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

J

JasonM

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JM
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Was just wondering how many active students there are on here and how you guys are making out? Nice knowing others are pushing themselves through the same stuff. Let us know where you are with your training! :D


09/16/2014 Update: I passed my IR Checkride. I am going to gain experience in the system for a year then work on my commercial. Long term goal is CFI. Still a student. :yes:

04/22/2014 Update: I passed my instrument rating written test. Still gaining the required hood time.

02/13/2014 Update: I added High Performance to the logbook in Jan 2014. Still pursuing my instrument rating but the winter weather has kept me from doing much.

11/08/2013 Update: I passed my PPL Checkride in Sept 2013. I am pursuing my instrument rating currently. I hope this thread can stay alive with the status of other students. It is nice reading everyone's progress!





My Original Post:

I'm getting really close to my check ride and have 56 hours so far. I'm guessing i'll have close to 70 hours when I take the tests. Took me a grueling 28 to solo and I have been flying more than required because this stuff is just to dang fun. So much for the 40 hour requirement. :rofl:

I know a few of you are around the same point and others catching up fast. :goofy:
 
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I'm an Instrument student - just starting that after getting my PPL at 80 hours in March.
 
I'm somewhat of a perpetual student. Currently a CFI student hoping to finish within a couple of weeks.


Enjoy being a student though. You'll look back and wonder where the time went, and not believe that at some point it was all very very new.
 
FAA hasn't considered me a student for a while now, doesn't mean I haven't been training though
 
I am not officially a student(not going for any rating), but I am always learning something new, and finding out something old is wrong, so I guess that makes me a perpetual student.
 
Student pilot pursuing my private pilot's. Was ready to solo about 3 months ago but my medical was delayed. Fortunately, I was able to work on other things like short and soft field takeoffs and landings while waiting on the medical. Just solo'ed on Thursday (7/18) at 37 hours. Currently studying for the knowledge exam. Also looking forward to my solo cross country, as well as, night takeoffs and landings.
 
Presolo student with just over 39 hours going for the sport pilot certificate. My CFI says that I am close to soloing. Going to knock out my first solo before I go back to college for the fall semester, take my written test sometime during the fall semester, and make a mad dash for the finish line of my training in the winter break by hopefully trying to fly as often as I can during winter break.
 
Newly certificated pilot and after three lessons with two new instructors working on High Performance endorsement and C182 checkout, I am humbled by how much I still DON'T know!
 
100-hour/27-year (time-in-training, not age) student. I started when I was 16 and between college, family, and military life, I started and stopped several times. Now I'm 9-months & 35-hours back in training and am prepping for my check ride. I'd love to move on to an instrument rating when I'm done with my private, but I think I'll just enjoy the ride for a bit before going back in formal training mode.
 
IFR Student

To the OP - - PPL can get frustrating...hang with it. It's all worth it. :)
 
Pre solo Part 61 PPL student with I think, 14.6 hours. Close to solo and life got in the way. Returning to flying in about 3 weeks when my schedule can accommodate it. Studying Jeppesen and Machado books and in search of a ground school in the mean time.

I would've pursued a Sports Pilot certificate if not for the fact that there is only one LSA within 70 miles of me and it has a stingy payload.
 
Perpetual student. Right now, looking to scare up some money to finish my IR.
 
3,400 hr Comm/Instr/CFI-I/MEI/Glider working on ATP. Then seaplane. Then helicopter...maybe. They still seem to defy logic. :D
 
Hey, finally a conversation where I have something to add! :D

PPL student, about 25 hours so far. Did two solo cross country flights this weekend since the weather was good both days. Doing a lot of reading at home studying for the written test which I'll hopefully be ready for in a month or so.
 
6 months in and I am at 37 hours. Take my written on Aug 4th and should take my check ride sometime during the week of Aug 12th. I was off to a fast start when I was hit by a medical deferral that took 115 days to complete. Doing my long XC this weekend...or maybe during the week depending on the weather.
 
PPASEL and commercial glider pilot, currently prepping for the glider CFI. Wx has really messed up the flying so far this season, but I've been studying, at least.
Forget the hours... just focus on doing your best and never stop being willing to learn.
 
About 35 hours logged here, going for my PPL but sadly not quite at the rate I was hoping. Wishing I could take a vacation away from all the other things and obligations so I could focus strictly on my PPL for a few weeks. Hoping to be finished by the end of August. Fingers crossed. Good luck with your training!
 
Finished my PPL in June and working on my complex signoff in a Mooney now.

***Update*** Got my complex signoff in August, and started studying for the IFR written last week.
 
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Wow, this is awesome. When I thought about making this thread I didn't think about all of you guys that are already pilots and focusing on other more advanced training. That is great to see that training is an ongoing thing for so many of you. Good luck to you all as well. Also nice reading about where everyone is currently.
 
Yep- 50 years of daily flying practice and it's al been training and preparation for my next flight.
 
just solo'd on Saturday and still have an ear to ear smile on my face. I have to check my logbook again, but I think I'm at 31 hours. Can't wait to start my xc's.
 
