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

Achievement Unlocked: Night Cross country - 3.0 hours . 291nm. This is somewhere west of Augusta, GA.

On the way back I was on flight following and was chatting with Atlanta approach about the path back to PDK, specifically altitude deviation and they said... 3KW, maintain 4500 or above as there is a MD88 maneuvering in your vicinity at 4000ft that is having landing gear issues. DO NOT go below 4500. Yikes ! A few minutes later, the Delta pilot says, don't route me too far, we are gonna land empty. Not only did they have gear confirmation issues, they were out of fuel.

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abqtj said:
Had to scratch my long XC solo yesterday. Plane I was scheduled in was down due to transponder going out. They put me in another plane, but it's one I've had bad luck in and won't fly (at least not solo). So 2 planes left. Scheduled me for another plane and hour earlier, so good to go. Get to the flight school and my CFI says "bad news...the steering dampener is going out". So 1 plane left, but not for another 2 hours. A little too late to go on the XC, so I went up and did a little over an hour solo in the practice area. Came back and had one of my best landings yet.

Maybe I'm figuring all this out after all :)

Solo XC rescheduled for Sunday, hoping the weather holds.

I have way too many hours and landings, gotta get this done.
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1 step forward, 2 steps back :(

Had to scratch that XC the following Sunday, I don't remember why, they are all piling together.

Went on the long Solo XC today. Weather looked like it should hold. Had a lot of obstacles working against me though.

Got to the flight school at 7am, went over everything with my CFI, good to go. Go start preflighting, plane needs fuel (UGH!!). And hey look at that, it needs oil too...great. Plus, time to de-ice it. So I finally take off at 8:30 and head south for TorC (KTCS). Get there in just over an hour, decent landing, all good. Shut down, go in the FBO to shoot the **** with the guy there (poor guy, I didn't need fuel and he said he's hasn't filled a plane all month!), used the restroom. Go get back in the plane and finally head out. Heading back north with a stop in Socorro. Winds are picking up and right at my limit. Land, not the best, but not bad (little side loaded). Go to the ramp, check weather and taxi out. On the way there, check weather again and wind has picked up even more. So I flip around and head to the ramp, shut down, and start to go chat with this other gentleman who landed too. Going back to my plane I notice the nose gear shock is collapsed...WONDERFUL! They had been rebuilding it this week too. Take a pic and send it to my CFI. Head inside for a bit. Winds keep picking up and I'm not going, so I wait...and wait...and wait. Wind would get CLOSE to being ok here, and back at ABQ they would be crap. Or ABQ would be ok and here would be crap. So I'm stuck. My CFI texted and said if I can't go by 3 he'll fly down with another and come get me.

So I sat at the airport for 5 hours today on the last leg of my long XC, with no food (except some pretzels), and kept kicking myself.

Now I get to try the long XC ONE MORE TIME...
 
When I was doing my XC’s I had to do one extra. My cfi had a set pattern of xc’s that he used to cover the hours etc., my plane was faster than the usual training Cessna. I didn’t mind, visited more airports in the area.
 
I've been browsing this forum for entirely too long, dreaming of being able to fly. Well, thanks to hard work and a supportive wife, I'm doing my Discovery Flight December 18th at KOFP, and will be filling out my Student Pilot paperwork that same day to immediately jump into my Sport Pilot training. I was impressed with HOVA from my research and meeting a few people, along with just being there and seeing the interaction between students/pilots/staff. I'm 35, and wanted to fly since my dad took me up in a Cessna when I was 5. It's about time!
 
I have 34.5 hours. I need 3 hours of night flying, 1.8 hrs of simulated instrument, and 1.3 more solo to reach 40.6 hrs. We are currently working on ground school lessons to prep for the oral. WX permitting, I hope to be done by the end of this month for a January check ride. Started in Julyand hoped to complete in 3-4 months, but well, you know. Then on to IFR training and burning up the sky to get to 250 HRS.
 
abqtj said:
Anyone else in the over-100 hrs club working on ppl?

:(
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I am sure there are many but not too many are on PoA or feel they are behind and don't want to admit to it.

YOU WILL FINISH :D

You aren't far off now.
Its not a race, but for some reason (pride?) it feels like one.
When you're done you won' care one bit about the hour count to get you there.
 
abqtj said:
Anyone else in the over-100 hrs club working on ppl?

:(
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Met a kid yesterday that was going for his doctorate, but after 2 years as a student pilot (in family plane) his insurance said get your license or you will be dropped. So now he is hitting the books again.
 
Still haven’t flown with the school or regular CFI due to their planes being down.

Been going up in my plane racking up hours. If this continues I’ll ditch the school and finish in my own plane.

Went up tonight for my first night landings. CFI took me through one of the local canyons at sunset.

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Followup from my night time cross country post a few back, finally got around to doing a video edit.

