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

Still awaiting medical but did my first night flying last week. After my most recent daytime flights in gusting crosswinds to 30kts, doing stop and goes at 22:30 with 5-7kt crosswinds were absolutely nothing. Nothing. Most were just greasers and CFI was impressed. Even the family friend CFI brought along said "you can fly me anywhere if you land like that!"
 
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Student here, I'll make this my first post. I've been lurking for a bit. Working on my cross-country hours at the moment. If all goes well I'll finish private sometime this summer. Looking forward to being able to set off somewhere just because I want to. The aviation bug has gotten me for sure.
 
I just got my high performance endorsement and club checkout in a C-182 today.

Now on to commercial SE add on for which I hold @denverpilot responsible. He suggested doing it before multi so I can just get commercial as I go...
 
Got my endorsement for the checkride today. I was feeling pretty confident until today when I made several mistakes that would have put me outside ACS standards. The second attempt anytime I messed up was perfect, but I won't get second attempts on the actual checkride. Feeling some heavy imposter syndrome at the moment. But I got the endorsement anyway, so I guess someone who knows better than me thinks I can succeed.
 
AndRotate said:
Got my endorsement for the checkride today. I was feeling pretty confident until today when I made several mistakes that would have put me outside ACS standards. The second attempt anytime I messed up was perfect, but I won't get second attempts on the actual checkride. Feeling some heavy imposter syndrome at the moment. But I got the endorsement anyway, so I guess someone who knows better than me thinks I can succeed.
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Don’t stress to much. If you’re timing it right you’ll be building up to a peak performance on the ride. If you have the endorsement I’m sure you’ll do great.
 
AndRotate said:
Got my endorsement for the checkride today. I was feeling pretty confident until today when I made several mistakes that would have put me outside ACS standards. The second attempt anytime I messed up was perfect, but I won't get second attempts on the actual checkride. Feeling some heavy imposter syndrome at the moment. But I got the endorsement anyway, so I guess someone who knows better than me thinks I can succeed.
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Happens quite often. The little scare sets you straight. Ha.
 
Onward to the commercial ticket. I've purchased Sheppard study for the written (and started it) and had my first commercial lesson last Friday. (Technically it was also a club checkout in a C-172 but since I've got close to 300 hours in those, he wasn't too concerned about that. We did steep turns to commercial standards (I did these just fine, but I've always enjoyed steep turns), Chandelles (pretty good, but I didn't get right to stall at the top), lazy 8s (just to get exposed to them) and eights around pylons. I'm nowhere near ready on those last 2, but this was a first lesson and more of a demonstration. CFI says I have very good airplane control and he sees no problems. Then we flew back to Sanford and did a short field landing (nailed it!) and then two power off 180's. These are fun and my initial CFI for private taught them to me as part of the private. We had a good breeze Friday and so I had to judge that to get to the runway.

More to come...
 
Two more flights in. We've now covered all the commercial maneuvers: Chandelles, Lazy 8's, Steep turns, 8s on pylons, slow flight, power off stalls, power on stalls, accelerated stalls, spiral descent, power off 180's and a variety of other landings.

I'm cleared to go practice all those on my own. When I was training for my private, stalls were done to full break so those were a non-event for me. My primary instructor also taught me power off 180s so I'm doing fine with those. (Need a little brush up but not bad.) Accelerated stalls sounded rough but they're not at all.

I've got one main issue which manifest in a variety of places: I'm reluctant to get the airplane slow enough. This affects chandelles, lazy 8's and short field landings. But I'm aware and I can work it. I know the airplane (C-172P) will fly at 40-45 kias in this case but I'm just holding it at around 60 without thinking about it. So practice paying attention to airspeed...

Likewise, I tend to let the speed get away from me on the steep spiral rather than hold to best glide.

Progress...
 
jsstevens said:
I've got one main issue which manifest in a variety of places: I'm reluctant to get the airplane slow enough. This affects chandelles, lazy 8's and short field landings. But I'm aware and I can work it. I know the airplane (C-172P) will fly at 40-45 kias in this case but I'm just holding it at around 60 without thinking about it. So practice paying attention to airspeed...
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Pretty common really. It just shows your butt and hands are calibrated for normal safe airspeeds after lots of experience.

