Introduction, comments, and questions

Yeah I would love to buy a plane at some point in time but right now it isn't even feasible. We will see how it goes and take it from there. Thank you for your comments though!
 
xaminmo said:
Also, consider financing a decent plane. My private took 84 hours before checkride. I did that in about 4 months. At $132/hobbs hr average, that's $2772/month in plane rental and fuel. Operating costs on a new C172 are around $100/tach hour. New means less will wear out during your training, and you'll have warranty, and maybe even some of your flight training included for free from the manufacturer. Alternatively, buying a used plane can be even cheaper, but you have to put aside more money for when it breaks, and you have to pick wisely to have the right equipment for your missions.

When I calculated it out, I would have saved about $10k if I'd bought my own plane.
Click to expand...
And how much does a *new* 172 cost? You might save money buying an older airplane but I really doubt one is going to save much by buying a newer airplane - plus the added financial risk of having a LOT of money tied up.
 
xaminmo said:
The key is to be organized. If you are not ready for a flight, then do some ground. Ground is MUCH cheaper than just going up and having fun because you don't have a plan for the flight. . . .

Make sure you have study materials for self study. Self-Study is good to reinforce things your instructor has gone over, and is MUCH cheaper than repeating them with your instructor. I found I needed a total of about 300 hours of ground + self-study.
Click to expand...


If you have not already done so, order Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook.
http://www.rodmachado.com/_available_products/private_pilot_handbook.php
This is a wonderful book, and you have a week or two to start reading it before you start your lessons. I read this book (the first time!) after an introductory flight, several years before I started lessons. I cannot recommend it enough--I consider it one of the best books on any subject that I have ever read!

Good luck, and welcome.

Wells
 
Last edited:
I definitely want that book. I know that some people don't enjoy his writing style but I used to read his articles in Private Pilot magazine and I thought he was funny and knowledgable. Thank you for the suggestion!
 
I didn't want to start a new thread so I figured I would just add on to this one.

Had my first flight today. I was pretty nervous but had a great time! Flight Instructor was very patient and took time to explain the why's of everything he asked of me. Practiced straight and level flight, turns (shallow and medium bank), climbs, and descents. Personally I thought I had a really hard time controlling the airplane but the instructor said I did pretty well. Had a wind out of the NW of about 16 knots the whole time but not sure how much trouble that caused me. It just seemed to push me around quite a bit. I know people have always talked about "little corrections", but I guess I didn't realize how little they meant. I kept overcorrecting at first but seemed to finally get the hang of it after a bit. I think I kept glancing at the instruments more than I should. Need to develop that sight picture!! Next flight is Thursday and I can't wait!

Oh, the CFI said that I should start thinking about buying a headset. I used the schools (Flightcom Classic ANR) and can continue to use it until I purchase one. I don't really have anything to compare it to but I thought they were great! Very comfortable, quiet, and the conversation between the CFI and I was easy to understand. I did only wear them for about 1.5 hours but they didn't clamp my head too tight and I actually kind of forgot they were there. I am assuming those are the qualities I am looking for in a headset. Any suggestions or advice?
 
SerArris said:
I didn't want to start a new thread so I figured I would just add on to this one.

Had my first flight today. I was pretty nervous but had a great time! Flight Instructor was very patient and took time to explain the why's of everything he asked of me. Practiced straight and level flight, turns (shallow and medium bank), climbs, and descents. Personally I thought I had a really hard time controlling the airplane but the instructor said I did pretty well. Had a wind out of the NW of about 16 knots the whole time but not sure how much trouble that caused me. It just seemed to push me around quite a bit. I know people have always talked about "little corrections", but I guess I didn't realize how little they meant. I kept overcorrecting at first but seemed to finally get the hang of it after a bit. I think I kept glancing at the instruments more than I should. Need to develop that sight picture!! Next flight is Thursday and I can't wait!

Oh, the CFI said that I should start thinking about buying a headset. I used the schools (Flightcom Classic ANR) and can continue to use it until I purchase one. I don't really have anything to compare it to but I thought they were great! Very comfortable, quiet, and the conversation between the CFI and I was easy to understand. I did only wear them for about 1.5 hours but they didn't clamp my head too tight and I actually kind of forgot they were there. I am assuming those are the qualities I am looking for in a headset. Any suggestions or advice?
Click to expand...

Congratulations on your first flight! We're often our most critical observers, so listen to your instructor when he says you did well. (Ignore him if he says you stink! :))

As far as a headset goes, I'd start a new thread on that, or look (use the search function) for existing threads. The two pieces of advice I'll give are 1) try on a variety of headsets and fly with them if possible and 2) spend the bucks on an ANR if you can swing it. You're already enjoying the benefits of it now, so you know it's worth it.
 
SerArris said:
I didn't want to start a new thread so I figured I would just add on to this one.

Had my first flight today. I was pretty nervous but had a great time! Flight Instructor was very patient and took time to explain the why's of everything he asked of me. Practiced straight and level flight, turns (shallow and medium bank), climbs, and descents. Personally I thought I had a really hard time controlling the airplane but the instructor said I did pretty well. Had a wind out of the NW of about 16 knots the whole time but not sure how much trouble that caused me. It just seemed to push me around quite a bit. I know people have always talked about "little corrections", but I guess I didn't realize how little they meant. I kept overcorrecting at first but seemed to finally get the hang of it after a bit. I think I kept glancing at the instruments more than I should. Need to develop that sight picture!! Next flight is Thursday and I can't wait!

Oh, the CFI said that I should start thinking about buying a headset. I used the schools (Flightcom Classic ANR) and can continue to use it until I purchase one. I don't really have anything to compare it to but I thought they were great! Very comfortable, quiet, and the conversation between the CFI and I was easy to understand. I did only wear them for about 1.5 hours but they didn't clamp my head too tight and I actually kind of forgot they were there. I am assuming those are the qualities I am looking for in a headset. Any suggestions or advice?
Click to expand...

Congrats on the first flight!

As for a headset, you can't go wrong with a pair of Dave Clarks. Great headsets, and they last forever. If for some reason they don't, they have outstanding customer support and will take great care of you...Prime example is my dad. His set has at least 20 years of getting thrown around in his flight bag on them, and last year the dog chewed the cords right off them at the earcup...He put them in a box, sent them off to Dave Clark, and they sent him a bill. $50 for new wires, and a complete refurb.

Keep us posted!
 
gprellwitz said:
Congratulations on your first flight! We're often our most critical observers, so listen to your instructor when he says you did well. (Ignore him if he says you stink! :))

As far as a headset goes, I'd start a new thread on that, or look (use the search function) for existing threads. The two pieces of advice I'll give are 1) try on a variety of headsets and fly with them if possible and 2) spend the bucks on an ANR if you can swing it. You're already enjoying the benefits of it now, so you know it's worth it.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the advice! I will ask about trying different headsets!
 
sarampson said:
Its good to hear other people's experience in this industry. I need to hear comments on [SNIP SPAM LINK] and possibly the effects on both the pilot and passenger.
Click to expand...
Looks like someone from Kenya was able to find our website. I guess it's not too difficult to find information about airplanes or pilots from the country. Maybe this guy can talk to the other airplane builder guy and send him our way for advice :)

Unfortunately this Kenya user will now be spam banned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top