Posted: 9/17/2025 2:40:58 PM EDT
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Since the Student pIlot Thread is long gone…. My journey has been like many others, long and drawn out due to life, work, family etc. I started in 2019 at a flying club. I retired in Dec 2020 and moved to Gulf Shores. While I was there I flew a couple of times with a local flight school. Moved back to Birmingham for a job in Jan 2021. Went back to my old club and instructor. My new job kept me from a steady schedule as well as the availability of aircraft. I decided to buy my own plane. So in Jan 2023, I bought a 182. Now that I had my own airplane, I would fly a lot right? Nope Same ole same ole…2024 I flew 6 hours. I decided to push my annual into 2025. Annual was done in May 15th. Had a local CFI take me up for a solo check off. Damn Tach decided to shit the bed! Tach ordered and installed Jul 10th. Called the flight school at my current airport and started training with them. Multiple planes and instructors. It’s been going well. Had a talk with my CFI this morning and we scheduled the checkride for OCT 15! Im stoked but also nervous! So here I am, 6 years and 88 hours later. Oh I forgot to mention, took the written OCT 31st of 2023, so I HAVE to be done by the end of OCT so I don’t have to take it agin! |
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Got through about 80% of my oral and I was struggling! DPE was really doing all he could to get me through. I ended up taking a continuation. It felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I was obviously not prepared, especially with it being moved up two weeks. I now have a solid study plan and 60 days to make sure I know what I need to know. I’ll be a better pilot in the long run. I’ll continue to fly with my instructor in the meantime. I feel VERY comfortable flying but will continue to polish it up. |
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Sounds like you're stumbling on the oral portion. You say you do good with flying. Do a couple mock orals with different instructors and just fly enough to stay confident. Day before your next check ride, do another mock oral. |
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tagging because I'm going to be here come end of NOV/early DEC. 172B N7792X, o-300, club plane with a club instructor. 70 Hours, though i wasnt getting good weekly practice for first 6 monrhs and it was all going bye bye after 3 weeks. I'm shopping for a AA5, socata tb9,10, and PA 22, PA 28 for my IFR rating if someone knows someone. |
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I got my ticket the other day, I got a short notice date also. It’s crazy how either packed the DPEs are or how many won’t call you back. I lucked out and had a great DPE, tough but fair. OP you know where your deficiencies are so hammer those areas now. You’ll get it! |
“ Well, it feels like someone took a rubber band and snapped it right on the edge of your anus.” -JThompson
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
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Yes, I felt like I was rushed but could manage. We got to the flight brief portion and I got through the weather ok, which I thought I would struggle with. Then he asked about the difference between ATIS and AWOS, in detail. My brain shut down and I wasn’t able to answer (according to the ACS). I KNOW the difference just not to standard. I was doing ok up to that point. Had to refer to the FAR/AIM a couple of times just to make sure I was answering to standards. I nailed my missed questions from the written. Did good with Regs and airspace. Knew all the acronyms IMSAFE, AVIATE, ATOMATOLAMES, ARROW, BADGAV, FLAPS etc. lol. FB41, I will make my instructor mock me through the brief several times before I go back. Fsjdw2, are you taking your PPL or IFR? If this is your PPL, make sure you know the answers according to the ACS standard! Sierra5, I have a good study plan now. I can see now my previous study method was wrong! |
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Originally Posted By mscout118: Yes, I felt like I was rushed but could manage. We got to the flight brief portion and I got through the weather ok, which I thought I would struggle with. Then he asked about the difference between ATIS and AWOS, in detail. My brain shut down and I wasn’t able to answer (according to the ACS). I KNOW the difference just not to standard. I was doing ok up to that point. Had to refer to the FAR/AIM a couple of times just to make sure I was answering to standards. I nailed my missed questions from the written. Did good with Regs and airspace. Knew all the acronyms IMSAFE, AVIATE, ATOMATOLAMES, ARROW, BADGAV, FLAPS etc. lol. FB41, I will make my instructor mock me through the brief several times before I go back. Fsjdw2, are you taking your PPL or IFR? If this is your PPL, make sure you know the answers according to the ACS standard! Sierra5, I have a good study plan now. I can see now my previous study method was wrong! Some of these guys are a little bit much in some areas. I’ve heard horror stories about some of the stupid stuff they want you to know verbatim. |
“ Well, it feels like someone took a rubber band and snapped it right on the edge of your anus.” -JThompson
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
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Originally Posted By Sierra5: Some of these guys are a little bit much in some areas. I’ve heard horror stories about some of the stupid stuff they want you to know verbatim. I’d like to clarify. I think hew as more than reasonable. Obviously I don’t have anyone comparison but from what I’ve heard from others, I feel he was fair. |
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Originally Posted By mscout118: I’d like to clarify. I think hew as more than reasonable. Obviously I don’t have anyone comparison but from what I’ve heard from others, I feel he was fair. Originally Posted By mscout118: Originally Posted By Sierra5: Some of these guys are a little bit much in some areas. I’ve heard horror stories about some of the stupid stuff they want you to know verbatim. I’d like to clarify. I think hew as more than reasonable. Obviously I don’t have anyone comparison but from what I’ve heard from others, I feel he was fair. Ah gotcha. My guy is a 141 program manager and did DPE on the side. I was worried he may be a bit much for a Part 61 in the same are but I was honestly super happy with how fair and great he was. |
“ Well, it feels like someone took a rubber band and snapped it right on the edge of your anus.” -JThompson
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
