Starting flight school

J

Joe Williamson

Pre-Flight
Joined
Dec 17, 2021
Messages
48
Display Name
Display name:
Joe
Hey everyone, I finally took the leap to get pilots license. I’m looking forward to getting my own plane and flying my family around the country. My first flight lesson is next week. If you have any advice or suggestions on what I should do between now and my first lesson I would appreciate it.
 
Joe Williamson said:
Hey everyone, I finally took the leap to get pilots license. I’m looking forward to getting my own plane and flying my family around the country. My first flight lesson is next week. If you have any advice or suggestions on what I should do between now and my first lesson I would appreciate it.
Click to expand...

Starting a flight school is not a good idea unless you are at least a certified flight instructor and you own an airplane :D
 
Fly as often as you can with as few long breaks between lessons as possible. There will be ups and downs (no pun intended) so keep spirits up and realize that we all were in your shoes at one time and persevered. Good luck and as you progress through your training and I encourage you to ask for specific advice when doubts or questions arise. We've all been there and believe me when I say flying is a wonderful lifetime adventure.
 
Bring sunglasses.
Bring a camera.
Pester your instructor with questions.
Bring a logbook, if you have purchased one. If not, don't worry, the flight school will be able to sell you one.
Don't buy absolutely everything they want to sell you -- yet. (At least for now!) Just the logbook. A lot of other stuff (like books and plotters and whatnot) can likely be gotten for more cheaply later.
Don't be afraid to ask to fly with another instructor next time, just as a test-drive. It's important that you and your instructor can communicate and get each other's "vibe".
Relax, breathe, and have fun!
Report back here on how it went!
 
rk911 said:
best advice i can think of...don't apply for a medical unless you are certain you can pass the exam. if you have any...any...doubt then consult an AME before completing the application.
Click to expand...
Oh, yeah, and this ^^^.
If you don't know what this is about, ask your instructor to explain the differences between "Sport Pilot", "3rd Class Medical", and "BasicMed", and hopefully he or she will help you determine the right path for you. If they don't, there is a whole "Medical Topics" subforum here, where you see what kinds of medical issues have disrupted people's plans for becoming a pilot.
 
Study, study, study. Speaking as a CFI everyone wants to fly the airplane...that's the fun part. Not everyone wants to buckle down & study

For now, study flight controls & the four forces acting on an airplane in flight. Your instructor will appreciate it.
 
Joe Williamson said:
Hey everyone, I finally took the leap to get pilots license. I’m looking forward to getting my own plane and flying my family around the country. My first flight lesson is next week. If you have any advice or suggestions on what I should do between now and my first lesson I would appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Write “I will not squeeze the yoke/stick with a death grip” 100 times every night.
 
Grab a checklist and get some cockpit time w/o turning anything on.

Go through the entire start, run up,and flight sequence.

Familiarize yourself with the location of every control or instrument

and indications you should expect at any given point.
 
rk911 said:
best advice i can think of...don't apply for a medical unless you are certain you can pass the exam. if you have any...any...doubt then consult an AME before completing the application.

good luck!
Click to expand...

^^^Triple noting this. Most people don’t know what jeopardizes the 3rd class medical so research this before you schedule with an AME or fill out anything on the FAA MedExpress system.

It isn’t simply an “I’m a young healthy stud.” Checkup. Read some posts in the medical forum here and check out the medical sections on the AOPA and EAA websites.

Lots of gotchas most would never think of. Took ADHD med in 6th grade? That’s a problem. Took an anti depressant when a parent passed away for more than X months? That’s a problem. Got a DUI in college? Problem.

Learn the gotchas before you apply. If you apply and get denied, you can’t fly an LSA.

If you find out it’s not worth applying for the 3rd class medical, you can still fly a Light Sport Aircraft under Sport Pilot rules (which requires that you haven’t been denied a medical).
 
saddletramp said:
Study, study, study. Speaking as a CFI everyone wants to fly the airplane...that's the fun part. Not everyone wants to buckle down & study

For now, study flight controls & the four forces acting on an airplane in flight. Your instructor will appreciate it.
Click to expand...

That's the approach I favored. I went through every textbook I could find that seemed relevant*, and a couple of the AC's that were recommended too (W&B, Wind Shear). I purchased the ASA Private Pilot Test Prep book and went through it cover to cover, three times. I took two of their online practice tests and did well enough to obtain my endorsement. I took the PAR test exactly one week ago today. I made 97, and am still kicking myself for changing a right answer to a wrong answer - twice! I have an appointment with a local AME in January, and preliminary discussions with him are positive - he seems to think with both CACI's he can approve me on the day of the examination. I will then apply for my Student Pilot Certificate. I look at it as the same way they teach driver's education in school. First classroom, pass written test, get your "learner's permit", drive, drive, drive.

One tool I found interesting and helpful was MSFS-X. When I needed a little visual presentation of some concepts (mainly navigation), I would set up the problem in the simulator. There are several practice test questions where you can set yourself up in the postulated position and then interpret the VOR head indication and visualize the concept they are trying to teach. Very handy.


* = PHAK, AFH, ASA Pilot's Manual PM-2 (Ground School)
 
Thanks everyone, this is all really helpful. I started reading the phak and studying far/aim
 
Joe Williamson said:
He asked me to start the sportys learn to fly course online.
Click to expand...
That’s like handing a aspiring home cook a few proteins and vegetables and asking them to make a Michelin star meal.

