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Posted: 1/23/2017 10:04:59 AM EDT
[#1]
Pedals- yes, adjusting the pedals is possible from outside the cockpit. I think I leaned on the sill , pulled the handle with one hand and pushed the peddles with the other? It's been a while since I've sat in a Katana.
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Posted: 1/23/2017 11:11:48 AM EDT
[#2]
If you don't like his style, get a different one. That simple.
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Posted: 1/23/2017 1:53:19 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you don't like his style, get a different one. That simple. Truth! |
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Posted: 1/23/2017 2:13:38 PM EDT
[#4]
Yes, recently tried to do my BFR with a "know it all millenial CFI"; did not work out well. So, went to a different place with a senior citizen CFI, who has forgotten more about aviation, than all I pretended to know, and it went so well, and I learned so much from him, that I'm doing my instrument proficiency check (IPC) with him. So yeah, you're paying a lot of money for your training, make sure, you're happy with the performance of the instructor.
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Posted: 1/23/2017 2:59:30 PM EDT
[#5]
Some tips:
1- The CFI may be the pilot in command, but YOU are the boss. If you don't like the way things are going, change it. 2- DON'T pay for anything you don't get. Some CFI's are milkmaids that will add on bullshit time over the Hobbs. Make sure any time added is time you receive and is logged. 3- DON'T PAY UP FRONT! Pay only as much as needed to get a 'block rate' if offered. 4- You expect your CFI to be prepared so do your homework to be as prepared. 5- Fly at least 3X weekly until you're kicked free for solo to prevent relearning previous lessons. 6- If you have to cancel, do so in enough time to allow the CFI to possibly book another student in your slot. |
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Posted: 1/23/2017 7:05:32 PM EDT
[#6]
Never be afraid to fire your CFI. I did a lot my primary training in a DA-20 C1. The early Katanas had an 80HP Rotax engine and the C1 has a 125HP Continental, though the first year of them, according to Wikipedia, they were still called Katanas. My personal opinion is that the DA-20 makes a better primary trainer than the Cessna 172 for the following reasons:
* They are more forgiving in stalls and you have a low risk of accidentally entering a spin (though with the lower HP, I don't even remember having to compensate for P-factor with the DA-20, so that's a negative). * The free castering nose wheel I believe helps to develop better taxi and rudder usage. * Excellent visibility (though you'll cook in the summertime at low altitude) * Good safety history * Require the pilot to be on point with approach speeds to get it to settle onto the runway when landing. Also, keep in mind that your first lesson you can expect to feel like you're getting hit with a firehose of information and training. No matter how much preparation you do, especially if you don't have flight experience, the sensory intake is enough to be overwhelming in all but the most perfect, stable conditions. I've had two types of ineffective instructors: those who don't talk at all or explain anything, and those who don't shut the fuck up and point out things that the student may have already identified and is trying to correct, or attempts to teach the student things they don't need to know at that point in the curriculum. As a primary student, you first need to learn how to preflight, take off, identify stall entry, stall recovery, perform in slow flight, land and do basic ground reference maneuvers: the basics that you need to know to not kill yourself in the pattern; trying to teach a student anything else may prevent one of the more important fundamentals from being retained by the student. |
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Posted: 1/23/2017 11:01:07 PM EDT
[#7]
As others have said, the only one that truly cares about your training is you...so it's a judgment call.
But I will say this, IMO it isn't on the IP (or CFI) to make sure you are prepared for your flight. They get paid once the gear are in the well. I still go back and study the fundamentals from time to time, as you never know when it's going to help. Like you said it's a quick fix, stick with it and kick ass. |
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Posted: 1/24/2017 10:31:45 AM EDT
[#8]
Excellent advice, thanks for all the replies. I can work with everything said here, save for the lesson frequency. I am Part 61 and won't be able to fly three times per week. It will take me longer, and probably be a little more expensive in the long run, but I'll do my best to keep my head in the books each week to try and stay fresh on the topics.
Thanks again. |
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Posted: 1/24/2017 6:14:41 PM EDT
[#9]
I fired my first flight instructor. He had the attitude of an 89 year old gun store owner who just learned about the internet.