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My 60 days is up Monday for my continuation. I haven't been able to fly due to work and weather so I made the decision today to cancel. This will put me 24 months since my written so I will take it again. Kind of a pain in the ass but ultimately I think it will be beneficial. Told my CFI I would reschedule when I was ready and not put myself against a deadline again. |
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Damn- that sucks. At least when you retake the written, stuff will make more sense now- if that's any consolation. Is there any chance you can use an FAA examiner from the local FSDO? I know DPE shortages in certain areas has caused some serious issues. |
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Originally Posted By FB41: Damn- that sucks. At least when you retake the written, stuff will make more sense now- if that's any consolation. Is there any chance you can use an FAA examiner from the local FSDO? I know DPE shortages in certain areas has caused some serious issues. You’re so right. I took a practice test a couple days ago and almost aced it. The owner of the Flight School is the DPE. He said it was a great decision. I feel way less stressed now. Also going to use this time to upgrade the panel on our 182 while I continue to train in the schools Archers. |
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I missed the question directed at me about what i was testing for.Going for my PPL. Havent gotten to test yet. Initial test in Jan was canceled for LIFR weather . Feb, LIFR again. early march, great weather, but winds were 18-30 kts at 45 degrees from all runways. I called that one off. Now was scheduled for Mar23, but today the weather which forecasted good changed from "VFR 10k ceiling, 11-20kts, 30 degrees off runway" to LIFR mixed with IFR, plus sleet and snow. I'm up in northern, northern Maine, there are 3 DPE's in the state and 2 are WAY down state (think northern suburbs of Boston south), the remaining one is a mere 150 miles away and willing to travel to my airport to do the test but he is swamped. Plus club plane is going into the shop in April for extensive annual including a FWF engine swap. How many times did you guys have to cancel your tests for weather or mechanical stuff? |
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Originally Posted By fsjdw2: I missed the question directed at me about what i was testing for.Going for my PPL. Havent gotten to test yet. Initial test in Jan was canceled for LIFR weather . Feb, LIFR again. early march, great weather, but winds were 18-30 kts at 45 degrees from all runways. I called that one off. Now was scheduled for Mar23, but today the weather which forecasted good changed from "VFR 10k ceiling, 11-20kts, 30 degrees off runway" to LIFR mixed with IFR, plus sleet and snow. I'm up in northern, northern Maine, there are 3 DPE's in the state and 2 are WAY down state (think northern suburbs of Boston south), the remaining one is a mere 150 miles away and willing to travel to my airport to do the test but he is swamped. Plus club plane is going into the shop in April for extensive annual including a FWF engine swap. How many times did you guys have to cancel your tests for weather or mechanical stuff? I had to cancel my commercial single ride twice because of weather and my IFR ride once because a thunderstorm hung around for 2 days. When I finally got to do both of them, the weather was barely minimum VFR, which wasn't bad for the IFR ride, but sucked monkey balls for the commercial single, but I managed to pass. My private ride and commercial multi rides were CAVU days. |
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Originally Posted By fsjdw2: I missed the question directed at me about what i was testing for.Going for my PPL. Havent gotten to test yet. Initial test in Jan was canceled for LIFR weather . Feb, LIFR again. early march, great weather, but winds were 18-30 kts at 45 degrees from all runways. I called that one off. Now was scheduled for Mar23, but today the weather which forecasted good changed from "VFR 10k ceiling, 11-20kts, 30 degrees off runway" to LIFR mixed with IFR, plus sleet and snow. I'm up in northern, northern Maine, there are 3 DPE's in the state and 2 are WAY down state (think northern suburbs of Boston south), the remaining one is a mere 150 miles away and willing to travel to my airport to do the test but he is swamped. Plus club plane is going into the shop in April for extensive annual including a FWF engine swap. How many times did you guys have to cancel your tests for weather or mechanical stuff? A bunch. I had an engine failure on my private pilot check ride. Had to finish it a week later with a new plane. Had to postpone the practical portion of my commercial for weather. The dpe was booked weeks out so that sucked. Worst was when I got hired at a regional. We had five sims then an MV and then an LOE. Sim broke and the instructor got so pissed at the sim techs he sent us home. They booked the sim three months out. Finished the MV and they couldn’t get me a slot for an LOE so I got sent home on training pay. My sim partner actually called me up a couple weeks later saying he got an LOE scheduled (he was upgrading and I was a new hire) so I called the scheduler asking to get back in the sim with this guy. They basically told me to wait for their call they know who I am and where I am but to stop calling. . Well, that person got fired and then nobody knew what I was doing. Four months go by and they figured it out. I got a single refresher sim and then off to the LOE.  Then I went to get typed in the MD-11 and went through the training pipeline partnered with another FO so I spent half the training in the left seat as we swapped back and forth constantly throughout each sim event. At least for the MV and LOE a captain was in the left seat. Of course the FAA showed up for the LOE and my seat support captain was the fleet captain, so no pressure Anyways have you gotten your ride scheduled?? |
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Update on my March 2026 check ride. I passed with no issues. I'm at 150 hours, and got a local flying club to accept me, so short commute to my local field/hangar. If you see N3602K tooling around about a 25% chance that is me. I'm shooting for 2.25 hours a week average to get to 350 by 2028. at 150 hours as of yesterday. B21 airport Carabasset Maine/ Sugarloaf is ... interesting, basically in the middle of a bowl, I was really happy 3602K has extra HP and it a stiff headwind, made getting out a cake walk. I definitely want to take a "mountain" flying class now, mountain winds can get intersting and im sure there is lots to learn about wind down vallys vs slopes. |