Bunch of Questions about Pvt/Inst/Comm

[minitour]

Howdy y'all...
Okay, so I'm about 25 hours into my Private training and I feel like the flying aspect is going relatively well. In fact, if all goes well, I plan to knock out the long solo XC on Tuesday. However, there are a few areas where I know I need the most work, so that is obviously where I'm focusing most of my energy now that I've knocked out the written test. Mostly the regs and the POH for the 152 (getting ready for the Oral). Also weather kills me and that NTSB stuff (FAR/AIM here I come).

Anywho(m), here's a few of my questions...

#1) My instructor keeps saying that I'm progressing well and I should be ready to go right at 40 hours, which is good because I want to get through the training quickly so I can work on the CFI stuff and maybe start working somewhere! So, does anyone have any tips on what I should be working on now? Anythings that you wish you would have done during your private training? I have 60 hours in the guaranteed rating course, so that gives me about 18 hours after 40 to REALLY fine tune everything and then the checkride.

#2) I just purchased the Instrument/Commercial kit (books, dvds, PTS, etc.) the other day. Would you recommend starting with the instrument stuff right now, even though I'm not through the private yet? I ask because anything I can do to speed up the learning process is going to make my life a lot better a lot sooner.

#3) If the answer to #2 is yes, should I be thinking Instrument and/or Commercial written pretty soon, just to knock them out? I know I have to have 250 hours for the Comm check ride, but the written test is good for 2 years, and I'm sure I'll get to 250 shortly after the IFR rating is done.

#4) What is the recommended sequence for getting the other endorsements (Complex, HP, High Alt., etc.)? Can I even get any/all of them before I have accumulated x amount of hours?

My instructor tells me its mostly personal preference, which is awesome because it lets me "grow" at my own pace, so I'm really just looking for opinions and any general directions you could point me.

Thanks in advance for any help!
-minitour

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

#1) My instructor keeps saying that I'm progressing well and I should be ready to go right at 40 hours, which is good because I want to get through the training quickly so I can work on the CFI stuff and maybe start working somewhere! So, does anyone have any tips on what I should be working on now? Anythings that you wish you would have done during your private training? I have 60 hours in the guaranteed rating course, so that gives me about 18 hours after 40 to REALLY fine tune everything and then the checkride.

Well, wait until you get to that point and do a stage check with someone, they will let you know about the weak points. You could also begin practicing all private maneuvers to Commercial pilot standards; as my favorite CFI told me, "I teach every private guy to fly tom commercial standards," minus the additional maneuvers of course.

#2) I just purchased the Instrument/Commercial kit (books, dvds, PTS, etc.) the other day. Would you recommend starting with the instrument stuff right now, even though I'm not through the private yet? I ask because anything I can do to speed up the learning process is going to make my life a lot better a lot sooner.

I'd focus on acing the Private before deviating attention to the IFR.

#3) If the answer to #2 is yes, should I be thinking Instrument and/or Commercial written pretty soon, just to knock them out? I know I have to have 250 hours for the Comm check ride, but the written test is good for 2 years, and I'm sure I'll get to 250 shortly after the IFR rating is done.

I'd just focus on the Private; there is always something you can do better, that may be the DPE's thing he looks for. That's just my way though.

#4) What is the recommended sequence for getting the other endorsements (Complex, HP, High Alt., etc.)? Can I even get any/all of them before I have accumulated x amount of hours?

My instructor tells me its mostly personal preference, which is awesome because it lets me "grow" at my own pace, so I'm really just looking for opinions and any general directions you could point me.

I'm not sure I'd mess with the High alt; the Complex and high performance are something you can do soon. I personally waited until commercial training.

Good luck and Fly safe,
TA

 

[taxicabdriver]

Take it one step at a time. Its good to get ahead, but when doing the private focus on doing everything within half the standards the pts gives you. Then worry about the instrument, nail those approaches and holds. You'll have quite a bit of time to practice before you get to 250TT for the commercial certificate. Maybe do some of those manuvers from the right seat then. I would recommend studying for the written for the next ticket as soon as you finish what your working on at the time. Enjoy all those fun manuvers, straight and level gets old quick.

 

[johnpeace]

40 hours ago, I was in exactly your shoes.

I was acing the private pilot maneuvers on the first try and moving on to the next lesson. I didn't practice steep turns that much, after all...I'd nailed them to 5° and 50' on the first try!

So then my checkride comes, and the lack of practice was evident there, short/soft landings too, and slow flight. These were all really easy maneuvers that I had aced in my training...but not seriously practiced and perfected.

I barely passed the checkride.

If I could do it over again, I would practice all those maneuvers a LOT and get to where I could do them in one attempt, within 1/2 the practical test standards.

Don't be in such a hurry...you'll enjoy and get more from the whole experience if you slow down enough to savor it.

 

[SupraZachAir]

40 hours ago, I was in exactly your shoes.

I was acing the private pilot maneuvers on the first try and moving on to the next lesson. I didn't practice steep turns that much, after all...I'd nailed them to 5° and 50' on the first try!

So then my checkride comes, and the lack of practice was evident there, short/soft landings too, and slow flight. These were all really easy maneuvers that I had aced in my training...but not seriously practiced and perfected.

I barely passed the checkride.

If I could do it over again, I would practice all those maneuvers a LOT and get to where I could do them in one attempt, within 1/2 the practical test standards.

Don't be in such a hurry...you'll enjoy and get more from the whole experience if you slow down enough to savor it.

I was in the same boat. I did everything really well off the bat, and flying really came naturally. But then I got busted when I f-cked up my deviate on my stage 2 check. Well that was a wake up call to not overlook things because I did them well once. After I got my deviate procedures concreted, i knew I had to revisit maneuvers. So then on I made sure to take a solo flight once a week or so and just drill myself on maneuvers. The results speak for themselves, as I smoked my stage 3 and slam dunked my check ride. These last couple days I've been in the Arrow getting "complexed" for my multi training, and I can pretty much do a perfect steep turn hands off, same with slow flight (of course, stalls kinda require a bit of hands on )... So in my case I was able to see where I needed to practice things and I perfected them to the point where they'd become almost second nature.

So, in summation. Practice, practice, practice. Worry about whats going on now. Don't get too obsessed with trying to get to CFI (or xx rating/certificate) in XX months. In the grand scheme of things, when you're in the left seat of a major, age 45, will you really care that you took a month longer than you wanted to pass xx check ride?

 

[minitour]

Hey everyone, thanks for the input! Now its off to mesmorize that POH for the oral and practice more ground reference maneuvers. I never thought about getting the maneuvers down to Commercial PTS during the private...thanks for the great ideas!
-minitour