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

Wow, todays lesson was intense. Cloud cover was rolling in, so I showed up to my school expecting to cancel my flight. It was broken at about 2000-2100. My instructor asked me if I still wanted to go up, we would do some ground reference maneuvers so we would still be below the clouds, then we could call up approach and file IFR for an ILS approach back into KMYF and get some actual instrument time.

I have done a couple of hours of simulated instrument with foggles, but holy crap this was way different. Wasn't expecting the turbulence and how the plane wants to really move around while in the clouds. Had the plane pretty much straight and level, but then out of nowhere the plane was in a bank and my body was totally lying to me. Caught me off guard. Really reinforced performing a consistent scan of the instruments. Once I got over the initial nerves of realizing I am in actual clouds, I kept the plane pretty much on course at all times. Instructor said I did really good given my first time in real clouds. Even though we broke out of the clouds at about 1900-2000, I still flew in to the runway on the localizer and glide slope and watched visually to compare the two.

Was super fun being able to get actual instrument time, so just wanted to share! :)

-Brian
 
I'm at 13.7 hours total. Soloed at 9 and have 4.7 PIC. Next lesson will be a dual cross country. So far it's been a blast!
 
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Took my first solo cross-country in more than 30 years today. Flew from my home airport CCB to French Valley F70, a nice little airport near temecula / murrieta in the California desert.

Flight went just fine except for the first five minutes or so when for some stupid reason I started following the needle on NAV two instead of NAV one (I was doing VOR navigation). Dumb, dumb, dumb. I am not sure what VOR NAV two was tuned to, but it definitely wasn't the paradise PDZ VOR I wanted. I still cannot believe I made that mistake.

But I eventually figured out what I was doing wrong gave myself a forehead slap, began referring to the correct instrument, and went on my merry way.

Great flight
 
Doing ground lessons for CFI training. Lots of studying and lesson plan prep! School has really swamped me. I'm trying to go twice a week to my flight school but haven't been able to make the time.
 
You guys are fun to read. Reminds me of my flight training days. Although I never quit learning I sometimes think it would be fun to pretend to be a student. I remember feeling like my day was ruined when we had to cancel due to weather. I remember being 14 and thinking how cool it would be just to know a pilot. I thought there was no way I'd ever have the guts or knowledge to be a CFI, yet I taught for four years, and how an ATP was like being the all knowing god in aviation. It's not, we keep learning too. I remember what my first examiner told me after passing my checkride, "never quit learning, don't throw your books in the closet to collect dust." I don't recall a lot of things in life but I do remember the day I soloed 11 years ago. Becoming a pilot has it's challenges but saver every moment and don't rush to the end. It's the journey you'll remember.
 
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Passed my check ride today! It's official, now I can take the wife on her first flight in the plane she "let" me buy! Lol
 
Congrats, Jcook1! Today was my first lesson. Awesome to buy yourself a plane to celebrate!
 
New here, and I enjoy reading everyone's experiences.

I'm a student pilot soloing in and out of Class B (PHNL). I'm at 35 hours and probably have 15 more (at least) to go. I've slowed down the flying some as I feel like I'm way behind on the ground school stuff (POH, FAR/AIM), so I've been focusing on that.
 
Finally got my Special Issuance medical today after having my exam on Sept 26th. SI because of sleep apnea, and I didn't provide the initial sleep study results on the initial submission, thus the delay.

Now after 24 hours of dual, 6.4 dual XC already done, along with all my night requirements I can finally get signed off to solo. :)
 
Progressing well with my CFI training. I've been doing all ground for the past month but next week we're going in the plane.
 
First post here. Got my special issuance medical last week, and have my first (Well sorta first - I have 9 hours from 11 years ago) lesson on Friday. Can't wait to get back in the air. :)
 
I suppose I count into this group. Trying to get my CFI finished. The flying is a breeze, but all of the ground is about to kill me.
 
dlsmith said:
I suppose I count into this group. Trying to get my CFI finished. The flying is a breeze, but all of the ground is about to kill me.
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Good luck! I'd say I'm half way done with my CFI training. My binder full of lesson plans are looking pretty nice now.
 
jordane93 said:
Good luck! I'd say I'm half way done with my CFI training. My binder full of lesson plans are looking pretty nice now.
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Thanks, you too! Mine was fairly brief. Lesson plans are easy enough for us, we each do one and then share. The FOI stuff is making zero sense to me still. :mad2:
 
I've got my 150nm X country to do this Sunday---hope weather allows---a little bit of hood. Then all the exams.
 
Officially DONE with all the required flights after my hood time last Sunday. Studying for written, practicing for Checkride
 
First flight back went about as expected. Holding altitude in turns was a little tougher than I remember, but all in all it was an OK day.

Except after the flight I forgot to duck under the wing. I'm now sporting a 2" gash in my forehead. :mad2:
 
krock918316 said:
First flight back went about as expected. Holding altitude in turns was a little tougher than I remember, but all in all it was an OK day.

Except after the flight I forgot to duck under the wing. I'm now sporting a 2" gash in my forehead. :mad2:
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You didn't get diamond plated did you? :rofl:
 
mjfrisby said:
My story is a long one, certainly not the longest, but here you have it.

Started my journey in Alaska in 1996 (I come from a family of pilots, like most folks from AK). Got my solo and had roughly 25 hours total at the time. Went to college, ran out of money, moved out of state (CO), went to college again, got a job, got married, had kids, moved again (FL), got another job...etc. etc...(that ole' chestnut). Found a "cheap flight school"... hated the instructor. Found a different school...liked the instructor (he got an ATP job)...moved again...found another instructor through a reference...

