Before setting foot in the aircraft...

J

jacey

Filing Flight Plan
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Charlotte, NC
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Jacey
I know that a lot of you have been studying aviation since you were kids. I have not. Even though my Dad has been an aircraft mechanic for over 50 years now, I just ignored it. He is 75(still works keeping planes functional and in the air).

I happened to discover that I love planes and decided to attempt to get a licnese. However, I feel that I need to get my aeronautical knowledge up to speed before I set foot on anyone's plane.

I would like to know what info. you think I need to learn and review prior to approaching any flight school? Please be honest. Thanks:confused:
 
Nothing - that's what flight schools are there to do. There's no need to self-study before starting. Just go talk to them and see what they have to offer.
 
You will be taught, or be referred to the resources to learn, everything you need to know as far as aviation knowledge goes.

The best thing you can do prior to starting lessons is good research:
  • Read about the different types of certification and establish your goals (do you want a sport pilots certificate, a private pilot certificate, a commercial certificate).
  • Understand what you're getting into as far as time and money goes.
  • Find out what your options are for local flight schools and try learn about them and their flight training fleet.

You're going to commit a lot of time and money to this endeavor (it's worth all of it!) so you want to make sure that you're getting the most for it. An honest and student-oriented school is worth spending a little extra money. There are bad apples out there.

Once you've looked around, you can schedule a "discovery flight" (or "intro flight") with the schools you are considering. It's kind of like a mini-lesson where you get to know the school and instructor a little bit.
 
bqmassey said:
You will be taught, or be referred to the resources to learn, everything you need to know as far as aviation knowledge goes.

The best thing you can do prior to starting lessons is good research:
  • Read about the different types of certification and establish your goals (do you want a sport pilots certificate, a private pilot certificate, a commercial certificate).
  • Understand what you're getting into as far as time and money goes.
  • Find out what your options are for local flight schools and try learn about them and their flight training fleet.

You're going to commit a lot of time and money to this endeavor (it's worth all of it!) so you want to make sure that you're getting the most for it. An honest and student-oriented school is worth spending a little extra money. There are bad apples out there.

Once you've looked around, you can schedule a "discovery flight" (or "intro flight") with the schools you are considering. It's kind of like a mini-lesson where you get to know the school and instructor a little bit.
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I agree with this, except the order.

I'd reorder this way:
Step 1: call a local flight school
2: schedule a discovery flight
3: let everything else be a natural extension of steps 1&2
 
If your dad is still active in the industry, I'm sure he can guide you to a good instructor.
 
Go to a light school and talk to the instructors,then go for an intro flight.
 
Check into getting your medical early on. There may be changes around the corner for the third class medical, which you will need to solo. Be careful if your health is not nearly as perfect as it was when you were 25. You will need to be sure that you pursue the medical process with caution so as to not eliminate the possibility of flying LightSport should you not qualify for a third class.
 
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jacey said:
I would like to know what info. you think I need to learn and review prior to approaching any flight school? Please be honest. Thanks:confused:
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If you want to get a head start...

Both "Airplane Flying Handbook" and "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge" are both free downloads and easy to find via Google.

"Stick and Rudder" is a fun read, as are most offerings by Kershner and Machado.

Good luck!
 
How much you must do? Nothing.

How much you want to do? As much as you want. A copy of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is always good reading. You can buy printed copies or even just read or download the PDF from the FAA site. The FAA also has some other free downloads such as the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, etc...
 
flyingron said:
How much you must do? Nothing.

How much you want to do? As much as you want. A copy of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is always good reading. You can buy printed copies or even just read or download the PDF from the FAA site. The FAA also has some other free downloads such as the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, etc...
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Are you suggesting that the first thing he pick up to learn more is the AIM? Yes, there is lots of important information there, but I don't think that's going to encourage him much. The PHAK is, in my opinion, a much better place to start.
 
I purposely did not mention the AIM or FAR's.

The dry, disorganized and convoluted nature of them could be highly discouraging at this point.

Better to leave them alone until one can have the pertinent parts emphasized.

My eyes glaze over just thinking about them!
 
Sleepingsquirrel said:
Check into getting your medical early on. There may be changes around the corner for the third class medical, which you will need to solo. Be careful if your health is not nearly as perfect as it was when you were 25. You will need to be sure that you pursue the medical process with caution so as to not eliminate the possibility of flying LightSport should you not qualify for a third class.
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I'm 48 and pretty hard worn lol, no problem with a 1st class, but now it says must have glasses for near vision.:rolleyes:
 
If he wants. I certainly read the AIM through before I started my lessons. Frankly I found much of it very interesting (of course I was already a amateur radio operator, so the fact it was teaching me radio stuff was sort of second nature).
 
Read everything you can about flying. No better place to start then right here.
http://www.richstowell.com/store/books/book-stallspin-awareness/

What is nice about this book Rick talks about different tail designs and how they effect stall and spins.
No other person has stalled and spun more airplanes then Rick. He talks about this and how many airplanes he had to pull the chute on. He also speaks about how many he bailed out of and how hard it is to bail out of a spinning airplane.
Read everything you can. Spend hours reading over the NTSB reports and learn from others mistakes.


Tony
 
You can try looking at the Airplane Flying Handbook. There is a free online pdf version put out by the FAA. Don't worry if you don't understand it, it will eventually be covered by your CFI
 
1600vw said:
Read everything you can about flying. No better place to start then right here.
http://www.richstowell.com/store/books/book-stallspin-awareness/

What is nice about this book Rick talks about different tail designs and how they effect stall and spins.
No other person has stalled and spun more airplanes then Rick. He talks about this and how many airplanes he had to pull the chute on. He also speaks about how many he bailed out of and how hard it is to bail out of a spinning airplane.
Read everything you can. Spend hours reading over the NTSB reports and learn from others mistakes.