 
My original CFI is back and he was expecting for us to just do checkride prep. When I told him I have not soloed yet he was upset. Apparently the school makes all students do a Solo Qualified flight with the main instructor before being signed off to solo and I have that scheduled for the 26th. He is also going to schedule my FAA Checkride for end of January.

40.32 hours on the books and I have accomplished:
2 hours of hood time
3.5 hours of night flying
14 night takeoff and landings
100nm night cross country

Just need to do:
3 hour cross country with CFI
10 hours solo with 5 of these being cross country
150nm Cross Country Solo
 
Good luck to you new guys with zero hours. It is going to be alot of fun and don't get discouraged. It got bummed out a few times but overall it has been alot of fun. There is ALOT more information you need to learn than you probably realize. I started in July and lack 3 hrs night + 1.8 hrs hood time, hoping for early January check ride.
 
Update from Norway.

It's been really frustrating now to try and book the plane. Between weather, downtime/grounded for service and repairs, and instructors not being able to fit me in the schedule, plus here in Norway daylight is very short right now, I've literally spent months booking flights each week, and have not had even one make it to takeoff. Or even the airport.

I have a deadline by Nov. 2019 I have to have passed my check rid and gotten my PPL or else have to take the exam all over again. Really want to avoid that.

I am evaluating now what to do. I joined "the largest flying club" in Norway, but see now that because of circumstances they really only have one airplane I can use. I started out on one smaller type, but when I got a new instructor he felt the performance was not ok with weight (I'm up to about 240 lbs), then to a Piper warrior that I was getting comfortable with, but the club sold it. That left a C172. But just one. They have another but it is glass panel, and not apparently ok for student flying. Also that plane is rented out, some weekends for the whole weekend, to pilots as well. So I'm seeing that a "bigger club" with more members vying for the one airplane, which has been also having issues...not optimal.

Have checked around and seems to be one other club, they are much smaller and have two student ready C172's.
They cost more, but also part of the extra cost is more time in briefing, something I liked when some of my instructors did it where I am now, but currently there is little of theory on the ground, etc.

The other place is towered, which I find intimidating, but also need to get through that and think it would be good to get used to.

So that's where I am right now.
 
@LongRoadBob come over to Texas and we will fix you up in no time. Lots of good flying weather days here. Go back home with your rating. My aunt Berit is from Norway. She came for college and stayed here.
 
texasclouds said:
@LongRoadBob come over to Texas and we will fix you up in no time. Lots of good flying weather days here. Go back home with your rating. My aunt Berit is from Norway. She came for college and stayed here.
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I can not catch a break. Have tried since this post for at least 10 bookings. When the plane is "healthy" (right now the DG cannot be set...but that's been for a few weeks now so its seen as healthy) the weather has been worst ever.

Just set up a booking for next monday, after losing last sun. and mon. bookings to weather, and saw a note from the airport that the runway on monday will be closed due to..drone testing. Whatever that means. Was scheduled earlier but because of bad weather, they moved it.

What is the deadline in the US from when you pass the written until you have to have your PPL or else take it all again?
Is there ANY chance for extension on it when you are near to completion and haven't yet got it in the US?
 
LongRoadBob said:
What is the deadline in the US from when you pass the written until you have to have your PPL or else take it all again?
Is there ANY chance for extension on it when you are near to completion and haven't yet got it in the US?
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24 months
 
This Sunday my CFI will endorse me to take the practical exam for the PPL. I currently have 89 hours, mostly in a Cessna 152. This is certainly more hours than I intended, but I can probably chalk that up to a combination of training only on weekends, lots of cancellations due to weather, lack of airplane/instructor availability, training at a busy class D airport (KHEF, I can only guess how many of those hours are on the ground waiting to taxi/take off), etc. The only flight experience requirement that has been challenging has been the 3 hours of dual with an instructor in the two calendar months leading up to the checkride... this time of year that's a tall order for a weekend flier. I took half a day off from work which was the only way to make this work. Too many checkride cancellations and I'll have the same problem again... I'll post again once my checkride is scheduled.
 
LongRoadBob said:
I can not catch a break. Have tried since this post for at least 10 bookings. When the plane is "healthy" (right now the DG cannot be set...but that's been for a few weeks now so its seen as healthy) the weather has been worst ever.

Just set up a booking for next monday, after losing last sun. and mon. bookings to weather, and saw a note from the airport that the runway on monday will be closed due to..drone testing. Whatever that means. Was scheduled earlier but because of bad weather, they moved it.

What is the deadline in the US from when you pass the written until you have to have your PPL or else take it all again?
Is there ANY chance for extension on it when you are near to completion and haven't yet got it in the US?
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Well I can't either! Last two weekends have been low clouds and I haven't touched a yoke! Feb 19 is my check ride date. Hope the weather is good and I pass!

