Commercial training, realistically!

T

Trcpilot

Pre-Flight
Joined
Jan 7, 2021
Messages
91
Display Name
Display name:
Cjayfly1
Can you truly learn the maneuvers in 10 hours in a single engine airplane?
Lazy 8s ,chandelles, steep spiral , 8s on pylon and power off 180s? Can these maneuvers truly be completed in about 10 hours?

Can you really learn to fly commercial maneuvers in a redbird simulator?

Looking at it through an accelerated program timeframe! Thank you in advance!

Also, any cfi’s or flight school reps in this group located in Georgia?
 
Last edited:
I’d say no that 10 hours isn’t enough to learn the commercial maneuvers, power off 180s are challenging enough, if you really know your airplane, how to line her up and slip, then maybe.

Chandelles are pretty easy, the others require an understanding of what wind does when you are changing directions. The maneuvers are difficult to explain for most CFI’s so being able to understand your CFI is key. Some people learn faster than others and I would say I’m on the slower side of learning, I do not memorize things easily so repetitive practice is key for me, in small amounts of time across different days.

Accelerated programs know what the DPE tests for and will do their best to get you ready for the exam, read up reviews on any programs that you are considering.
 
Yes it's possible. Obviously it depends on you and your CFI, but it is possible.

About half of the maneuvers you already know. Steep turns, slow flight, stalls, short/soft fields,maybe emergency descents. Just need a little refresher and tune up for different tolerances.

Some of the maneuvers are easy enough to learn in one lesson. I usually combine Chandelles and 8's on pylons into the same lesson, people don't tend to have much of a problem with them.

Steep spirals are a lot like descending turns about a point, which you already know, so they only take a few tries to get right.

Which leaves lazy 8s and power-off 180s. In my experience, more time is spent on these than any other maneuver.

For lazy 8s, once the pilot learns to be lazy, that usually solves the main problem there, over controlling.

For power off 180s, the key is to keep everything as repeatable as possible and just learn how to adjust for different wind conditions (okay, with 5 knots of wind I wait 5 seconds before turning in after pulling power, but with 10 knots I wait 3 seconds, and with 15 knots I turn immediately - that kind of thing).
 
I appreciate you all for posting and giving your honest opinions.
 
It depends on your proficiency going in. If you’re already always making coordinated turns, landing on your chosen point on centerline, can make orbits where the “target” stays pinned on your wingtip, your navigation has you at the waypoints on time, then yes, it can be done in 10 hours. A good stick-and-rudder pilot will be able to learn the commercial maneuvers and be good enough at them to pass the checkride. A less proficient flyer will probably need more time.
 
RussR said:
For lazy 8s, once the pilot learns to be lazy, that usually solves the main problem there, over controlling
Click to expand...
So so true. But “less is more” is such a difficult thing to learn even though it applies to a lot of flying.
 
MauleSkinner said:
I was about double that, but I did my Commercial with 10 hours of training, including 4 hours of hood work.
Click to expand...
I wasn't particularly dedicated, did the opposite of an accelerated course, and was doing a lot of other things over the 8 months between my first chandelle and my checkride (even my qualifying long solo was before I started). But even with all that it only took about 15 dual.
 
I did my BFR at one of those 10 hour program; they indicated that they can for most but I would have taken more time because I hadn't flown in a while. For a rusty guy like me, it would be between 20-30 hours.
 
The deal with commercial maneuvers is you can do it in 10 hours with an instructor but you'll probably want to practice on your own for another 10 hours.

I did 7 with a CFI and practiced on my own for another 10 or so
 
That said there's a lot of other factors. If you're a fairly new pilot renting different planes all the time it's probably going to take longer.

I was a thousand hours in with 2 years in a plane that I've been flying consistently so there's far fewer surprises
 
It will depend a lot on your own skill. Not to toot my own horn, but I did my commercial after I was already a decently experienced pilot, and very proficient in the Comanche. I think I spent about 5 hours with an instructor before my checkride just fine tuning the maneuvers.

My biggest hurdle was checking the cross country boxes. I had 100s of hours XC, but couldn't find a right combination of flights that checked the boxes for the Commercial long solo XC, and the 2 hr day/night dual XC, so I had to make special trips just to meet those requirements.
 
yup.....spend thousands to get a thousand or so hours and you'll get it done in less than 10 hrs. ;)
 
I think it was about 18-20 for me.
It’s flying, it’s not a race, the more you do the better you will get.
Going for the minimums will only get you frustrated.
Enjoy the flying and training.

This was just for the maneuvers, I did my xc trips a few years before, solo and dual
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Did you get your private in 40 hrs? ..... ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, Commercial in 10hrs to learn the maneuvers, sure. Remember you also need certain other training to include dual cross country day and night.
Get private in 40hrs? Yes, well, it was actually a little over 40, I had extra solo time.
 
Last edited:
Once again, thank you all for your feedback!
 
Randomskylane said:
Oh, mine was a question

I forgot the is at the beginning of the question
Click to expand...
Sorry, can you truly learn maneuvers in a redbird. I’m honestly trying to figure out what are you doing (up to 50 hours) in a redbird simulator or just a simulator for commercial training.
 
Randomskylane said:
Redbird training useful for chandelles and lazy 8s?
Click to expand...

Trcpilot said:
Sorry, can you truly learn maneuvers in a redbird. I’m honestly trying to figure out what are you doing (up to 50 hours) in a redbird simulator or just a simulator for commercial training.
Click to expand...

No. So much of most of the Commercial maneuvers is "feel", that there is no way a Redbird, with the really horrible (IMO) "feel" and control response, can usefully be used to train on these maneuvers.
 
RussR said:
No. So much of most of the Commercial maneuvers is "feel", that there is no way a Redbird, with the really horrible (IMO) "feel" and control response, can usefully be used to train on these maneuvers.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. A buddy of mine and were talking about the 50 hours of simulator. We were honestly trying to figure out what could you possibly do in 50 hours of sim towards commercial.
 
Trcpilot said:
Thanks for your reply. A buddy of mine and were talking about the 50 hours of simulator. We were honestly trying to figure out what could you possibly do in 50 hours of sim towards commercial.
Click to expand...
Shoot a LOT of approaches.

Or, do some LONG XCs on autopilot and catch up your reading. IOW, practice being an airline pilot. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top