Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: v1st on December 30, 2009, 11:07:06 AM
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I didn't want to hijack the other discussion. I got some flying lessons for xmas. I probably have a bunch of questions after I do start up. But is there anything I should know before hand.
v1st
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Don't cheat :D
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If you hit a tree, you can't just grab another plane.
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if you fly in a subruban or rural area, watch out for deer ont he runway this time of year. I speak from experience on that one.. a deer can do a lot of damage to a cherokee 180 on roll-out from landing.
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I didn't want to hijack the other discussion. I got some flying lessons for xmas. I probably have a bunch of questions after I do start up. But is there anything I should know before hand.
v1st
The only quasi-advice I would offer, being not that far ahead of you, is to get the right instructor. It can make all the difference in the world.
Other than that, bring sunglasses and be prepared to have fun. :D
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I didn't want to hijack the other discussion. I got some flying lessons for xmas. I probably have a bunch of questions after I do start up. But is there anything I should know before hand.
v1st
You can call me if you wish. I'm an instructor down in CT and have taught a few OClub guys on both coasts. I have a plane as well so if you have questions that need answering it can be done.
4083487058
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You go out of Danbury?
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My biggest piece of advice, don't take everything your instructor says as the gospel. Read and study as much as you can and form your own opinions. Don't be afraid to question your instructor's viewpoint and have them explain their reasoning. If your instructor is uncomfortable being questioned, find a new one!
The work you do in the lessons is only 20% of the work required to finish your PPL. The rest comes from homework, and honestly I enjoyed the part of the training as much as actually being in the air.
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What cougar said... plus, I also advise during your training to do a few flights with a different instructor. I even went to a different airport as well. The best way IMO is the same best way to learn in this game. Take several people's advice and opinions, and formulate your own "methods" Not everyone flies the same way. The only stuff to take as a hard and fast rule are of course your FAR's, and safety related stuff. Other than that, it is more a "preferred" method than anything else, and you should keep this in mind.
Enjoy your journey, earning my PPL was one of the best experiences I had in my life, also be prepared, once you get your PPL, you will get the desire to earn your Instrument, then the itch for a multi engine... oh wait, that amphib rating looks cool.... oooh taildraggers.. lol it never ends :)
Also remember, when you get your PPL, you are still a noob. Fly safe, fly smart, and gain experience. Don't take off for some destination 500 miles away with the family in tow a week after getting your PPL. Flying is a continuous learning experience. When you quit learning, you better quit flying, or you will soon be grounded.. (underground)
Sol
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You go out of Danbury?
I teach out of Danbury on the occasion but 90% out of Bridgeport.
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My biggest piece of advice, don't take everything your instructor says as the gospel. Read and study as much as you can and form your own opinions. Don't be afraid to question your instructor's viewpoint and have them explain their reasoning. If your instructor is uncomfortable being questioned, find a new one!
The work you do in the lessons is only 20% of the work required to finish your PPL. The rest comes from homework, and honestly I enjoyed the part of the training as much as actually being in the air.
Aside from that - there is a statistically accurate 90% attrition rate for those who begin training and those who follow through with the necessary skill sets to certification to just the basic PPL. By the time you are up at my level, take 90% off that initial 90%.
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read 'Stick and Rudder' .. .lot of good tidbits in there to know
..because you fly in AH, you will 'get it' a lot quicker..
..first hour I was into stalls already, instructor thought I was an F4 jock out to pull his chain .. LOL.
RTFM.. know the speeds/etc. of the plane you are dealin with.
Enjoy the moment.. don't get so focused you miss it.
-GE
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First, go into it with the idea that it's supposed to be fun, and don't worry about the little stuff. The instructor will get you back on the ground safely no matter what you do, so don't stress out about trying to do stuff correctly.
More important after the first few flights, I'd say you need to have reasonable expectations on what you're going to get out of it. A few "Free" flying lessons is going to be very very cool, no matter how you look at it or if it leads to an eventual pilots license. But after the excitement wears off a bit, you need to do the math to decide if you're going to follow through with getting your license. Not only is it pretty expensive to actually complete your license, there will be a temptation to buy a ton of fairly expensive equipment and books because although the gear is expensive, it's a fraction of the total cost of the license.
A common path to flying training disaster goes like this... You get your first few flights, and decide you're going to get your license. Great. You do the math and determine that it will cost, for example, $8000 to do everything including fly your checkride. Fine, that's within your budget for an investment that will last the rest of your life, so everything is cool. But then your instructor mentions that you will need to pick up some books and gear. You go to the FBO, and the books come to $200, but no biggie compared to $8000, so you get them. The next week you fly a different plane that has a very crappy speaker or you fly with a different instructor who doesn't have a spare headset, so you decide to buy a headset. After looking at the used and new ones, you compromise by buying the middle of the line david clark set for only $350. Pennies compared to the $8000 total, plus it's an investment, right?