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Posted: 1/24/2017 11:29:27 PM EDT
[#10]
If you are unhappy with your flight instructor after the next flight then ditch him. My first flight was with an uninterested POS. I not only dropped the instructor, I found another school. You are paying big money to learn how to fly. For that kind of money you should get what you want. No different than any other commodity or service.
Flight schools are filled with losers who will never get far. The majority of them will end up flying a full career at a shit regional airline if they are lucky. Many end up working low level shit non-pilot jobs after aviation doesn't work out for them. It doesn't take long to spot these types and is best to steer clear of them once they are identified. I would suggest doing some research and recon to find an instructor that you are happy with. Good luck with flight training. It's well worth the effort. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 12:30:13 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you are unhappy with your flight instructor after the next flight then ditch him. My first flight was with an uninterested POS. I not only dropped the instructor, I found another school. You are paying big money to learn how to fly. For that kind of money you should get what you want. No different than any other commodity or service. Flight schools are filled with losers who will never get far. The majority of them will end up flying a full career at a shit regional airline if they are lucky. Many end up working low level shit non-pilot jobs after aviation doesn't work out for them. It doesn't take long to spot these types and is best to steer clear of them once they are identified. I would suggest doing some research and recon to find an instructor that you are happy with. Good luck with flight training. It's well worth the effort. And Ironically, those are the older, more "mature" CFI's that the OP desires. Ultimately, flying is an art, and a science. It's full of characters, and the personalities have to mesh. OP could prefer some old Milkman who takes it slow and easy. Someone who would be detrimental to a younger, sharper and poorer student. It's all in how the personalities mesh. (assuming the CFI is at least good enough not to kill you) |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:54:40 AM EDT
[#12]
OP, I wasn't able to fly three times a week either, due to weather, scheduling conflicts, and funds.
I did manage to try and always fly at least twice a month. I started in September of 2015, and finally got my certificate in October of 2016. The worst part was March and April of 2016, where I did not fly at all due to weather conditions. Take your free time and study for the written test a little at a time, and get that out of the way. It's not a race to see who can be the quickest, it's a challenge to see how well you can do it. And when you do something right, try and do it better the next time. 
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Posted: 1/25/2017 12:00:36 PM EDT
[#13]
I've never met a flight instructor that wasn't in some sort of hurry. Preflight hurry, planning hurry, ATIS hurry, hurry hurry hurry.
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Posted: 1/25/2017 12:16:17 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you don't like his style, get a different one. That simple. Absolutely. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 12:20:43 PM EDT
[#15]
Op..congrats on getting in the air...there is nothing like it and flying is a proverbial time machine.
As for your CFI, just talk to him and give him feed back. Everyone learns differently he may be able to tweak his style to fit you a little better. |
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Posted: 2/3/2017 10:50:47 PM EDT
[#16]
Congratulations on getting in the air. When I was taking lessons I had an instructor that let me get into a situation on purpose. I forget at what point in my lessons that we were supposed to do power on stalls. We were out over the practice area at about 3,000. I started to pull back on the elevator while maintaining the throttle. The aircraft began to shake and immediately snapped over into a spin. All I could see in the windscreen was real estate. The instructor calmly took over and retuned us to level flight then explained my lack of rudder input. Lesson learned very good.
Vince |
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Posted: 2/3/2017 11:11:43 PM EDT
[#17]
Speaking of spins. Watch the following videos. Right before the wing drops or the plane spins, you see the plane's yaw rate remain uncorrected by the pilot. At high angles of attack, and especially at high power settings, the straight and level rigging of the airplane is inadequate. Had the pilot in all of these instances kept the nose pointing the same direction the stalls would've been much less dramatic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKkoXWlZwDM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKIk-dqml6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UsZIE4A5cg |
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Posted: 2/5/2017 9:10:24 PM EDT
[#18]
Congrats on your first lesson. When I was instructing, I would kind of mix an intro flight with an actual lesson. That way the student is going to get a taste of what to expect and get the experience of being up in a plane. The school I was at had a very specific time we needed to stick to. 0.7 was preferred but no more than .9 was allowed.
