Advice for a new student

[labbats]

I was thinking it would be a nice idea to let some aspiring pilots learn what some of us instructors have learned the hard way. Post what you would do if you had the time and money to start all over. Where would you go? How would you tailor your training knowing what you know now? Please try not to post the inevitable "I wouldn't start to be a pilot in this era" posts, and try and help some up-and-coming pilots.

1) Private
Myself, I'd go to a smaller college or FBO, where the prices are good. I'd ask to meet the instructors, maybe buy them all lunch (the price of that would be worth it in the long run), and choose which one you want. I got assigned instructors the school wanted me to have, but for the amount of money involved, you really should be in charge of who's doing your training. Be proactive.

2) Instrument
I'd either go with one of the old salts that owns their own plane and flies you all over the country for two weeks doing actual IMC approaches and cross country flying. Real training for real flying. That or somewhere that I could get multi-engine time while I got my instrument. Multi time means everything for getting hired later down the road

3) Commercial
I'd bite the bullet and pay the extra to do all my training in a multi-engine plane. Then get the single-engine add on. Once again, multi-time is everything.

4)CFI
As my training went, I just grabbed people to sit left seat and flew around 10 hours or so to get the feel of the right seat. Any more flying than that and you're just burning money for no good reason. Get it done as fast as possible after your commercial single-engine, because it'll be the same plane with the same systems and the same manuevers, just from a different seat. Study, study, study. In my opinion, 75% of the CFI is the oral exam. Take a month after your commercial and clear your schedule. Set up a time with the FSDO right away so you have a goal to reach right off the bat. Then clear your schedule for 30 days and walk around everywhere with some flashcards of everything in the PTS book.

5)CFII
This is your bread-and-butter. Private pilots and commercial pilots fly a lot on their own. You don't get to log the time, and most places don't pay much (if anything) for ground school. Instrument students need you there every flight. There are no solos. Get your CFI and a job somewhere that has a multi-engine plane (did I mention multi-time means everything?), and start studying for this right away.

6)MEI
After about 100 hours of dual given or so, you've got the feel of instructing. Now is the time to get your MEI. Too much sooner, and you'll probably be behind the plane and that's not good. Start networking as much as you can after you get this. Talk with people who own their own twin airplane, saying you'll ride along (you can both log it all now), and offering brush-ups and biennials for them. The catch is that you'll need 5 hours of PIC in that airplane before you can log it. But if it's an owner, that's usually not a problem. He doesn't need the hours.


That's my 2 cents, I hope it helps.

 

[pilotman2105]

While I'm still in the process of completing my ratings, I've already learned some pretty valuable lessons in regards to flight training. For what it's worth, here it goes:

1-Instructors are not God, but rather are regular people. Just like regular people, they have faults and strong-points. Find an instructor who you can get along with. You don't have to be best buddies, but you must be able to take the information that you are paying them for and put it to good use. Don't feel bad about switching instructors. A good instructor will understand if you are "leaving" them for someone else.

2-Flying is suppose to be fun. If you're not having fun, put the airplane back on the ground and come back another day. It will be worth it monetarily. Also, take time to get a few "fun ratings." The one "rating" that I found to be fun (and extremely educational) was the tailwheel endorsement. You'll never look at a rudder the same again. Remember, flying isn't work until you're getting paid for it.

3-Multi time is everything only if you want to make a career out of flying heavy metal. If so, get the multi ratings (when depends on the amount of cash you have to spend). If not, get the ratings when you want and in the order you want (with regards to the FARs obviously).

4-If you have a questions or feel uncomfortable about something, ASK. I've seen airplanes broken and abused because people didn't have the decency to think through what they were doing beyond the first step. While some things are unavoidable, I'm willing to bet that an overwhelming majority of issues happened because someone wasn't with it at the time.

5-Spend the extra money on a company and instructor with a good reputation. Shoddy maintenance is something to stay away from, and usually where there are somewhat significantly lower rates (by $5-10/hr lower than everywhere else), there's somethin' goin' on.

Specific ratings:

1-Private:
Everyone says it's a license to learn, and that is the honest truth. If I would have known what I didn't know when I got my private, I wouldn't have flown. Get it done, then grab some experience on the same cross country routes as before. Take your CFI along if you ever feel uncomfortable.

2-Instrument:
No real reason not to get it. Get it done, and don't buy Jepp charts. They're expensive as he11. Especially on this rating, make sure you have a good instructor. I did, and he taught me more than I could have ever thought possible (besides, it's making my CFII go a LOT faster too!)

3-Commercial:
Maneuvers were a PITA, but the knowledge portion is fairly self-explanatory. It's just a glorified private ride with more stringent standards.

4-CFI
Study until your eyes bleed, then take a 15 minute break, and study some more. The material is the same as Commercial, with the exception of the FOI. As labbats mentioned, get it done ASAP after Commercial for this reason.

