Student Pilot - Intro, thoughts, questions

I've had crummy luck with weekend flying weather here in Pittsburgh, but that's not necessarily surprising for this time of the year.

Meanwhile I've been hitting the books hard at home.

I've finished all the study units in the Gleim Pilot's Handbook and the FAA Knowledge Test Prep book. I've been doing the practice tests and have been scoring in the 85-90% range consistently on them.

Also brushing up on concepts that I've had issues with in the Gleim material over in the Rod Machado Handbook (it does a better job of breaking down complex ideas).

Not much else going on. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and an equally great new year!
 
Updating this thread after a LONG hiatus.

This month marks my 1-year anniversary from the day I started my lessons; not too happy with my progress, but there's nothing much I can do until I can start getting out more often. With winter on the doorstep, it might be a while before I can really put some more time in.

I'm up to precisely 20 hours of flight-time with over 80 Landings.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to fly very often; got promoted at work and the new job is really kicking my behind. The good news I have some extra $$$ to use towards flying, the bad news, don't have much time to use it.

For the past several months I have been averaging about 2 hours on the Hobbs a month, if that. I know; it's terrible.

Due to the infrequency of the flight time, I am legitimately fighting to refine my techniques while fighting off the rust.

Haven't soloed yet. Mostly because I am still having issues with Landings. At this point my past several flights have been mostly landing practice with some other manuever's practice thrown in for good measure. I guess it doesn't help that my local airport doesn't have VASI, however I should be better at this than I am right now, which is due to the lack of regular flying, and obviously frustrating.

Feeling down, BUT I am planning on keeping at it. It may take a while, but I'll get there.
 
Yeah, hang in there, it's tough to make progress at that rate. Remember, good landings are all about trim; trim, trim, trim, all the way down. Trim for airspeed then use the throttle to control your rate of descent. Go up and practice stalls, note your stall speed in an approach to landing stall, (power off, full flaps) take that number into the POH IAS-CAS conversion chart and get CAS, multiply that by 1.3, convert that number back to IAS and use that for your approach speed. Now trim for that and note what power it takes to maintain altitude, have a 300fpm descent, and 600fpm, then see what closed throttle gets you. Now you have all the information required to make a perfect and stable landing.
 
Actually, I'll suggest that a VASI is not at all necessary for learning landings, and may get in the way.

I find my short field landings are better in a 172 with full flaps if I'm above glideslope anyway, as there is less (or no) power pulled off at the end. You look at the end of the runway from 1/4 mile out, and it shouldn't move in the windscreen or change shape. Just get bigger.

The VASI really is for landing in crappy conditions, where you may not be able to see obstructions easily. You can't descend below it if it's there (unless you get back out) until "necessary for a safe landing" (at least, over the fence).

It's all about airspeed control, which is in turn all about trim.
 
Kross said:
Updating this thread after a LONG hiatus.

This month marks my 1-year anniversary from the day I started my lessons; not too happy with my progress, but there's nothing much I can do until I can start getting out more often. With winter on the doorstep, it might be a while before I can really put some more time in.

I'm up to precisely 20 hours of flight-time with over 80 Landings.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to fly very often; got promoted at work and the new job is really kicking my behind. The good news I have some extra $$$ to use towards flying, the bad news, don't have much time to use it.

For the past several months I have been averaging about 2 hours on the Hobbs a month, if that. I know; it's terrible.

Due to the infrequency of the flight time, I am legitimately fighting to refine my techniques while fighting off the rust.

Haven't soloed yet. Mostly because I am still having issues with Landings. At this point my past several flights have been mostly landing practice with some other manuever's practice thrown in for good measure. I guess it doesn't help that my local airport doesn't have VASI, however I should be better at this than I am right now, which is due to the lack of regular flying, and obviously frustrating.

Feeling down, BUT I am planning on keeping at it. It may take a while, but I'll get there.
Click to expand...


And now you know why my first flight lesson didn't happen until I was 48. :D

Keep at it. You'll finally have the time and money at the same time and things will click. And I guarantee you will feel wonderful when you pass your check ride.
 
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