So, student pilots.. Who are we and where do we stand?

exncsurfer said:
2 hours with foggles last Wednesday,
I have the worlds most boring flying video to prove it:
Lots of standard rate turns, straight and level, slow ascents and descents. I should bring some windex with me next time. Turn down the sound and skim through to see some nice scenery that I didn't get to see under the hood.


still have night to do, long XC...
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Nice video! And don't use windex on airplane windows.
 
Been trying to do checkride prep the last week and a half but have had 6 out of 8 days cancelled due to weather (mostly wind).

Did my mock checkride with a different instructor yesterday. The different perspective was definately worth it. I learned some new things, and different way to think about stuff.

I also feel like I am not yet ready (it's a confidence thing...probably 2-3 more flights to polish things up). I plan to fly tomorrow and Tuesday. Weds may be checkride or Thursday if a I'm not "ready" on Weds. Problem is that if I can't get my checkride in by Thursday, I'll have to wait another week and a half because of my own schedule; Hate to get all the bugs worked out of my flying and then have 10 days of rust build up.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
Been trying to do checkride prep the last week and a half but have had 6 out of 8 days cancelled due to weather (mostly wind).

Did my mock checkride with a different instructor yesterday. The different perspective was definately worth it. I learned some new things, and different way to think about stuff.

I also feel like I am not yet ready (it's a confidence thing...probably 2-3 more flights to polish things up). I plan to fly tomorrow and Tuesday. Weds may be checkride or Thursday if a I'm not "ready" on Weds. Problem is that if I can't get my checkride in by Thursday, I'll have to wait another week and a half because of my own schedule; Hate to get all the bugs worked out of my flying and then have 10 days of rust build up.
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good luck!!!

I just passed my stage 1 check on Saturday, so only about 10-12 more flights to checkride. The stage check instructor gave me some good areas to work on, and i need to commit to memorizing the silly things like Atomatoflames all the way. It seems silly to memorize something that is easily found in the POH, but it's how we do things.
 
Private Pilot and been struggling to find training to finish Instrument but plan to knock it out in the next few months. Then onto commercial!
 
Currently sitting at 16.6 hours and right on the cusp of my first solo. Just got to get my landings down. I keep flaring too early. Any advice? I'm determined my next lesson will be the last one before endorsement.

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ATC_av8er said:
Currently sitting at 16.6 hours and right on the cusp of my first solo. Just got to get my landings down. I keep flaring too early. Any advice? I'm determined my next lesson will be the last one before endorsement.

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Shifting my eyes from the numbers to the end of the runway helped me with my flare. When I keep my eyes down I'm all over the place.
 
tuwood said:
Shifting my eyes from the numbers to the end of the runway helped me with my flare. When I keep my eyes down I'm all over the place.
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Yeah, and being disciplined with it too - not giving in to the temptation to let your eyes creep back down. Also, what helped me was a few rounds of (with Tower permission where appropriate) getting onto the runway for takeoff and sitting there stationary for a minute looking down the runway, to really get the sight picture of 'airplane is actually ON THE GROUND, not just near it' into my head.
 
ATC_av8er said:
Currently sitting at 16.6 hours and right on the cusp of my first solo. Just got to get my landings down. I keep flaring too early. Any advice? I'm determined my next lesson will be the last one before endorsement.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
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If your instructor is comfortable with it, try to fly the runway at landing attitude. Do a normal pattern/final and when you flare have the instructor manage the power and you just keep it off the ground once you're most of the way down the runway, power up and go around. I've done that a few times and it really helps cement both where you look (down the runway) and what it should look like.

John
 
ATC_av8er said:
Currently sitting at 16.6 hours and right on the cusp of my first solo. Just got to get my landings down. I keep flaring too early. Any advice? I'm determined my next lesson will be the last one before endorsement.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
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Don't think of it as a "flare" . You're not in an A330-600. Its a gentle round out.
 
Last flight was mock checkride. Busted on first maneuver - forgot clearing turn. Good news is I won't make that mistake again! Rest of flight was pretty uneventful. Felt good whole way through.

Now just prepping for the oral - that has me more nervous than the flying.
 
krock918316 said:
Last flight was mock checkride. Busted on first maneuver - forgot clearing turn. Good news is I won't make that mistake again! Rest of flight was pretty uneventful. Felt good whole way through.

Now just prepping for the oral - that has me more nervous than the flying.
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I'm still a couple months off from mine, but I'm already paranoid I'm going to do something dumb like that on my check ride. I keep forgetting to do my climb and cruise checklists during my training flights, so that's what I've been trying to concentrate on remembering.
 
Soloed 12 years ago at 16 hours. Only had cross country solo work to go when life got in the way. Now 7.4 hours back in, this time an Archer, and almost ready to solo again. Sitting at 42.1 total hours.
 
Another solo hour in the log book, I didn't make much progress towards my requirements, but it sure was FUN. I figure you always learn something, got some steep turns in, 3 crosswind landings, lots of nice scenery out the window, radio work.
video:

looking forward to night flight, long xc, ...
 
write-stuff said:
Was the camera mounted inside or outside?
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Had it strapped to the headrest on my seat. I don't have any mount hardware.

One of these, came with the kit my wife got me for fathers day, I am not cool enough to wear that sucker:
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IFR Written: Check
IFR Long XC: Check
15 Instrument w/ Instructor: Check

50 XC/PIC: 20 hours left and flying 4-6 hours a week
40 Instrument Time: 25 hours left and planning on some ATD time

Checkride Signoff: Um, May, June, July?