Wallowing around slow gives you a tiny red warning light in your brain of self-preservation.

Many of the commercial maneuvers are designed to get you slow enough you're forced to manage the aerodynamics of control placement better when they're feeling floppy.

Your brain says quietly to you that floppy controls are bad.
 
Really crappy flight tonight. Given I'm stuck in FAA medical certification limbo, I'm only flying every other week and had to cancel my last lesson because I was out of town. As a result, it had been a month since my last flight and this afternoon I was just flying like complete crap. Couldn't hold altitude during steep turns. Couldn't hold heading during stalls. Just way off.

At a minimum, my night and simulated instrument work is done for the PPL. Now just awaiting the medical so I can kick back up to at least once/week.

Also set a deadline to take the written by July 15. Hope to take it earlier. We'll see.
 
Two more flights under the belt this week.

Wednesday we flew out to the east coast (15ish minute flight) and practiced chandelles, steep turns, lazy 8s and accelerated stalls. All are getting better and I’m getting more comfortable with getting slow. The last accelerated stall I did ( to the right) I had finished nd was recovering altitude and heading and noticed the CFI looking over his right shoulder. I asked if we had traffic (he’s been watching that). He said no, but he heard a pop on that last maneuver. :eek: He suggested we fly back to Sanford and land. So we did. Turns out to be nothing wrong but the horizontal stabilizer’s top skin will oil can when force is applied.

Today’s flight was all short field landings. After learning some subtle management of the throttle, I got it. 1 normal landing which was a nice gentle chirp. Then 10 short field, 6 with a tailwind and 4 with a head wind. The last one was, shall we say, decisive. But not terrible. And the CFI complemented that I don’t push trying to stick it so when I land the plane is done. No residual lift. I’m getting more confident.
 
Hi All,

New to the Forum, and about 15 hours in to PPL training. Was on the verge of solo at about 9 hours, but then lost 10 days to maintenance (we only have one PA28 at my school) and another week to bad weather. Was able to get a cross country and a night flight in a C172 though, so not all was lost. Spent a couple flights knocking the rust back off in the warrior, but looking to solo in the next week or so.
 
I havnt been able to fly for about 2 months due to work and weather- but i just scheduled my night cross country! I will get my last two needed night landings done. Then i need 2 more hours solo time and then its all check ride prep. Been studying for the oral (but im so nervous about it). I need to get some practice in and get better with the garmin gns430.
 
I am 3 weeks into IFR flight training. Started off reading the IFH before flying with an instructor. Had taken some time off from work and have been flying 2-3 times a week for now with the CFII. Still trying to decide which home study ground school to go with. Feeling comfortable with VOR approaches but definitely need to work the ILS and staying on the GS. It’s been both challenging and rewarding and I’m looking forward to touching the clouds on my own.
 
Hi everyone, new member here. I'm about 30 hrs into PPL and working on patterns. I keep hearing "light touch" and "more right rudder" in my sleep. I was flying a C152 but transitioned to a Cherokee 140. Really enjoying my training and I am getting much more comfortable flying the plane.
 
francisco collazos said:
Hi everyone, new member here. I'm about 30 hrs into PPL and working on patterns. I keep hearing "light touch" and "more right rudder" in my sleep. I was flying a C152 but transitioned to a Cherokee 140. Really enjoying my training and I am getting much more comfortable flying the plane.
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"Just touch it. Like you're kissin your sister..."

 
Was supposed to do my checkride today. Gusty crosswind kicked up and examiner was stacked up and leaving town for 2 weeks. So, I decided not to start with him. Have it rescheduled for Monday with another examiner. Hopefully the weather will work, but that's flying!
 
I’m 46 years old and now have 5 hours in a Cessna 172/182. I haven’t kept with it. I just had another Discovery flight this morning to see what it’s like getting back into it.
 