I basically explained to the student that I wasn't going to be doing any teaching until it was time for takeoff. Until then, listen and watch and I would explain what was going on. This way, we were in the air as fast as possible and the student got the benefit of that. Otherwise, students usually would start asking questions about radios, intercoms, GPS, who we were talking to or whatever and I could easily spend 30+ minutes just sitting with the engine running explaining how everything works, which isn't the point of an intro flight. There's one thing that always seemed to happen during any intro flight, the person felt absolutely overloaded with information. The only difference between students is how long it took to happen. I wouldn't be so fast to get rid of your instructor. The older guys aren't always the better ones. The owner of the school has lost all of his desire to fly or teach. The students of his that I would eventually take over had very poor habits but good flying skills. A lot of the younger guys and gals are the ones who recently done their training and they're up to date on maneuvers and teaching techniques. I've known great instructors old and young and vice versa. I can't help you with your rudder issue. |
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Posted: 2/6/2017 1:17:33 AM EDT
[#19]
Be prepared for information overload for a while. Studying helps, but readjusting your brain for air-sense makes you forget a lot of stupid things. Everyone is saying get a new instructor, and I agree that may be a good option. However, I have learned some really great things from IP's I really hated flying with, just have thick skin and try to take something away from every flight.
I was lucky that my first IP would smoke cigarettes in the cockpit, play game of war on his iPad, and make a lot of jokes. The guy really knew his stuff, and was not really a risk. This super laid back style made me do more work, but at the same I was able to totally relax. I also had a complete ass for a few months that I didn't learn a thing from, because I wanted to reach over and push him out the whole time. So, take it for what it's worth, and study! |
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Posted: 2/6/2017 7:49:30 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Be prepared for information overload for a while. No truer words were ever spoken. I liken it to filling a tea cup with a fire hose. Some days you'll land and think you are the dumbest creature on the planet, but it gets easier after you learn the basics. Just remember: "It's challenging, not impossible".
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Posted: 2/8/2017 9:18:16 AM EDT
[#21]
Really glad I posted here. I'd say I'm definitely in the category of "challenging, but not impossible." I've scheduled another session this weekend, so weather permitting we will see how it goes. I expect it will go well.
YouTube is a surprisingly good aviation training aid, almost too good. There is almost no subject I can't find a video on to help confirm what I read about or give tips on. BTW, any new students reading this who go with the Gleim Private Pilot kit, make sure you check your books for duplicate pages. My FAR/AIM copy had duplicated pages from page 114-151. I had to email Gleim support and they sent me a corrected copy at no cost. I found this because my instructor mentioned FAR 91.205 during my first lesson. So when I went to look it up in the book, it wasn't there. Nothing like getting confused due to poor quality control. :) |
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Posted: 2/10/2017 11:24:50 PM EDT
[#22]
As of tonight, I'm a 50 hour student pilot.
It gets easier, believe me. When I was starting out, I could barely hold the yoke, my hand was so sweaty. And it was something like 40 degrees in the cabin. I couldn't make a flat steep turn to save my life. I was slamming the plane into the runway, my instructor was taking the controls and saving our ass on some landings. Every time I turned crosswind my instructor was reminding me RIGHT RUDDER RIGHT RUDDER. I couldn't talk on the radio because just flying the plane took so much mental effort that I had no excess capacity to speak coherently. Now, just a few months later, I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm out practicing soft field and short field landings and take-offs on my own. And I feel comfortable doing it. I'm out practicing power on and power off stalls. Turning stalls, turns around a point. Steep turns are cake. Sometimes I think maybe I should start shooting for a 60 degree bank. I talk on the radio like it's no big deal. I tell the tower what I want to do, and I do it. You'll figure out the 'lingo', and you'll figure out when you don't need it and can just 'talk'. Last flight with my instructor was at night. On downwind, he made me turn off my headlamp. Then he turned off all the panel lights and killed the landing light and said "Oops, your electrical system has failed. You have no instruments, no lights, and no flaps. Get us down." And I was completely fine with it. I wasn't even slightly stressed. I just flew the plane and made a fine landing. If he'd done that on my first night flight, I would have freaked out.
You'll get there. The information is all new. Your brain is trying to sort it all out and make it work. And it will succeed. One day, you'll look back and think "Why the hell did I think this was so hard?" |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 9:52:58 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
As of tonight, I'm a 50 hour student pilot.