But then disaster hits. Something comes up and you can't fly for a month so it takes a few extra flights to get your air sense back. One thing leads to another, and now you're approaching the $4000 expense point and you realize you're not halfway done. Oh crap. Re-do the math while trying to stretch the budget, and you spend another $1000 on lessons before giving up. And now you've spent almost $6000 and don't have anything but a used david clark headset worth about $80 and some books that are out of date because the new FAR/AIM came out and changed a few things so the study materials are obsolete.
How do you avoid this scenario? You must set reasonable expectations, first and foremost. And if one of those expectations is to accomplish your training on a budget, then you simply must keep price in mind for every single thing you do. Get a used headset. Try to find second-hand study materials that are still up to date. Rent the cheapest piece of crap airplane you can find for most of your training, because you just don't need to fly anything but a cheap piece of crap until you are very comfortable with the basics. Remember that every single minute on the hobbs meter is $$$ out of your pocket, so make every minute count (both on the ground and in the air) so you don't have to repeat anything.
Last, continuity is king when it comes to flying training. The more often you fly, the faster you'll pick it up and the better it will "stick" in your brain over time, which also means your training will cost less. Skipping flying is terrible for flying continuity - fly every week at the very least, 2-3 flights a week if possible, but if you really want to get it done on time and under budget, fly almost every day, 4-5 flights per week with time off to study and to let your brain match up the book learning with what you're doing in the air.
Reasonable expectations. Flying isn't for everyone and it isn't cheap. But if your expectations match the reality of your situation, then you are going to have a GREAT time flying no matter how much of it you end up doing.
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First, go into it with the idea that it's supposed to be fun, and don't worry about the little stuff. The instructor will get you back on the ground safely no matter what you do, so don't stress out about trying to do stuff correctly.
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Reasonable expectations. Flying isn't for everyone and it isn't cheap. But if your expectations match the reality of your situation, then you are going to have a GREAT time flying no matter how much of it you end up doing.
In a perfect world it be nice to take 2 months off of work to dedicate to this. In a perfect world I guess.
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But is there anything I should know before hand.
Its expensive, and never total the amount you've spent on flying.. Have fun! :aok
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Start reading the Oral exam guide, now....
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I remember my first flight lessons at 15, my instructor scared me to death, but got me solo'd after 8 hours.
My advice:
RIGHT RUDDER ON TAKEOFF!!!!!!
FULL POWER WHEN YOU CLIMB!!!!!!!! FULL POWER WHEN YOU CLIMB!!!!!!!!
YOUR AWEFULLY HIGH ON THIS APPROACH YOUNG MAN!!!!!!!!!
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For pete's sake don't let your wife see the credit card statement or find the receipts. :D
Also - eagl was right about trying to fly as often as possible. I'm trying to fly once a week right now - its all my other commitments really allow. However, you get a run of bad luck - weather, aircraft being grounded for maintenance etc and all of a sudden you haven't flown for a month and that sucks.
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Other planes won't be marked with text, keep your eyes open! :P
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I sometimes forget people dont think of this but yea, fly as often as you possibly can. 2x per week is in my opinion a minimum during training. I did 4x a week for each of my tickets....
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If your instructor says "Hold my beer and watch this", get a different instructor.
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Wolfala I will try to give you a call today. Depending on what is going on at work. If you hear a New York accent you know it is me lol.
v1st
Victor
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Wolfala I will try to give you a call today. Depending on what is going on at work. If you hear a New York accent you know it is me lol.
v1st
Victor
I run construction in the city - diddly isn't a word for me but a comma.
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My RAF instructor told me 'flying is simple, it's just knowing which way up you are and where you are'. Oh, and when the shuddering starts as the airspeed indicator unwinds to a low reading and your instructor says 'it's too quiet in here', push the stick forward; stall avoided.
Enjoy your lessons, you'll never forget them - cheers!
:cool:
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Avoid the buffer zone around DC. Check 6, F-16. :uhoh :airplane: :bolt:
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If anyone wants, this is a Free Safety issue from COPA. Has some things worth reading through. Has a lesson on recognizing detonation and preignition if you are equipped with the proper instrumentation - among other things.
http://www.cirruspilots.org/content/FreeSafetyIssue.aspx (http://www.cirruspilots.org/content/FreeSafetyIssue.aspx)
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If the weather permits hopeing to go up with wolf today . wish me luck lol.
v1st