Chekcride: Taking my time on this one. Don't want to push it like I did PPL. Want to nail it the first time. Busting a check ride is something I don't want to have to do again!! But I am really enjoying the IFR training
 
jordane93 said:
This Monday I'll be a student again at Endeavor Air. Looking forward to the challenge of the airlines.
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Get ready for the fire hose! Just keep a good positive attitude and even if you experience a few problems the IPs will go all out to help you. It's all about attitude. Study with others in a group setting. You'll do fine!
 
Finally... after weeks of not getting a "real" flight in, I was able to knock out a x-c yesterday. We flew to Block Island. Was pretty gusty and bumpy, but an AMAZING flight. Gorgeous. "The reason we fly," kind of flight. Back on the ground he endorsed me for a solo x-c, so I guess that's next.

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This Saturday I'll be doing a "test" flight with a CFI that was recommended to me by someone who passed PPL checkride late last year and my AME. I have a couple of other recommendations I need to do the same with and the plan is to start first week in May!
 
Cool pics Cajun. Brings back memories when I instructed at Quonset airport.
 
Did another instrument flight today. We went out to practice holds at MAMBO (ORL 309 radial, 20 DME). But the DME was intermittent. And we couldn't get the cross bearing from OMN at 3300'. So we flew 2 approaches into KISM. They were intended to be ILS approaches but the GS never came alive. So they were LOC approaches. Used the second VOR/LOC receiver for the step down fixes. Went missed on both. On the first, got forgotten by approach. We went way west before the instructor called them up and reminded them. On the second, tower forgot us.

Then I flew the ILS 7 into KORL. Worked like a champ. Instructor says the GS only works on LOC that end in 0 on this airplane. ??? So we have one reasonably well equipped IFR bird that has equipment that works only intermittently and one with minimal equipment (one VOR/LOC/GS, one long expired IFR GPS). Anyway, the flying parts went very well. The radio was OK. I am very saturated at this point.

John
 
On Saturday 36 1/2 years after my first flight lesson I re-started the journey to becoming a pilot. I know officially have .6 in the log book. Couldn't find the old log book with 20 hours in it but didn't think it was valid anyway 36+ years later.
 
NHWannabe said:
On Saturday 36 1/2 years after my first flight lesson I re-started the journey to becoming a pilot. I know officially have .6 in the log book. Couldn't find the old log book with 20 hours in it but didn't think it was valid anyway 36+ years later.
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The hours would certainly be valid, I don't think however, that it would shorten your time earning your certificate. If you can find it, it would count toward future certificates and would help with insurance perhaps.
 
I got my PPL night requirements pretty much knocked out last night. I kept having this urge to turn on the headlights(like in a car), then realize the light is on, there is nothing to see.

Most of my landings were decent. The landing/taxi lights out landing no so much, I thought I was leveled off but wasn't quite there yet. :)
 
Did all 3 engines out in the sim today. Thats pretty neat at FL250.
 
NHWannabe said:
On Saturday 36 1/2 years after my first flight lesson I re-started the journey to becoming a pilot. I know officially have .6 in the log book. Couldn't find the old log book with 20 hours in it but didn't think it was valid anyway 36+ years later.
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Best success to you! Great to see someone come back after a long absence. If you can find the old logbook that time would be included in your total time. You'll have to start all over now though due to your long absence. Hope you can find it.
 
MikeLima said:
Passed my check ride yesterday.... Now I can seriously start plane shopping!
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Oooh, I must be doing it all wrong. I've been plane shopping all along!

I'm signed off to fly solo pattern, practice area and XC, but work or WX (or both) get in the way. My CFI is on vacation for a couple of weeks, so I'm using the weekend mornings to wake up early and practice flying in smoother air. I'll admit that doing stalls all by myself is a bit spooky, but really enjoy being up in the air practicing the other checkride maneuvers.
 
Had a great lesson yesterday, Student pilot with 19.8h over the past 9 months. Had to take a 3 month break while I got my 3rd class medical stuff sorted out with Dr. Bruce. Now back to it, and shot 12 touch and go's yesterday at KFZY (Oswego NY). Greased the first couple, and all were acceptable. Flared a bit too early a couple of times, but I have the hang of the hold-it-and-let-it-settle now, and didn't drop it on heavy on any of them. Much better than last lesson (which was the 1st in 3 months) where I landed in a crab on one.. .Ugh.

Still have to practice some more before he will sign me off to solo, which is fine since I have probably a couple more weeks until I see that third class medical in the mail. Trying to fly at least weekly from now through summer. I'd like to try to get my checkride in before fall, but as we all know that may or may not happen...
 
Cool jbrinker! You can get it done by fall easily if you fly weekly.
 
jbrinker said:
Still have to practice some more before he will sign me off to solo, which is fine since I have probably a couple more weeks until I see that third class medical in the mail. Trying to fly at least weekly from now through summer. I'd like to try to get my checkride in before fall, but as we all know that may or may not happen...
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If you haven't taken the written yet, do your best to get it done before June.
 
Did my first self grounding today. I was planning to go up solo this afternoon and realized I've been having a very stressful week at work and haven't gotten much sleep the past few days.
The little voice in the back of my head kept repeating the PAVE and IMSAFE acronyms over and over until I realized that the Pilot in this situation was in no mental shape to be flying.

The interesting part is that I was really looking forward to going flying as a stress reliever/escape from my week, but in reality I don't think that's a very good idea. hah
 
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