Student pilot here, chasing PPL.

Started in July of last year with an intro flight and follow up a couple weeks later. Then didn't get serious until December. Soloed in January at 12 hours. Had a couple bumps in the road (changed instructors due to mine having a medical issue, time/schedule constraints, etc).

Now I'm at 47.5, and after a flight review with my CFI, scheduling checkride.
 
I'm a fairly new student at 15.3 hours. Haven't soloed yet but we're working towards it (weather has been dicey the last few times up so it is great practice but not really conducive to demonstrating landing proficiency - on our last flight the instructor had a really tough time with it (very gusty crosswinds)).

I've always been interested in aviation but never really had the discretionary money to take lessons. I've been flying PC simulators since elementary school and I'm in my late 30s now. The sim experience really helps with some things, and leads to some bad habits like staring at instruments. Overall though I'd say I've found it beneficial - the plane doesn't really surprise me from a theory standpoint even if I'm still getting used to the fact that the air moves far more chaotically in real life. I think it is important for students with sim experience to be teachable though - even if I think I understand something I try to remember that there are probably real-world elements that I've missed. I think that lots of PC simulator practice gives you an education that is very advanced in some areas, with lots of little gaps of profound ignorance in others.
 
Started training in September 2012- so far 41hrs, FAA exam completed (over studied by 22 pts :lol:). I did a solo a few weeks back, then did- 2 more supervised- now I am cleared to do pattern work without "supervision". I was about to get dual x-country in this weekend but- NYC weather: TSRA when I was about to head out:hairraise: - so I took the chance to impress my instructor with some landings for the rest of the hour:goofy:

It feels like forever..but this journey has been AMAZING
Thanks to All on the board for sharing!
 
Training for Sport Pilot, close to solo with 40 hours. Sounds like a lot of pre-solo hours but half of them were 2 years ago--that gap in training is not good for progressing in one's skills, especially at age 58.

Wish I had done this years ago, having a blast.
 
PPL student here with about 23 hours. Did my long solo xc last Sunday and need to get my night flights and a couple other items knocked out. Also need another long xc solo to hit my five hours. Studying for my written right now. Have a GREAT CFI who is also a friend and co-worker, so I luckily don't participate in the 'Bad CFI' threads. Lol
 
PPL student.
Started training May last year, trying to do at least one lesson a week but not always possible, what with weather work and family.

Used the Gleim and Sporty's home study courses and past the written with a 90%

I did my pre-solo check ride at about 20 hrs, everything went great, then the next lesson I hit the "training block" that everyone told me I would and I couldn't find the correct flare height for love or money.

Ended up going Solo at about 35hrs.

I have completed all my solo and cross country requirements, still need 5 night landings and about 1/2 hour simulated IFR.

I had my check ride scheduled for a couple weeks back but just didn't have time to get the last couple of requirements in so pushed it back and then my home airport decided to resurface the runways :mad2:. Oh well just more time for book work.

I flew yesterday for the first time in a month, surprising how quick you get rusty and then back into it. I love it, I waited 30 years too long to start this gig.

I know I could have pushed my school/instructor to get me to my check ride many lessons back, but my philosophy from the beginning has been not to rush, and as most of the time I will be flying, there will be someone else with me, it may as well be a CFII with over 8000 hrs.:D

By the time all is said and done I hope to be taking my test between the 75-85 hr mark
 
58 hours, havn't flown in over a year , just need to do written and brush up then finish up .... Just way to much personal crap going on right now . It's hard to schedule lessons when you have no set finish time with your job and too many projects to complete on your house. One of these days i'll get around to it.
 
Going for Private Pilot. Reached 39.5 hours 5 years ago and then didn't finish. I am at 4 more hours again now (43.5 total) and getting ready to re-solo. Just passed the written today with a 90%.
 
Even after over 2 decades, always have to keep learning something for flying plus, I'm so damn hard to teach.
 
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I started my first lesson towards the end of January. I am now at about 24 hours logged. Solo 4 times so far, the last one my instructor let me actually break away from the pattern and go "explore" a little. I about 2 hours of hood work done, flown to a controlled tower 3 times with my instructor. I was flying about 1-2 times a week till recently. I dropped about $400 on airline tickets to Airventure, prolly another 70 on parking, and plan on spending a lot more when I get to Oshkosh, so that kind of put a dent in my flying funds lol. I am sure it will all be worth it in the end for me. I have already mapped out what forums and stuff I want to see and I am sure I will pick up a book or two at the booksale. Being surrounded by planes and aviation everything for an entire week counts as my ground schooling right? :lol:
 
Since the beginning of this year I have gone from 4 -> 100 hours in several different Piper PA28's. First solo in March, PP-ASEL in June, bought into a Cherokee 180 in June. I am now building some XC PIC for the (hopefully) upcoming commercial, and starting homework for the instrument rating. It has been a busy half-year!
 
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