The Private Pilot's Thread

Intel Inside · Nov 7, 2010

Hi Everyone!!

I decided to start this thread to see if any one here share's my passion of GA flying. I hope that we can all share our flying experience, stories, tips, photos and anything else that you would like to contribute!!

Student pilots are more than welcome to post, as i am one myself.

Here's some info about me:-

Hours - 5
Types flown - C172
Flying School - Goodwood flying school (where you learn to fly)

At the moment, i am learning to fly at Goodwood Flying school, near Chichester, UK. The flying school has a fleet of 5 brand new Cessna 172s, equipped with a G100 glass cockpit!! I am looking forward to my first solo, which can be done when i'm 16 (September 2010)

I'd love to hear some of your experiences!!

Here are a few pictures:-

quagmire · Nov 7, 2010

I am currently going to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for my flight training to become an airline pilot and currently hold a Private Pilots license. Riddle uses the Cessna C172S with the glass cockpit for their primary training aircraft.

I am currently working on my Multi-engine rating and Riddle uses the Diamond DA42-L360 Twin Stars to do that. The Twin Star is an amazing aircraft to fly. I much prefer the control stick to the yoke of the C172S. And if you feel a landing in the DA42, you screwed the landing up. It lands smoothly compared to the C172 or Riddle's old twin engine aircraft, the Piper Seminole( a good landing in the Seminole is a bad landing in the Twin Star. The Seminoles landed hard).

Here is a picture of the Twin Star.

Twin Star Cockpit:

Intel Inside · Nov 7, 2010

quagmire said:
I am currently going to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for my flight training to become an airline pilot and currently hold a Private Pilots license. Riddle uses the Cessna C172S with the glass cockpit for their primary training aircraft.

I am currently working on my Multi-engine rating and Riddle uses the Diamond DA42-L360 Twin Stars to do that. The Twin Star is an amazing aircraft to fly. I much prefer the control stick to the yoke of the C172S. And if you feel a landing in the DA42, you screwed the landing up. It lands smoothly compared to the C172 or Riddle's old twin engine aircraft, the Piper Seminole( a good landing in the Seminole is a bad landing in the Twin Star. The Seminoles landed hard).

Here is a picture of the Twin Star.

Twin Star Cockpit:

Good luck on your journey to becoming an airline pilot!!

Just to clear something up, are you doing a degree, as well as flight training, at one university?

Also, i don't see the point of having the yoke, as i havent once touched the right handle. i always keep my right and free and the left on the yoke, but i like having the yoke there. It may sound a bit strange!! and that looks like a very nice aircraft you're flying there!!

quagmire · Nov 7, 2010

Intel Inside said:
Good luck on your journey to becoming an airline pilot!!

Just to clear something up, are you doing a degree, as well as flight training, at one university?

Also, i don't see the point of having the yoke, as i havent once touched the right handle. i always keep my right and free and the left on the yoke, but i like having the yoke there. It may sound a bit strange!! and that looks like a very nice aircraft you're flying there!!

I am going for a degree as well as flight training at Riddle.

alphaone · Nov 7, 2010

It's always nice to see enthusiastic new pilots. Keep that enthusiasm, it will serve you well. Learn everything you can. Knowledge is power, it might get you a job or save your life someday. And you'll never stop learning things either, no matter how much experience you get. That's the great thing about aviation, it's fantastically dynamic, it's always something new.

I'm curious how far you intend to take your training. Ratings for me: comm. ASEL, AMEL, Instrument Airplane, CFI, CFII, and a smattering of endorsements. About 600 hours spread over the C150, C172 (round dial and G1000), R182, C162, PA44, C206 (round dial and G1000), and the Super Decathlon.

bradl · Nov 7, 2010

quagmire said:
I am currently going to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for my flight training to become an airline pilot and currently hold a Private Pilots license. Riddle uses the Cessna C172S with the glass cockpit for their primary training aircraft.

Daytona, or Prescott?

I'm currently taking my training at the College of Southern Nevada (Univ. Nevada-Las Vegas, Community College of Southern Nevada, Univ. Nevada-Reno, etc.). with being a part-time employee there (actually, any employee can do this), every semester you are working there gets you 3 free credit hours towards any class of your choosing. And since CSN's degree for it covers ground school, I'm applying those credit hours towards that. I'm also currently using a C172, based at KVGT (North Las Vegas Airport).

BL.

quagmire · Nov 7, 2010

bradl said:
Daytona, or Prescott?

I'm currently taking my training at the College of Southern Nevada (Univ. Nevada-Las Vegas, Community College of Southern Nevada, Univ. Nevada-Reno, etc.). with being a part-time employee there (actually, any employee can do this), every semester you are working there gets you 3 free credit hours towards any class of your choosing. And since CSN's degree for it covers ground school, I'm applying those credit hours towards that. I'm also currently using a C172, based at KVGT (North Las Vegas Airport).

BL.

Daytona.

Intel Inside · Nov 7, 2010

alphaone said:
It's always nice to see enthusiastic new pilots. Keep that enthusiasm, it will serve you well. Learn everything you can. Knowledge is power, it might get you a job or save your life someday. And you'll never stop learning things either, no matter how much experience you get. That's the great thing about aviation, it's fantastically dynamic, it's always something new.

I'm curious how far you intend to take your training. Ratings for me: comm. ASEL, AMEL, Instrument Airplane, CFI, CFII, and a smattering of endorsements. About 600 hours spread over the C150, C172 (round dial and G1000), R182, C162, PA44, C206 (round dial and G1000), and the Super Decathlon.