It gets easier, believe me. When I was starting out, I could barely hold the yoke, my hand was so sweaty. And it was something like 40 degrees in the cabin. I couldn't make a flat steep turn to save my life. I was slamming the plane into the runway, my instructor was taking the controls and saving our ass on some landings. Every time I turned crosswind my instructor was reminding me RIGHT RUDDER RIGHT RUDDER. I couldn't talk on the radio because just flying the plane took so much mental effort that I had no excess capacity to speak coherently. Now, just a few months later, I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm out practicing soft field and short field landings and take-offs on my own. And I feel comfortable doing it. I'm out practicing power on and power off stalls. Turning stalls, turns around a point. Steep turns are cake. Sometimes I think maybe I should start shooting for a 60 degree bank. I talk on the radio like it's no big deal. I tell the tower what I want to do, and I do it. You'll figure out the 'lingo', and you'll figure out when you don't need it and can just 'talk'. Last flight with my instructor was at night. On downwind, he made me turn off my headlamp. Then he turned off all the panel lights and killed the landing light and said "Oops, your electrical system has failed. You have no instruments, no lights, and no flaps. Get us down." And I was completely fine with it. I wasn't even slightly stressed. I just flew the plane and made a fine landing. If he'd done that on my first night flight, I would have freaked out.
You'll get there. The information is all new. Your brain is trying to sort it all out and make it work. And it will succeed. One day, you'll look back and think "Why the hell did I think this was so hard?" Thanks for the encouragement. I've been staying up on your thread and it is definitely helpful for me. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 12:49:22 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
As of tonight, I'm a 50 hour student pilot.
It gets easier, believe me. When I was starting out, I could barely hold the yoke, my hand was so sweaty. And it was something like 40 degrees in the cabin. I couldn't make a flat steep turn to save my life. I was slamming the plane into the runway, my instructor was taking the controls and saving our ass on some landings. Every time I turned crosswind my instructor was reminding me RIGHT RUDDER RIGHT RUDDER. I couldn't talk on the radio because just flying the plane took so much mental effort that I had no excess capacity to speak coherently. Now, just a few months later, I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm out practicing soft field and short field landings and take-offs on my own. And I feel comfortable doing it. I'm out practicing power on and power off stalls. Turning stalls, turns around a point. Steep turns are cake. Sometimes I think maybe I should start shooting for a 60 degree bank. I talk on the radio like it's no big deal. I tell the tower what I want to do, and I do it. You'll figure out the 'lingo', and you'll figure out when you don't need it and can just 'talk'. Last flight with my instructor was at night. On downwind, he made me turn off my headlamp. Then he turned off all the panel lights and killed the landing light and said "Oops, your electrical system has failed. You have no instruments, no lights, and no flaps. Get us down." And I was completely fine with it. I wasn't even slightly stressed. I just flew the plane and made a fine landing. If he'd done that on my first night flight, I would have freaked out.
You'll get there. The information is all new. Your brain is trying to sort it all out and make it work. And it will succeed. One day, you'll look back and think "Why the hell did I think this was so hard?" Just remember how bank angle affects stall speed and that it increases by 40% at 60 degrees of bank (60 degrees == 2G; square roote of 2 == 1.414...; 30/60/90 triangle the side with the 30 degree angle has a length of 2; G-loading at 45 degrees is 1.414; mind blown). I somehow made it through my PPL and instrument rating without an understanding of AoA and only when I started doing acrobatics training did I learn about how AoA (or, indirectly, bank angle) affects stall speed. I was also a student who took a while and I blame part of it on instructors and part of it on not having any experience in small airplanes. I'd like to think that struggling as a student helps you learn. Like that quote attributed to Thomas Edison (whether or not you like the guy): "I didn't fail. I just found 2,000 ways not to make a lightbulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work." In that same sense, the more you learn of what doesn't work as a student helps prepare you for when you're on your own. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 3:14:07 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Just remember how bank angle affects stall speed and that it increases by 40% at 60 degrees of bank (60 degrees == 2G; square roote of 2 == 1.414...; 30/60/90 triangle the side with the 30 degree angle has a length of 2; G-loading at 45 degrees is 1.414; mind blown). I somehow made it through my PPL and instrument rating without an understanding of AoA and only when I started doing acrobatics training did I learn about how AoA (or, indirectly, bank angle) affects stall speed. I was also a student who took a while and I blame part of it on instructors and part of it on not having any experience in small airplanes. I'd like to think that struggling as a student helps you learn. Like that quote attributed to Thomas Edison (whether or not you like the guy): "I didn't fail. I just found 2,000 ways not to make a lightbulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work." In that same sense, the more you learn of what doesn't work as a student helps prepare you for when you're on your own. Absolutely. I'm not actually going to do it without previous instruction, it's just the difference from then to now. When I first started steep turns I was all over the place. Uncoordinated, up/down, 50 degrees, 20 degrees, etc. Now, a 45 degree turn is almost hands off. Especially once I read the ACS and it said "use of trim in a turn" and I went  .