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Finally I soloed, day was a bit cloudy no body in the pattern, did 3 nice landings and my instructor said, well let me endorse your logbook.

As soon I took off (solo) wind start to pick up, ATC threw a few curb balls at me, extend downwind, switch runways when in base, etc., did 2 landings and taxi back. Of course they ask me to taxi (A - D - C - H - E) he gave me the whole alphabet.

Cold water bucket and picture time .
 
Weird, I got used to rub shoulders with my instructor hahahahaha, so when turning I had nothing to lean on.
 
Where do I stand? Still waiting in FAA medical limbo but have hope that it'll come soon. While in the medical waiting room, I continue to fly every two weeks or so, just practicing. Yesterday it was specific work. I've been doing some directed studying for the written and had never really paid attention to compass card issues during turns and acceleration/deceleration. So we spent some time checking that out. THen more simulated instrument. CFI said that I have the most simulated instrument time of any student pilot he's seen. Not necessarily a great thing but will help whenever I go for my instrument rating. Hopefully.

Also hand flew one RNAV approach to minimums. Challenging. I've flown one approach before but holy crap is there a lot going on. I can see that being a challenging next thing at which to become proficient.
 
After my solo we start working in VOR and soft fields take off and landings, everything ok until my airspeed indicator went to almost 0 when on final, o well not sure what happened but it start working again just seconds before touching down.
 
Juan Vallejo said:
Finally I soloed, day was a bit cloudy no body in the pattern, did 3 nice landings and my instructor said, well let me endorse your logbook.

As soon I took off (solo) wind start to pick up, ATC threw a few curb balls at me, extend downwind, switch runways when in base, etc., did 2 landings and taxi back. Of course they ask me to taxi (A - D - C - H - E) he gave me the whole alphabet.

Cold water bucket and picture time .
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Congratulations Pilot!
 
AndRotate said:
I just passed my private pilot checkride. I flew home without asking anyone for permission!
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Ha, nice, congrats. I flew an hour away to do my check ride. I was thinking, wouldn't it be ironic to have to fly myself back if I bust.
 
Solo’d today, after getting back into it after taking 2020 off for COVID while work went down the crapper. Thankfully I can dedicate a few hours a day to flying. Much better than a few hours per month I was doing before.
 
Started down the road of trying to become an airline pilot back in late 2000. Solo'd in a 172R at 13hrs then 9/11 happened and the husband of someone close to our family died in an aviation accident building time after CPL dropping skydivers. Had a newborn at the time (just like our family friend who had died) and the wife was no longer thrilled with my preferred career path. Decided to press pause on the dream and ended up with just over 27 hrs TT. After 20 years the interest in aviation has not faded and I've kept an eye on the skies as I waited for the kids to get older and the opportunity to start training again to present itself. The time now seems to have finally come and I'm considering starting flight training. I've had a pretty long and decently successful career in tech as a program manager and now trying to work out the feasibility of a career change at 50 to pursue becoming a regional airline pilot. My wife is supportive so as crazy as it feels it is worth some research and thought. So, not sure yet if I'll just be prepping to start PPL with the goal of earning my IFR or whether something much bigger is lurking out in the future.
 
323PilotTX said:
……..career change at 50 to pursue becoming a regional airline pilot. My wife is supportive so as crazy as it feels it is worth some research and thought. So, not sure yet if I'll just be prepping to start PPL with the goal of earning my IFR or whether something much bigger is lurking out in the future.
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I considered the same move. I was approaching 50 and always felt like my first career should have been pilot. I got my private pilot a few years ago and after looking at the cost of taking it to the next level, the potential income of a regional pilot/CFI, and kids going to college soon, I decided to keep it as a hobby. I had another love that I incorporated into my first career, and I no longer enjoy that particular activity. I don’t want to do the same for flying. I had an airline pilot acquaintance tell me he feels like a glorified bus driver. I have had others tell me they love it every day. Take the leap, finish your private pilot, and then see what feels right.
 
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