it doesn't work, unless they changed something, outside of the US and maybe Canada.
 
Congrats on the first solo! All the best with the rest of your training!
 
That overhead 'window roller' trim is wild. I can just imagine what a first time GA passenger must think:
 
Few thoughts.


I also just noticed you count how many time you turn the trim, did your CFI teach you WHY you trim?

Seems he's teaching rote, paint by numbers.

You should just trim the pressure off, not some arbitrary number of turns.

Maybe a little more back pressure after landing.

As the others said lean for taxi, like hard core, you won't hurt it leaning at that low of a power setting

I'd also loose the junk on the dash and the iPad, a small checklist will serve you much better, like a laminated long half sheet of paper.

As you said, slower on the throttle advancement.

And perhaps a little slower on the taxi, I'm all for times money, but a trike on grass, that poor nose wheel

I'd also have your hands on the controls for taxi, in your instance I'd have the yoke back, take some of the weight off that nose wheel.
 
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James331 said:
Few thoughts.


I also just noticed you count how many time you turn the trim, did your CFI teach you WHY you trim?

Seems he's teaching rote, paint by numbers.

You should just trim the pressure off, not some arbitrary number of turns.

Maybe a little more back pressure after landing.

As the others said lean for taxi, like hard core, you won't hurt it leaning at that low of a power setting

I'd also loose the junk of the dash and the iPad, a small checklist will serve you much better, like a laminated long half sheet of paper.

As you said, slower on the throttle advancement.

And perhaps a little slower on the taxi, I'm all for times money, but a trike on grass, that poor nose wheel

I'd also have your hands on the controls for taxi, in your instance I'd have the yoke back, take some of the weight off that nose wheel.
Click to expand...

My CFI has taught me why I trim I am going into slow flight. I am looking for a speed essentially, however at my home airport in this particular plane the speed I wish to achieve is always at 3 spins on the trim.

I'd rather have the Ipad it's great that you like to do things with paper but my Ipad has GPS and Weather. It also has all of my checklists where I can easily access them.

No need to have your hands on the yolks for taxi. Your nose wheel is meant to be on the ground during taxi for steering purposes. If your personal preference is to ride a wheelie up and down the taxi way that's fine but I'd prefer not to.
 
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