Now I turn into the bank, throw in about 3 turns of trim, add a little power and I can pretty much let go of the yoke and it just about flies itself. Just have to remember some forward pressure when you roll out and turn that trim back out. |
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Posted: 2/14/2017 9:34:30 AM EDT
[#26]
Second lesson this past Sunday. It went swimmingly better, though, the final landing of the day I somehow tried to land the thing sideways. Not good. Confidence in landing approaches is growing quickly though.
Speaking of trim, question: Should I neutralize before taking off on a touch-n-go? The DA20 has an electric switch for trim setting, so it's really easy. |
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Posted: 2/14/2017 1:56:11 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Speaking of trim, question: Should I neutralize before taking off on a touch-n-go? The DA20 has an electric switch for trim setting, so it's really easy. Set to whatever you normally use on take-off; if you set it neutral, you'll end up changing it mid-take-off. |
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Posted: 2/14/2017 3:29:34 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Second lesson this past Sunday. It went swimmingly better, though, the final landing of the day I somehow tried to land the thing sideways. Not good. Confidence in landing approaches is growing quickly though. Speaking of trim, question: Should I neutralize before taking off on a touch-n-go? The DA20 has an electric switch for trim setting, so it's really easy. Don't rush through reconfiguring on a T&G. You can always stop, taxi back or take your time to reconfigure on the roll if you can maintain control of the airplane. Set the trim and flaps to the takeoff position. Something to keep in mind in the future as your progress: One thing I started doing when flying fixed gear aircraft for practice is when leaving to and returning from the practice area, as we never really touched the mixture except on x/c flights, was to back the mixture out just a touch -- maybe 1/4 inch so I had something to configure with landing. A mistake that I made twice in the DA20 as a student was forgetting to put the mixture back in after cross-country flights and having the engine quit as soon as I landed (had I been flying a retract at that time, it would've just as easily been a gear-up landing). This created something for me to kick myself over if I neglected it and it got me in the habit of going for an approach checklist, even if only mental. Had I had to initiate a go-around in either of those cases, it could have resulted in a loss of sufficient power to go around if left uncaught. |
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Posted: 2/16/2017 9:29:30 AM EDT
[#29]
OP,,,Don`t get complacent. There is a "danger zone" at around 250 hours. You`ll think your shit doesn`t stink. Trust me,,,it does. Always focus on making a "perfect" flight. This means every aspect of every flight needs to be planned and reviewed prior to take off. Right now you may laugh at me but I promise you that IF you will maintain the "perfect flight" mentality your chance of survival will go up dramatically across your flying career.
I have over 3000 hours and an instrument ticket. I no longer fly due to my retirement. I`m lucky to have lived through all those hours. Flying is to be treated like a near death experience. Treating it as anything less will get you killed. |
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Posted: 2/18/2017 10:26:33 PM EDT
[#30]
As far as forums go I found a lot of good info on here and pilots of America when I was getting my license.
Good luck |
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Posted: 3/14/2017 9:12:20 PM EDT
[#31]
Great info, I'll be starting flying lessons soon in the DA20 as well.