Do you use the FAR/AIM rules in Europe?
 
texasclouds said:
Well I can't either! Last two weekends have been low clouds and I haven't touched a yoke! Feb 19 is my check ride date. Hope the weather is good and I pass!

Do you use the FAR/AIM rules in Europe?
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Similar, they are the European versions, mostly the same I think, but also countries have some differences.
 
RingLaserGyroSandwich said:
This Sunday my CFI will endorse me to take the practical exam for the PPL. I currently have 89 hours, mostly in a Cessna 152. This is certainly more hours than I intended, but I can probably chalk that up to a combination of training only on weekends, lots of cancellations due to weather, lack of airplane/instructor availability, training at a busy class D airport (KHEF, I can only guess how many of those hours are on the ground waiting to taxi/take off), etc. The only flight experience requirement that has been challenging has been the 3 hours of dual with an instructor in the two calendar months leading up to the checkride... this time of year that's a tall order for a weekend flier. I took half a day off from work which was the only way to make this work. Too many checkride cancellations and I'll have the same problem again... I'll post again once my checkride is scheduled.
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My instructor hasn't been able to schedule my checkride because the examiner is so backed up with weather-related "reschedules" that they aren't penciling in any new people yet. This is completely screwing up my instruments training, but I shouldn't be surprised. You need to allot yourself 4x more months to accomplish ANYTHING with regards to the PPL than you would expect. At least, that has been my experience over the past 2.5 years.
 
OK, time to stop lurking on here and post. Student pilot, just finished night time and simulated instrument requirements, about to be turned loose on solo XCs. Passed the written about a week ago. Weather pending, I don't have much longer to go to get my ticket. My original plan was to complete PPL in 4-6 months. I am slightly past that and it looks like it will end up around 8 months total due to weather cancellations, etc. One thing I have seen on this board a bunch of times is that getting your PPL is a "license to learn" and it is clear to me now that is very, very true. Great times to be had. Stay safe.
 
1st step back to the IR: 5 month overdue annual club checkout scheduled today. (Plus night checkout. Hopefully I can maintain the night currency this time.) I just looked at my logbook and my last flight was 8/24/18. Gee, how'd that happen?

Then ground school intensive and written. Then...
 
Annnd, I'm 1) club current, 2) night current, 3) fresh BFR. Felt pretty good to go fly and the instructor was quite impressed that it had been almost 6 months since I'd been up.

We started with ground. He showed me some very useful bits with ForeFlight (I'm for all practical purposes a new user not having used it since 2014).

We were taxiing out to take off and I looked at my watch and said "2 more minutes until this counts for night."
He replied "Finally! Someone as anal retentive as I am."

It was a cloudy night but clear beneath. We flew out of KORL to the NW over Lake Apopka to do air work. Steepish (he didn't want me to do 45 degree banks with not much of a horizon) 360 deg turns right & left. Slow flight, recovery from slow flight, timed turns with the foggles on. He commented that I held altitude and speed better than he did. All that instrument work apparently pays off...

That done, we headed back in to KORL and they were using runway 25 (which is right traffic). Controller directed me to downwind. Then, about 3 miles out, told me to head direct to base. So I did. Then she told me to turn base now (which was close in). I complied and pulled the plug, cranked in the flaps and started one of those steep turning descents. I could make it work but she then told me "123 that's too close. Go around! I'll call your crosswind.". So I got to do a go around for real. (No big deal. We were still 4-500 feet up.)

Wind was from the SE and shifting around to the south. After I turned crosswind as instructed, she said "When you get to mid-field, do a left 360." and after a few seconds, "Then do a 180-we're changing runways." So now we're using runway 7 and conventional left traffic. We requested a stop and go (almost 7000 feet of runway). Cleared for stop & go. I flared a little high, but caught it with a little power and it wasn't bad at all. Took off again, and for the next pass the wind is now 140 at 7. Did the crosswind correction down and at about 20 feet, the wind all but quit. (There's really nothing close to the runway to blank it so I'm not sure what happened, but at any rate it caught me off guard. I landed a bit crooked (still on the left rudder and right aileron to compensate for the missing wind) careened a little but got it all sorted. I told the instructor I was embarrassed by that one.

We taxied back and waited for a Pilatus and a jet (which seemed to hang out there on final forever!) and chatted. OK, last lap. Unless I scared the instructor or me, I was going to be done for the night. Wind is now 150 at 11 with small gusts. I'm definitely crabbing noticeably to stay on the downwind leg. The wind dropped off again at about 20 feet-not completely but significantly. This time I caught it and while I still flared a bit high and used some power to cushion to touchdown, I was on centerline and straight.

OK for now and I can get a plane an go practice on my own.
Felt good. Last prior flight was August 24th, 2018.