Tony
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Oyyy, plenty of time for all that once he has some time in the plane and understands what it all means in practice.

As for reading all the NTSB reports, I'll give you the Cliff Notes summary, "Don't run out of fuel, don't launch into Instrument conditions flying visual rules." Follow those two little items and you spare yourself the major odds of getting in one of those reports. The other thing to note as you sift through everything there is the ratio of non fatal to fatal incidents. In a GA plane, f you maintain controlled flight and go in as slow as you can flying it all the way to a stop, there's a very good chance of survival and even walking away.
 
Jacey...you will "learn" from the flight school...but I was in the same boat as an aviation noob before getting my PPL . I spent a LOT of time on Youtube before enterting my flight school and that helped for me. There are a TON of aviation training videos out there. As long as you know going in that you are viewing for the sake of getting familiar with aviation terms and ideas and NOT how to fly or learn procedures it is a great tool.
 
Keep in mind that any learning you do "ahead of time" may need correction by the time it gets in front of a CFI. There are multiple ways to do things, and no shortage of bad habits from unknown people on the Web or on YouTube. One example (and there are MANY): suppose you're high and slow on final. One school of thought says "manage altitude with throttle and speed with pitch," at least when flying slow on approach. Another says to make one change in configuration at a time (at least for students). I'd point the nose down to get airspeed right, and if I was still high, THEN reduce power (or if low, increase it). By the time I mess with throttle, I'm no longer high AND slow, so I adhere strongly to the "one at a time" school of thought. IMO, airspeed is paramount, much more important than altitude, except for the possibility of obstructions (in which case, add power first to avoid getting low).

You'll probably be reasonably safe sticking with the FAA pubs, especially the Airplane Flying Handbook and Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. But there are some mistakes in both. You would do better to have your instructor suggest things that mesh well with flight training.

Before the first flight, nothing is really required. But if you want to be ultra-prepared, read the first chapter of the AFH. Don't expect it to make the slightest bit of sense before you go up and try it for real. And therein lies the problem with pre-reading. It makes a lot more sense when reinforced with real flight dynamics.
 
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Before my discovery flight 8 years ago, I reviewed for main control surfaces and what they controlled (ailerons, rudder, elevator, flaps). Also messed around with MS Flight simulator for a week prior.

CFI talked me through take off ... we flew my side of town, and then several touch and goes. He indicated I could fly as long as I was doing exactly what he told me (he gave RPM settings, mixture etc.). It was a no wind day and I actually landed without him ghosting on the controls. I thought, "Learning to fly - This'll be easy." Then hit a landing road block at 14 hours (everyone does). Enjoy and have fun.
 
FastEddieB said:
I purposely did not mention the AIM or FAR's.

The dry, disorganized and convoluted nature of them could be highly discouraging at this point.

Better to leave them alone until one can have the pertinent parts emphasized.

My eyes glaze over just thinking about them!
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I think discouraging at any point. Pure reading of regulations.

I think the FAA website has some great free downloads as others have mentioned. Just download them to your iPad or other "tablet" device and start reading. I had already read a lot before even entering a flight school.
 
+1 for nothing. It's probably best for an instructor to shape you from the start. Anything that you learn incorrectly on your own will have to be re-explained and absorbed which sometimes mean $ wasted.

However, I would suggest the Jeppesen Private Pilot Manual. It's thorough and if you have a firm understanding of what is in that book, you'll have a huge advantage going into your training.

Also, the King Ground School videos are very useful even for a novice - if you build the information under the guidance of a CFI.
 
Henning said:
If your dad is still active in the industry, I'm sure he can guide you to a good instructor.
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This is probably the best advice here. Talk to your dad, have him teach you about airplanes and suggest an instructor. If he is still fairly active in aviation in your area he'll know who the good instructors and flight schools are, as well as the ones to stay away from.
 
All good advice, but there's a (much) cheaper route if money is a problem, and it damn sure was for me (grad school).

I found flying radio controlled models taught me a lot about flying that directly translated. I "got" xwind landings -fast- because I'd already been doing them. I just had to figure out how from inside the airplane. :) Flair to land? Got it. xwind take off? Got it. Pattern work? Got it. etc. And it's really, really, really cheap compared to getting a license.
 
FastEddieB said:
If you want to get a head start...

Both "Airplane Flying Handbook" and "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge" are both free downloads and easy to find via Google.

"Stick and Rudder" is a fun read, as are most offerings by Kershner and Machado.

Good luck!
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While the previous posters are correct, you dont have to do ANY advance work, this comment is the best in my mind. The cockpit is a noisy, expensive classroom. A bunch of things have to come together and click. Knowing how the story ends (reading the whole book) MAY give you an advantage in your training.

Not all instructors are good teachers. And if you dont know what you dont know, you wont be able to tell if the problem is you not getting it, or the instructor not teaching it to you.

I read the Gleim book to get a feel for the test. But dont read it to memorize the test. I read Kershner and even paid the big money for the Jeppeson text. You can skip the big money. Kershner is just fine. As is Ron Machado.

Truth be known I read the entire instrument manual from Kershner as well before I ever took my Private written. That is overkill... total overkill. But if you have ever been called a brainiac, Einstein, nerd or just simply are a "why" person who wants to know how everything fits together, it is an excellent way to get a feel for how and why the airspace and navigational systems are the way they are. Everything on the chart and in the airspace exists for a reason, usually a reason written in blood, and blazed in a trail by those before you.

Go fly.. have some fun.. and learn as much as you want to/can...
 
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