Really excited |
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Posted: 3/14/2017 10:33:10 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Second lesson this past Sunday. It went swimmingly better, though, the final landing of the day I somehow tried to land the thing sideways. Not good. Confidence in landing approaches is growing quickly though. Speaking of trim, question: Should I neutralize before taking off on a touch-n-go? The DA20 has an electric switch for trim setting, so it's really easy. In my experience, the trim for landing is generally in the neighborhood of the take off position. Certainly shouldn't be super far aft or forward so even if your instructor neglects to notice it, it shouldn't be unsafe for takeoff. Of course everyone has their preferences... A guy I flew with on occasion (PPL and owned a C182T) had the habit of continuously adding in aft trim while flaring because the yoke became "too heavy" for his liking. I don't recall but I'm sure the trim was far aft of what I would consider acceptable or close enough for a subsequent takeoff. |
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Posted: 3/15/2017 11:34:30 AM EDT
[#33]
Couple thoughts.
Don't worry about flying 3X a week. I am no Lindbergh and I soloed in 9.6 hours started 9/23/1990 and soloed on 1/5/1990 flying every 2-3 weeks. Took me just about a year to finish. I had 60 hours. Finished my requirements around 40. Felt ready for the test at about 50 and flew another 10 waiting to get scheduled and keeping sharp. As far as instructors go. I like mine laid back. Unless necessary I don't want them all over the controls. Don't yell at me unless I do something dangerous. Don't milk me for time. I never had an instructor charge me for ground time (except the ground portion for one BFR) but then again I learned most of the ground stuff on my own and we would talk about it in the air. Back in the day I took ground school at one of those hotel deals where you go for a couple days and take the test at the end. Stopped flying for 20+ years and started back about 3 years ago. |
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Posted: 3/15/2017 1:19:42 PM EDT
[#34]
My instructor was a former Marine flyer, unsmiling guy, great instructor, when I finally received my license was the only time he congratulated me with a half smile. Did my IFR with the same guy, again serious MF but great instructor.
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Posted: 3/15/2017 11:52:02 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My instructor was a former Marine flyer, unsmiling guy, great instructor, when I finally received my license was the only time he congratulated me with a half smile. Did my IFR with the same guy, again serious MF but great instructor. Interesting. Sounds like he may have been a drill instructor! I decided to go forward with a ground school. I went with Gold Seal and it is helping. I will still use the Gleim test prep to get used to the actual test language, and probably skim the FAA books. I did a self debrief the other day of my last lesson, which helps me remember questions I need to ask the next time I go up. |
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Posted: 3/16/2017 8:26:40 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Interesting. Sounds like he may have been a drill instructor! I decided to go forward with a ground school. I went with Gold Seal and it is helping. I will still use the Gleim test prep to get used to the actual test language, and probably skim the FAA books. I did a self debrief the other day of my last lesson, which helps me remember questions I need to ask the next time I go up. I wrote debriefs of most of my flights, mostly for myself. I wrote debriefs of every solo flight, and e-mailed them to my instructor. Mistakes and all. It really helped my instructor know where my weaknesses were. It made our lessons a lot more productive, On the Gold Seal/ground school thing. Be honest with yourself. If you're not getting close to 100% on the practice tests, you're not ready for the written. 85-90 isn't good enough. Keep practicing until your above 90% every time. There was a guy recently on the Gold Seal facebook page that lost his shit on the program because he failed his written. It was ridiculous. Russell Still (the guy who runs it) pointed out that the guy had never exceeded 90% on any practice test, and that you really need to be over 90% to be prepared. I scored an 85 on my written. I was consistently scoring 92-95% on the practice. To be totally fair, there were 3 questions I missed that I still don't understand. I knew the right answer. I clicked the right answer, but I still missed them. I think I rushed and clicked wrong. That's all I can figure out. They were EASY questions.... I finished my written in just under 30 minutes. I should have taken a little mor time. If you haven't spent any money on any of the Gleim books, I have them. I'll send everything I have to you if you promise to send them back after you pass your checkride! |
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Posted: 3/16/2017 9:58:36 AM EDT
[#37]
There are two sites where you can take practice tests for free: http://www.webexams.com and http://www.exams4pilots.com/