(Aka the CFI should be more involved than saying “Purchase that”)
 
rk911 said:
best advice i can think of...don't apply for a medical unless you are certain you can pass the exam. if you have any...any...doubt then consult an AME before completing the application.

good luck!
Click to expand...

There is a reason this was the 1st response and additional posts explain a bit why. What I would add is if there is any potential issue don’t consult just any AME. I know one pilot that is no longer flying after following his AME’s advice and not mine. My Advice was consult a specialist AME like Bruce Chien (aeromedicaldoc.com) His AME is a nice guy a lot of pilots including me have used him, but he doesn’t specialize in problem Medicals and this pilot submitted his application per the AME’s recommendation but then found out he would need thousands of dollars worth of tests for it to be approved. The Specialist AME will make sure you have everything you need before you submit and you will know what your odds of it getting approved are.

Brian
CFIIGI/ASEL
 
AggieMike88 said:
That’s like handing a aspiring home cook a few proteins and vegetables and asking them to make a Michelin star meal.
Click to expand...

I disagree, @AggieMike88… it’s more like asking them to buy a book about cooking and to start reading it.
You’ve got here a motivated student who likes to get started on stuff… the Sportys course is a popular one that will work just fine for a ground school. Seems reasonable to me as a suggestion.
 
Joe Williamson said:
He asked me to start the sportys learn to fly course online.
Click to expand...
Sounds like very good advice. You will learn a lot and successful completion of the course qualifies you to take the FAA written. Just make sure that your CFI supplements it with some ground time before and after each flight. Don’t get into the habit of going out to the airport and heading straight to the plane with your CFI. Especially in the early stages, each flight should start and end with at least some ground time. This gives time to brief and debrief the flight as well as for you to ask questions on the ground school material. Yes, you will be charged for this time. Yes, you should willingly and happily pay for it.
 
Lots of great advice. Especially the medical bit. Only thing I can see to add is Get Plenty Of Sleep. You're going to be learning a lot, in a short period of time. Even a young person is going to work better and learn better with some rest.
 
Albany Tom said:
Lots of great advice. Especially the medical bit. Only thing I can see to add is Get Plenty Of Sleep. You're going to be learning a lot, in a short period of time. Even a young person is going to work better and learn better with some rest.
Click to expand...
Agreed! I also recommend bring snacks and water with you when you fly so that you can keep up your energy and stay hydrated.
 
saddletramp said:
Study, study, study. Speaking as a CFI everyone wants to fly the airplane...that's the fun part. Not everyone wants to buckle down & study

For now, study flight controls & the four forces acting on an airplane in flight. Your instructor will appreciate it.
Click to expand...

And use the FAA books to find information. Don’t use google! I have canceled lessons because students good answers instead of looking through the FAA books.
 
Mxfarm said:
How long of training flight is standard now?
Click to expand...
@Mxfarm I would it was the same as it was 8 years ago when I got my certificate. I flight instruct on the side and I have had a few students drained of energy and they brought along some snacks for after or during a cross country. I bring water because I get dehydrated when I fly. Remember training can be stressful on some people.
 
mtpilot said:
@Mxfarm I would it was the same as it was 8 years ago when I got my certificate. I flight instruct on the side and I have had a few students drained of energy and they brought along some snacks for after or during a cross country. I bring water because I get dehydrated when I fly. Remember training can be stressful on some people.
Click to expand...

It seems there might be other concerns if a 1 or even 2 hour flight drained a stu’s energy to the point they needed to eat during the training, but I’m sure they’re out there. As an instructor I’d wonder about medical issues, or how serious they were taking it. Now I’m not an instructor, but I have had employees for several years. How about the check ride, snacks there too??
 
Mxfarm said:
It seems there might be other concerns if a 1 or even 2 hour flight drained a stu’s energy to the point they needed to eat during the training, but I’m sure they’re out there. As an instructor I’d wonder about medical issues, or how serious they were taking it. Now I’m not an instructor, but I have had employees for several years. How about the check ride, snacks there too??
Click to expand...
I am not talking a full meal here I am talking a snack like a bag of peanuts. Some people are different. I take snacks when I fly and when I am at work but I don't have medical issues. I am just trying to tell the OP some helpful ideas.
 
TommyG said:
And use the FAA books to find information. Don’t use google! I have canceled lessons because students good answers instead of looking through the FAA books.
Click to expand...

Is your curriculum so rigid that you can't flex and do something else that day? I would be a seriously unhappy student if you cancelled my flight because I didn't read the things you thought were the "right things". Like "you're fired" unhappy.

Most students are making exceptional effort to learn to fly, taking time away from family and work, other hobbies and of course the financial burden. They deserve a customized approach that accommodates them if at all possible. I hope if I decide to become an instructor as a retirement gig that I remember that.

And to Joe, our OP, enjoy the trip. It's going to be stressful and challenging and rewarding in ways you've never seen before.
 
I usual give a take home of 20 questions every other week. I can usually tell if they google the answers, and they admit they did. So yeah, if you can’t take the time to study and learn, I’m not wasting my time. People want the easy way, well a huge part of earning that license is study and ground work. Being a pilot without the knowledge is a problem waiting to happen.

I ask a new student one question before we start, do want to just learn to fly, or do you want to learn to be a pilot? If they want the quick easy crash course, I tell them I’m not the CFI they are looking for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top