Here we are 18 years later from my first solo. I'm currently at 35 hours with a few requirements to meet (lost my initial logbook in my "less discretionary days") and really looking forward to my checkride in November. My lifelong dream of being a Private Pilot is just over the horizon..!!
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Well, I passed my ASEL checkride this past Tuesday. 1.5 hr Oral and 1.8 on the hobbs for the practical. All the normal things you would expect on a checkride, except at the very end, after a pretty decent soft field landing back at our home base, taxiing back to the FBO where we started, holding short of a crossing runway about 100 yards from our parking spot....the nose-wheel tire went flat!! There's a washer thats supposed to go between the valve stem and the wheel that wasn't installed. Over time it wore through the innertube. SO glad it didn't happen at the airport we did all our other landings at..small uncontrolled, no on field mechanics... All in all a great day and I am so proud to finally be a licensed pilot!
 
mjfrisby said:
Well, I passed my ASEL checkride this past Tuesday. 1.5 hr Oral and 1.8 on the hobbs for the practical. All the normal things you would expect on a checkride, except at the very end, after a pretty decent soft field landing back at our home base, taxiing back to the FBO where we started, holding short of a crossing runway about 100 yards from our parking spot....the nose-wheel tire went flat!! There's a washer thats supposed to go between the valve stem and the wheel that wasn't installed. Over time it wore through the innertube. SO glad it didn't happen at the airport we did all our other landings at..small uncontrolled, no on field mechanics... All in all a great day and I am so proud to finally be a licensed pilot!
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Congrats!
 
Just started to study for the IR Written. Once I pass the written I will probably do 20hrs in the sim during Jan-Feb and then finish up in the Arrow in the spring. Hopefully I will have 150 hrs, IR and my complex endorsement by summer.
 
I'm about to start getting serious about working for my instrument rating; right now I just have the private, and about 160 hours total, though I already have to 50 of XC I need. Barring any unexpected delays I should be done before the weather gets hot again, hopefully. ;)
 
I too am in the IR boat now. Need to get serious about the home study, ask myATP buddy a lot of questions and once I pass the written and get my plane IFR certified, I will start hood work with my CFII.
 
I got my Private Pilot license 3 weeks back with 89 hours. Thinking about studying IFR but going to take it slow for now.
 
Written passed this week. Night XC tomorrow. Than 1 hour hood time, and polishing to PTS standards, then check ride. Almost there.
 
I am a student pilot in my 12th year.. So I had all legal numbers already covered before picking up flying again. Logged just short of 10 hrs since restarting, took the written again, and now just waiting for the DPE to get back from vacation so I can take the checkride.

Gotten some cool free experience mixed in too as my CFI also flies part 135.
 
davef22 said:
I got my Private Pilot license 3 weeks back with 89 hours. Thinking about studying IFR but going to take it slow for now.
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Unless it is out of financial necessity, you're kinda screwing yourself. You have inertia in the studying process, your new found skills haven't started to atrophy yet; I would suggest if you want to get an IR that you just keep proceeding, and make every training flight into a cross country.
 
Passed my written this morning, 95%. Hoping that does indeed translate into an easier oral exam on the check ride! :) Check ride is looking like mid dec, weather permitting of course. Almost there!

-Brian
 
B17Rex said:
Passed my written this morning, 95%. Hoping that does indeed translate into an easier oral exam on the check ride! :) Check ride is looking like mid dec, weather permitting of course. Almost there!

-Brian
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Kinda, the DE won't be easier on you, they have to meet their standard, however if you know the material, it will go easier than if you didn't.;) The oral isn't difficult, there will be questions you don't know the answer to, no worries, the answer to those is all much the same, "I'm not sure, I need to look in <insert reference here> to find out." As long as you were on the third or later question on that subject matter, you are fine." NEVER try to BS the DE, that is what they are looking out for in this.
 
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I just passed my stage one checkride for IFR! Part 141 school so I get lots of practice being told I suck.
 
Moved from Europe with Private/SEL/MEL/British IMC Rating 2 years ago. Now in MD with FAA Private SEL working on IR and Comm.

Never too old . . . .
 
Triggerhappyjack said:
I just passed my stage one checkride for IFR! Part 141 school so I get lots of practice being told I suck.
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Yeah, but if your schools anything like mine, those stage checks will make the ride a breeze. The End of Course checks here are definitely harder than most check rides.

Still waiting to hear from the FSDO on approval for my CFI ride :(

But on the other hand, officially got the confirmation for starting my multi, so hoping to get rolling on that in the next couple weeks. Then I'm done being a student until ATP time.
 
dlsmith said:
Then I'm done being a student until ATP time.
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I guess you plan on flying the 172 until 1500 hours. I know I become a student every time the company puts me in a new plane or I have a route check.
 
Been a long month. I've only been up once so far mostly due to the weather. Since I'm off this week, I'm on the schedule 4 days, including this morning at 9am. Not looking good though.

FM221400 12007KT 5SM BR OVC015
 
NJP_MAN said:
I guess you plan on flying the 172 until 1500 hours. I know I become a student every time the company puts me in a new plane or I have a route check.
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Wish I could go with something other than flight instruction, but with school making trips in corporate planes is pretty much out. I should be able to fly some light twins (Dutchess, Navajo, and maybe a couple Barons if I'm nice to the right people :D) on some odd trips to get parts for someone and the like.
 
3.9 hours. CFI took me up for stalls and I stalled my training.
 
I'm out of town most of December, but hoping to get a check ride scheduled for sometime in January.
 
Streak continues. Looked promising with ceilings of 2300 and 5mi visibility in mist. Preflighted the plane and fired it up. Tuned ATIS and visibility had dropped to 3mi. Instructor said no go. I'll try again tomorrow.
 
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