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Posted: 3/16/2017 11:25:20 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I wrote debriefs of most of my flights, mostly for myself. I wrote debriefs of every solo flight, and e-mailed them to my instructor. Mistakes and all. It really helped my instructor know where my weaknesses were. It made our lessons a lot more productive, On the Gold Seal/ground school thing. Be honest with yourself. If you're not getting close to 100% on the practice tests, you're not ready for the written. 85-90 isn't good enough. Keep practicing until your above 90% every time. There was a guy recently on the Gold Seal facebook page that lost his shit on the program because he failed his written. It was ridiculous. Russell Still (the guy who runs it) pointed out that the guy had never exceeded 90% on any practice test, and that you really need to be over 90% to be prepared. I scored an 85 on my written. I was consistently scoring 92-95% on the practice. To be totally fair, there were 3 questions I missed that I still don't understand. I knew the right answer. I clicked the right answer, but I still missed them. I think I rushed and clicked wrong. That's all I can figure out. They were EASY questions.... I finished my written in just under 30 minutes. I should have taken a little mor time. If you haven't spent any money on any of the Gleim books, I have them. I'll send everything I have to you if you promise to send them back after you pass your checkride! I went with Gold Seal partly on your advice, but also from a few positive online reviews that pop up when actually doing research on other GS's. I don't think I ever saw a negative comment about Gold Seal. You know, about the 90% rule, I scored 86% on one and 90%+ on another and I recall I did not feel comfortable going into the quiz. I found the flash card tool really helped get familiar with the structure of the quiz questions. Thanks for the offer on the Gleim books, I already have them though, as I initially purchased the PP kit from Gleim a while back. It's gonna take me a while to be ready for the written test, I think. Some of these modules I am really having to go over a few times for the info to sink in. But hopefully not too long as I am studying almost every day. I think I want to just pass the written before I take another flight lesson. I have two under my belt, and I did well at power-off stalls and level 360's. It's just those darn landings! Anyone have an recommendations on getting more comfortable with radio comms w/ ATC? I have LiveATC, and I listen to that on occasion. I'm a HAM as well, so phonetic alphabet is a breeze, but taking ATC instruction accurately is proving difficult (speed of the delivery). I'm thinking learning in a Class C airspace has it's pros and cons. Thanks again for the advice. |
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Posted: 3/16/2017 12:14:27 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I went with Gold Seal partly on your advice, but also from a few positive online reviews that pop up when actually doing research on other GS's. I don't think I ever saw a negative comment about Gold Seal. You know, about the 90% rule, I scored 86% on one and 90%+ on another and I recall I did not feel comfortable going into the quiz. I found the flash card tool really helped get familiar with the structure of the quiz questions. Thanks for the offer on the Gleim books, I already have them though, as I initially purchased the PP kit from Gleim a while back. It's gonna take me a while to be ready for the written test, I think. Some of these modules I am really having to go over a few times for the info to sink in. But hopefully not too long as I am studying almost every day. I think I want to just pass the written before I take another flight lesson. Don't stress the written test; you don't need to do it until you're ready for a checkride. I didn't take my Instrument written until 2 weeks before my checkride. I have two under my belt, and I did well at power-off stalls and level 360's. It's just those darn landings! Don't stress about these either. You spend hours learning stalls and minutes learning to land. It'll come to you. Anyone have an recommendations on getting more comfortable with radio comms w/ ATC? I have LiveATC, and I listen to that on occasion. I'm a HAM as well, so phonetic alphabet is a breeze, but taking ATC instruction accurately is proving difficult (speed of the delivery). I'm thinking learning in a Class C airspace has it's pros and cons. Here's a tip: Every time you initially call ATC, say it like this: "XYZ ATC, N12345, student pilot". The controller will realize that you are a newbie and will slow down the delivery. If they don't get the hint, tell them to read back slower. Thanks again for the advice. |
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Posted: 3/16/2017 9:40:01 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I went with Gold Seal partly on your advice, but also from a few positive online reviews that pop up when actually doing research on other GS's. I don't think I ever saw a negative comment about Gold Seal. You know, about the 90% rule, I scored 86% on one and 90%+ on another and I recall I did not feel comfortable going into the quiz. I found the flash card tool really helped get familiar with the structure of the quiz questions. Thanks for the offer on the Gleim books, I already have them though, as I initially purchased the PP kit from Gleim a while back. It's gonna take me a while to be ready for the written test, I think. Some of these modules I am really having to go over a few times for the info to sink in. But hopefully not too long as I am studying almost every day. I think I want to just pass the written before I take another flight lesson. I have two under my belt, and I did well at power-off stalls and level 360's. It's just those darn landings! Anyone have an recommendations on getting more comfortable with radio comms w/ ATC? I have LiveATC, and I listen to that on occasion. I'm a HAM as well, so phonetic alphabet is a breeze, but taking ATC instruction accurately is proving difficult (speed of the delivery). I'm thinking learning in a Class C airspace has it's pros and cons. Thanks again for the advice. Radio comms: You'll get there. There's just no other way than practice. I listen to LiveATC a lot. Still do. Find a busy field to listen to. KVNY, KDVT, KSDL, KFFZ. I'm partial to KSDL since that's where i fly out of. KDVT is very busy, but mostly it's students. Students that barely speak english. I like KSDL because it's a great mix of traffic. You can get a great mental picture of the spacing and traffic patterns with corporate jets, F-18's!, helicopters, acro planes, etc all in the pattern at the same time. Practice your radio calls in the car. You'll say the same stuff a lot in training, if you practice that, you'll get there. Think about what you're going to say before you say it. One day, you'll just be doing it. I think it took me 10-12 flights before I was handling radio completely by myself.