John
 
This is also my first post.

I’m don’t have my log book in front of me at the moment but if my memory serves me correct I’m wanting to say 46hrs total. I have .6 of night time and 5 night landings, .2 hours of solo XC and 4 hours of solo time left. Along with checkride prep. I still haven’t taken my written. I’m certain I would pass but I haven’t scored well enough on practice tests (I intend on being in the mid- high 90s) to suit me yet so I still haven’t taken it.

I have had to start and stop several times due to life and finances getting in the way. I learned a long time ago with this that if I focused on how long it takes to finish I would get too frustrated and maybe hang it up. So instead I’ve just tried to enjoy the experience. I wanted to fly airplanes ever since I knew there was such a thing. I’ve loved every second of my flight training and becoming a pilot has been the best thing I’ve ever done with my life. It’s been expensive but I’d have blown it all on something regardless. I’m in my mid 30s and have no interest in the airline life but I have started to give some real thought to eventually becoming a CFI.

No matter what I choose to do after my ppl is complete I’m always going to try to keep learning and getting better. I don’t just want to be a pilot, I want to be an extremely good one.
 
Just started my online ground school this week and going with a buddy in a few months when he renews his med. Hopefully start the flying part for the PPL by the fall.
 
I've registered for a IR weekend intensive ground school. I figure I'll get the written passed again. Then I'm planning to do an intensive get-the-rating school. Anybody with experinec with these folks:http://www.obxflight.com/flight_programs

Unfortunately, PIC won't work because I can only use club instructors in club planes. Although if I win the Sundowner raffle, maybe...
 
The training is intense but you will fly in IMC if weather permits. Highly recommended and we would go with OBX Flight anytime again. Scott is an awesome teacher!
 
RingLaserGyroSandwich said:
My instructor hasn't been able to schedule my checkride because the examiner is so backed up with weather-related "reschedules" that they aren't penciling in any new people yet. This is completely screwing up my instruments training, but I shouldn't be surprised. You need to allot yourself 4x more months to accomplish ANYTHING with regards to the PPL than you would expect. At least, that has been my experience over the past 2.5 years.
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My checkride is next weekend. I was weathered out last weekend and this weekend, so last chance for me to practice is the day before, but with my luck there will be an F5 tornado over the airport all day. I did simulator training in IMC today as the first lesson for my instruments course in the meantime... it was challenging but I performed pretty well so I anticipate I'll have no trouble with the "hooded" portion of the checkride. He can even make me go partial panel if he wants.

I was provided a scenario to perform the flight planning for, which I took care of today. I had to be pretty careful with fuel planning since a Cessna-152 can't carry much weight and my "friend Jim" is pretty heavy. Without a tailwind (per today's weather) we probably would have needed to land somewhere in the middle to refuel...
 
New student in the Syracuse, NY area. Haven’t started flight training yet. Finished the ground school portion and got the medical out of the way. Right now trying to pick the best choice for flight training. I live a few miles from Whitfords Airport (B16) but I haven’t been able to get ahold of the instructor. Checking out True Course Flight School out of Fulton (KFZY) in a few days. There are a few options right in Syracuse and I work near (KITH) which also has training.. So many choices!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
jsstevens said:
I've registered for a IR weekend intensive ground school. I figure I'll get the written passed again. Then I'm planning to do an intensive get-the-rating school. Anybody with experinec with these folks:http://www.obxflight.com/flight_programs

Unfortunately, PIC won't work because I can only use club instructors in club planes. Although if I win the Sundowner raffle, maybe...
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Well, obxflight is booked solid for 2019. (There's an expansion opportunity there!) They were gracious, put me on the waiting list and gave me a referral. Anybody got any experience with Joe Kemmerer of Advanced Aviation Training in Apopka, FL?
 
Kenny Lee said:
61 y/o semi retired and going for my PPL. I've got 9-1/2 hours so far. Doing my ground school stuff through King Schools. I've learned a lot, but, I still have lots to learn. I've landed w/o input from CFI a few times. Not ready to solo yet, but, I think I'm getting close. Another few lessons I think. So far we're staying close to the field and trying to get this landing thing down a bit better. Waiting on my medical. Had to go for a special issuance due to diabetes and a melanoma I had last year. Feel fairly confidant I'll get it eventually. It would be depressing if I don't. Finally can afford to fly, but health wouldn't let me? Blah.

Good luck everyone. I enjoy reading your tales.
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You can't solo until you get your medical anyway. Just hang in there and keep plugging away and don't let life get in the way.
 
I did it! I flew my solo yesterday at 7.7 hours! The flight itself was like any other (awesome), but it was WEIRD walking out to the plane alone... Getting in alone... Closing the canopy without someone next to me. Once I picked up the checklist it was back to business and the nerves went away. Had a blast!
 
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