I'd like to get a Night and IR with a high Power endorsement, to open some doors on when, and what i can fly through. After University, i'll decide if i want to turn it into a career.

lukefinch · Nov 7, 2010

I started flying around this time last year and have clocked almost 20 hours flying in that time, having as many lessons cancelled due to bad weather as i have actually flown!

I am 16 and should have been having my first solo flight yesterday but i had to cancel it due to a foot injury.

Here's some info about me:-

Hours - Around 20, don't have my logbook to hand
Types flown - C152, C150 and C150 Aerobat
Flying School - Netherthorpe airfield, Sheffield Aero Club, home of Europes shortest runway!

The planes i fly...

C152

C150

C150 Aerobat

dmr727 · Nov 7, 2010

Great thread and pictures, guys! Keep 'em coming. I especially like seeing all the grass in the UK photos.

alphaone · Nov 7, 2010

I forgot to talk about the most important thing in this business, networking. Talk to people and pilots, be courteous. Ask intelligent questions. Trade contact information if they offer it. You never know when it might come in handy or they might have something to offer you now or in the future. Pilots in general are nice people and appreciate someone that is genuinely interested in what they're doing.

Above all else, never forget why you decided to fly in the first place.

jknight8907 · Nov 7, 2010

I have about 500 hours and currently fly a Navajo and a couple of single-engines.

quagmire · Nov 7, 2010

alphaone said:
Above all else, never forget why you decided to fly in the first place.

IMHO, this is the most important factor in a pilots career. The rest of what you said is important, but it doesn't matter if you don't have the passion to fly.

As soon as you get your private and when you go for the other ratings, get checked out for rentals. They will be a life saver. If you are ever going to lose your passion to fly, it will be in the training process. I experienced this last year when I struggled on my short field landings and single engine landings. I never got around to renewing my rental currency so every time I didn't do well in my flight course, my confidence slowly eroded and my passion for flying dropped. Before that though, when ever I hit a rough patch in my training, I would go rent a C172S and go up to 6000 ft, fly around, and enjoy the view. It would rejuvenate me and my love for flying. I am back on track this year in getting my multi-engine rating( almost to the check ride) my confidence and my love for flying returned.

renewed · Nov 7, 2010

Flew one of these one time. Whew. Wrecked it in the bay though after evading a 5 star wanted level and parachuting into a yeti.

dmr727 · Nov 7, 2010

quagmire said:
I am back on track this year in getting my multi-engine rating( almost to the check ride) my confidence and my love for flying returned.

That's awesome, man. Keep it up! You graduate pretty soon right? Will you finish up your remaining certificates at home?

Tomple · Nov 7, 2010

Trying to get my pilots license begging this summer
Wish me luck!

dmr727 · Nov 7, 2010

renewed said:
Flew one of these one time. Whew. Wrecked it in the bay though after evading a 5 star wanted level and parachuting into a yeti.

A Lear is a fine choice for moving product. Small, but very maneuverable!

quagmire · Nov 7, 2010

dmr727 said:
That's awesome, man. Keep it up! You graduate pretty soon right? Will you finish up your remaining certificates at home?

I am hoping that Riddle would still allow me to fly and train there in order to get my CFI and then work as an instructor there to build my hours. I need my instrument and commercial in order to graduate, so until I have those, I won't be graduating. And I wouldn't see why they wouldn't allow me to get my CFI there since they would want my money and I am an alumni( plus I might stay for graduate school).

I also just declared my minor in Homeland Security as my backup career just in case flying doesn't work out( either I don't like the lifestyle of being a pilot or I lose my medical, etc).

dmr727 · Nov 7, 2010

^^^ sounds like a good plan to me. I wonder if the reason you're not enjoying training more is because ERAU takes itself a little too seriously sometimes. Training should be fun. Perhaps not always, but generally so, at least.

adk · Nov 7, 2010

dmr727 said:
^^^ sounds like a good plan to me. I wonder if the reason you're not enjoying training more is because ERAU takes itself a little too seriously sometimes. Training should be fun. Perhaps not always, but generally so, at least.

Exactly. The most fun you'll ever have flying is chasing a deer around a cornfield.

ohaithar · Nov 7, 2010

I've wanted to be a pilot since I was a little kid.....Grew up and still live near O'hare. I just love seeing the United & American jets buzz over my head, and I wanted to be up there flying them.
Unfortunately, lack of money has prevented me from achieving it.

Intel Inside · Nov 11, 2010

Tomple said:
Trying to get my pilots license begging this summer
Wish me luck!

Hey man, good luck!! It's a load of fun

nsx23 · Nov 11, 2010

Good to see other pilots here. I'm just a student pilot at the moment though, and officially I haven't even logged double digit flight hours yet...

Whilst I study aerospace engineering at uni, I'd like to become an airline pilot. Unfortunately I don't have the funds, so my only way in would be through a cadet program such as Cathay pacific

This is what I've flown:

Piper PA-28 Warrior III with glass cockpit as well as one with the traditional clocks.

Good old Cessna 152. I actually think its more fun to fly than the Warrior since its less stable and really requires you to fly it, but thats me.

Intel Inside · Jun 4, 2011

thought i'd post a little update and also see how everyone's flying is!

Now up to 12.7 hours, had to take it very slow so that i don't get too far into training without going solo! (i'm only turning 16 in September)

My instructor had told me he's more than happy to send me solo, but i have to wait until my birthday

How's everyone else getting along?

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