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Posted: 3/17/2017 2:06:34 AM EDT
[#41]
Radio calls were one of the things I struggled with a lot, because (as mentioned earlier) so much of your brain power is focused on flying. It comes with time. They're no biggie at all for me now (IFR went a long ways towards helping me there!), but if I can offer one piece of advice: don't be afraid of ATC. They're there to help you! Also never be afraid to use that magic phrase "Say again, please."
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Posted: 4/8/2017 11:26:53 AM EDT
[#42]
Nothing like a lower lumbar slip during pre-flight. Ouch.
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Posted: 4/8/2017 11:47:44 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Nothing like a lower lumbar slip during pre-flight. Ouch. |
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Posted: 4/8/2017 12:09:58 PM EDT
[#44]
Yup. Bent down to check the left wheel, and when I stood back up, it went. Instructor even had the headsets plugged up already.
And look at this, what a day to fly: 00000KT 10SM SCT250 10/05 A3011 |
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Posted: 4/8/2017 1:25:19 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yup. Bent down to check the left wheel, and when I stood back up, it went. Instructor even had the headsets plugged up already. And look at this, what a day to fly: 00000KT 10SM SCT250 10/05 A3011 |
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Posted: 4/8/2017 7:49:45 PM EDT
[#46]
Man, that sucks... My dad has that problem. He can bend down and pick up a 100lb box of lead just fine most days, but then he'll bend over to pick up a paperclip and his back is screwed for a week.
Not to be 'that' guy, but if you go to the doc about this issue, be careful what you're prescribed. There are some medicines that are 'do not issue' on your medical, and others that will ground you for a time. Just something extra to think about. |
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Posted: 4/8/2017 9:15:55 PM EDT
[#47]
Keep your flight log book - Don't let your CFI keep it for you.
I made this mistake. I had over 60 hrs logged when my CFI got killed by someone who ran a stoplight and T-Boned his car. My log book was in his briefcase in the trunk. I was never able to get it back. I had to start my hours over @ zero because all I had was billing receipts for hourly plane rental-wet and his billable time. I was almost done! Had flown 4 different planes. At least I had all my ground school documentation. 
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Posted: 4/9/2017 1:19:34 PM EDT
[#48]
I always keep my logbook with me. That is a terrible story though. God rest that man's soul. +JMJ+
I likely won't go see a doc about the back problem, as it is chronic and this happens once a year or so. I try to keep good posture and do all kinds of preventative things given to me from physical therapists and chiropractors over the years, but it doesn't matter. This will happen again, I am certain of it, though I should be fine in a couple of days. However, after reading these regs on pharmaceuticals, I may go see the AME anyways. I occasionally take Chlorpheniramine (OTC antihistamine) for minor seasonal allergies. Turns out, this drug is not allowed per regs. I had taken one that morning before the flight, when I should have stopped taking it 20 hours prior, even though I have never had any side effect from it. The Lord works in funny ways, and I'm pretty sure He allowed my back to slip knowing I would not allow myself to fly after such a thing. Talk about serendipity. On the other hand, not sure if any of that applies considering I haven't even soloed yet. |
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