Remember, have fun, study hard, and don't forget to celebrate when you pass a practical (I think that's a reg somewhere ).

 

[Skaz]

yeah, unfortunately we cant do that...but what we can do is move forward. Which is what I wanna do. So can anybody provide me with some info re flight schools in the Washington DC, Vienna Vinginia area? Am getting married in Maryland in October and will want to further my career in aviation over in that neck of the woods. Got an ICAO Cpl, 3000hrs, 1100ME, 800 Turbine, 600Night, 110 IFR ,and the cherry on top...32 Jet! yeehaa....ok, so where can I go to fly in the DC area? Any info much appreciated.

Thanks guys
Skaz

 

[bobbysamd]

20/20 hindsight

My situation is little different because I chose aviation as a career several years after I started flying.

I only needed my multi ratings when I decided to change careers. I already had my degree, so all I needed was my multi - or so I thought. I got my Commercial multi and MEI with a guy on the field who owned a Baron. As soon as I got my multi, I started looking. I got my MEI several months later. Along with flying, I was working full-time in my day job, 3 a.m. to 12 noon, getting up at 1:30 a.m. M-F. I went from my day job directly to ERAU.

I eventually was hired to instruct at ERAU. After starting at ERAU, I discovered very quickly how little I really knew. There were students who knew more than I, as an instructor. I caught up, but I'm sure there were gaps in my knowledge that I might not have had if I had received better training.

In looking back, I should have taken a deep breath, applied for a loan, quit my day job, enrolled at ERAU or similar Part 141 aviation college, and earned a second B.S. in Aeronautical Science or Professional Aeronautics while finishing my ratings in that environment. Not only would I have had an earlier start, it would have been a better start for my efforts in terms of training and knowledge received, and contacts made.

As they say, hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[illinipilot]

I discovered very quickly how little I really knew. There were students who knew more than I, as an instructor. I caught up, but I'm sure there were gaps in my knowledge that I might not have had if I had received better training.

I think that this would be true anywhere. Most pilots only know stuff that they need to use every day.... when you start to teach you need to know everything. I normally just tell my students to look up all the crap that I don't know and tell them it's for their own good. Soooo really I still don't know anything... ah well.....

illinipilot

 

[plunger]

I think i would have trained under 141 instead of 61. the 141 schools, such as comair, pan am, etc. do have excellent ground shools. not saying i would go to one of these places but i never had any structured ground school. i've noticed that instructors who have had these ground schools are a lot sharper than I in areas like aerodynamics, performance, etc.

 

[nosehair]

Tailwheel Training

As someone mentioned, after tailwheel training, they never look at the rudder the same anymore. IMHO, since we started using nosewheels and controlwheels instead of sticks, we have lost the ability to properly steer the airplane. Every student tries to "drive" with the wheel. Unfortunately, this works well enough to get by and pass a checkride, because most examiners will accept a little sideload on the landing caused by insufficient centerline steering authority because the student is driving the nose with the steering wheel, which we all know is incorrect. The tailwheel airplane must be steered with the rudder only, so the proper techinique to keep the nose aligned with the centerline is a natural development. But...tailwheel airplanes and instructors are hard to come by,...so, I have found that the same essential contol skill can be developed with a nosewheel. Just get the dang nosewheel up off the ground so you are forced to steer with rudder only. I start my students off from day one with a technique similar to a soft-field take-off. A high-speed taxi that looks like a "wheely". Take some time on the runway and line up on the centerline with the wheel all the way back, and slowly add just enough power to force the tail down and the nosewheel up off of the runway. You are forced to steer with the rudder only. Take the time to learn to do this. Keep the airplane on the centerline with rudder only. You also get the feel of cordinating throttle and elevator to keep the appropriate pitch-attitude. But mainly you teach your feet to make large immediate commanding rudder inputs to keep the nose straight while controlling sideways drift with aileron. That is what the tailwheel thing is all about.

 

[turpentyine]

If I could do it all over again I would of started taking flying lessons when I was 15/16 instead of just now trying to pick the "right" FBO at my local airport to get my PPL at the age of 20.

 

[350DRIVER]

Post what you would do if you had the time and money to start all over. Where would you go?

Would have went to medical school at either Duke or John Hopkin's. If only one could re-write history and go back in time. The aviation industry is not what it once was, bottom line. The "good days" are far behind us. Talk to Draginass (American Airlines pilot) about this, he will surely agree with me on this issue as well as most others who have been in this "game" for awhile.


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[vmc-hound]

If I had it to do all over again I would start off by getting my pvt at 16 yrs and fly fly...then find the school I "finally" ended up at. I would encourage all new students to find a program where ratings are guaranteed and one on one training. My instructor basically walked me thru everything and I learned very much about how to act like a professional aviator.