What to do? - waiting to fly

hockeyrcks9901

hockeyrcks9901

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Apr 9, 2013
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Tampa, FL
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hockeyrcks9901
Soooo....I've been taking lessons on average once per week and have been greatly enjoying myself. Which leads to my problem: I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL MY NEXT LESSON!

I need a fix of some kind. I read POA, reddit.com/flying, subscribe to Flying, Plane and Pilot, and Kitplanes magazines.

I'm currently watching an excellent series of videos by a gentleman building an RV-10 which I hope to someday do but I'm quickly catching up to his current videos and that will leave me looking for more.

I already took the written exam and I just need MORE to satiate my brain. Help me POAers!
 
Watch aviation videos.
 
Get the oral exam guide and start studying for the practical. Take a look at the ACS and see if you an answer every question in it.
 
Hang out at the hangars and offer to help push guys airplanes back in their hangar and maybe get a ride with them the next flight.
 
Have you looked into MS Flight Simulator? It's a good learning aid for your instrument training when the time comes.
 
If you're interested in Van's experimentals, check out the forums at VAF (Van's Air Force). A fantastic resource for anyone building, or contemplating building an aircraft. I did a build thread on my RV-9A there (SoCal RV-9A).

And to blow the cobwebs out, download WarThunder, a free WWII aerial combat game for the PC (ground combat too, but I've never gotten past the planes). The graphics are amazing! You can play it forever for free, but I spent about $20 to update the stamina of the crew. Warning: it is hugely addictive and a time-suck of the highest order, but so satisfying to hang on a guy's tail for 30 seconds and finally get a kill. You can Google a little clip of the game before you commit to a rather long download.
 
Ryanb said:
Have you looked into MS Flight Simulator? It's a good learning aid for your instrument training when the time comes.
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I've played with MSFS before. Maybe I'll go reinstall it. The only issue I had with it was that I don't have a computer that really supports it well. I thought about upgrading the computer but that's money better spent on flying.

SoCal RV Flyer said:
If you're interested in Van's experimentals, check out the forums at VAF (Van's Air Force). A fantastic resource for anyone building, or contemplating building an aircraft. I did a build thread on my RV-9A there (SoCal RV-9A).
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I do read VAF a lot. I'll look for your build!
 
hockeyrcks9901 said:
I've played with MSFS before. Maybe I'll go reinstall it. The only issue I had with it was that I don't have a computer that really supports it well. I thought about upgrading the computer but that's money better spent on flying.
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In that case spend your money on actual flying. Check eBay or Amazon and try to find an older version of MSFS. FS2004 or so will work just fine and will probably be easier on your computer.
 
Ryanb said:
In that case spend your money on actual flying. Check eBay or Amazon and try to find an older version of MSFS. FS2004 or so will work just fine and will probably be easier on your computer.
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It's not that it doesn't play fine. Just that I have to turn the graphics down to a level that it takes some of the enjoyment out.
 
Start building a plane. You certainly won't be bored. My basement is like a time machine. An hour flies by and it feels like five minutes. Learning a lot about how to and how not to build a plane. VAF is a very helpful resource.
 
hockeyrcks9901 said:
I do read VAF a lot. I'll look for your build!
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Cool! If you're ever on the Left Coast, send me a PM at VAF (screen name is rightrudder) and we'll go flying. I'm in Orange County, south of Los Angeles.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Cool! If you're ever on the Left Coast, send me a PM at VAF (screen name is rightrudder) and we'll go flying. I'm in Orange County, south of Los Angeles.
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Unlikely but I'll keep that in mind. I was in LA last year for work but the conference changes location every year. I think this year is Chicago.
 
PilotRPI said:
Start building a plane. You certainly won't be bored. My basement is like a time machine. An hour flies by and it feels like five minutes. Learning a lot about how to and how not to build a plane. VAF is a very helpful resource.
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Can you convince my wife? :)

I've got to prove the usefulness of flying first. I've almost got her sold, I'm pretty sure the first trip to St. Augustine in just around an hour will convince her.

While that's really tongue in cheek, it's not really in the cards right now but something I am investigating heavily. I love to build things, work on cars, etc.
 
My wife loves going to block island, Martha's Vineyard, the beach at Provincetown, lunch in NH, etc. All less than an hour flight.

It was always a dream of mine to build a plane. I took a while to get started. I have no timeframe, just doing it because it's fun. I have a 172 until I finish up. I hope to trade that for a new engine when the time comes. I'll build in little bits as I go.
 
hockeyrcks9901 said:
It's not that it doesn't play fine. Just that I have to turn the graphics down to a level that it takes some of the enjoyment out.
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Does your flight school offer a simulator?
 
If you have an iPad, download the free trial versions of WingX and ForeFlight, if you haven't already, and put them through the paces so you can learn them well while you are on the ground so they will be second nature when you are up flying with them. (How's that for a run on sentence?). It can be fun practicing making flight plans. WingX even has a simulator so you can pre-run your flight while looking at the SynthVision and sectionals.

PS: I also forgot to mention that WingX has a 'black box' feature that will record your flights while taking your lessons. In between lessons you can go back and play your flight(s) for review
 
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Do you drive on the centerline then? Make chirping sounds like you're touching down too fast?
 
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MickYoumans said:
If you have an iPad, download the free trial versions of WingX and ForeFlight, if you haven't already, and put them through the paces so you can learn them well while you are on the ground so they will be second nature when you are up flying with them. (How's that for a run on sentence?). It can be fun practicing making flight plans. WingX even has a simulator so you can pre-run your flight while looking at the SynthVision and sectionals.

PS: I also forgot to mention that WingX has a 'black box' feature that will record your flights while taking your lessons. In between lessons you can go back and play your flight(s) for review
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Might have to do that with WingX. I have ForeFlight downloaded but trying not to do too much with it until we do some XC work at my lessons. What I may do when we do our first XC is to redo it on ForeFlight and WingX for a bit of fun.

eman1200 said:
You can count down the days until preseason hockey.
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YES! I'm a season ticket member for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Once hockey comes back I'll be set but that's not until October.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I just make radio calls while driving around in my car. I pretend like I'm flying in formation with all the other cars.
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Yes, but wearing my headset while doing that is what got drivers' attention. Seriously, I would relive every lesson on MS-FS and practice stuff I'd been taught. Then I'd close my eyes and chair fly while reciting "Say Again" phraseology.
 
Good to know I'm not the only one who rehearses the calls, usually while browsing SkyVector!

When I'm driving on the freeway, I like to pretend I'm in the pattern, and keep the speedometer needle precisely at one speed.

Hockey, have you seen the Flight Chops series of videos? They're quite good...interesting range of topics and pretty high production value, for YouTube fare.
 
Read. Try Rod Machado. Read "Say It Again". Read the FARs and AIM. Read "Airplane Flying Handbook'. Read your study guide. Take a handheld over to a local class D or C and listen up to the radio calls. Find the plane just starting up and try to follow it along through all the frequencies. Simulate the appropriate radio calls.
The problem with flight Sims is developing bad habits.
Once a week is almost not enough. Twice, a few days apart works better. More if you have the time and money.
 
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