quote:

Originally posted by Top Gun Supply:

There were always certain pilots that made me sweat when putting my CFI signature in their logbook.

There have been a few times when I have suggested that fishing might be a better hobby.

quote:

Originally posted by Top Gun Supply:

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
and most importantly decision making.

You can teach just about anybody the mechanics of flying an airplane. I found the hardest thing to teach someone is judgement (decision making). They will only learn that to the extent that they are willing to change their thoughts and perceptions. There were always certain pilots that made me sweat when putting my CFI signature in their logbook.

Reminds me about the old saying that “The most dangerous hours are those between 100 and 200, when the pilot thinks he knows it all and hasn’t scared the stuffing out of himself enough to realize he has a lot more to learn.”

A lot of this judgement stuff comes from experience and the trick is to be realistic about one’s own capabilities and those of one’s airplane and put tight enough boundaries/limits on oneself that one has “learning experiences” rather than “catastrophes.” Sometimes the dividing line between the two is damned thin...

Another thought, not so much about learning to fly but more about when you are out flying. Always be asking yourself “What are the risks I’m facing and what are my option?” At the very first instance of the risks increasing or the options diminishing it is absolutely time to seriously consider making a new plan.

It is always better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than the reverse.

I studied from the King Schools Tapes (VHS...a loooong time ago) for Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine, CFI, & ATP. There are things I remember specifically from those tapes from 20+ years ago. John and Martha might be nuttier than a fruit cake, but they know how to teach the material in such a manner that it stays in long-term memory. To this day, I remember the term "orographic lifting".

With respect to slosig's post above, my Commercial/Multi instructor (GREAT guy!!) had one piece of advice for me..."ALWAYS leave yourself an 'out'".

Hello!

THANK YOU for the many responses! I love this place!

I live in Wyoming. The class is a six-week private pilot ground school class. I’m super healthy & fit but I see the logic of doing the medical, then doing the clsssroom stuff.

Thank you for all the input & support!

Jim

I'm also a CFI down near KFNL, Fort Collins CO. Happy to help if you have additional questions. Lots of great advice in all the previous posts. It's lots of fun, but does require sound decisions and a healthy respect and understanding of weather. Remember gravity always wins.

I'll be somewhat of a contrarian to some of the advise on this. Do you like to fly in light planes? Have you done a couple of stints in a 172 or something similar and said that's my goal, to be able to do this? I'm a big fan of going flying for awhile to see if you think its you. The mechanics of getting licensed after that are pretty easy but unfortunately expensive these days (at least compared to my youth).

quote:

Originally posted by Jim1970:

I live in Wyoming.

You might want to touch base with ColoradoHunter, who is still alive, despite rumors to the contrary (I can vouch for that, I had the pleasure of meeting him and having lunch with him a few months ago).

Maybe find a place to take an introductory lesson or two to see if it's your thing before you commit. That's what I did the first time.

I am about 22 hours in to my flight training, pre-solo, in a C172.
With my limited experience, I can only offer up two (okay, three) suggestions:

1. Go do an introductory fight WITH a potential CFI. If your airport/school has multiple CFIs, then get to know them as well as you can. TRUST ME: personality clashes have no place in the airplane.
2. Estimate your costs for doing this, and add in 50% as a safety/reality cushion.
3. Keep flying through the frustrating part(s). Chair-fly (I laid out a runway in my hallway, and I visualize and mentally/physically "fly" through the pattern almost every day.) It will get frustrating. Weather will get in the way. Keep pressing forward. Things WILL start to click.

Coloradohunter44 on this forum (B) has provided some great advice to me, recently, about flying. This place has some very experienced aviators. Reach out to them and learn from them.

I have about 200 hours, pvt license, some instrument. Flew a 150, Mooney M20, Cessna T210 and enjoyed it. What i did not like was landing at an airport with no car and all the expense and no way to write it off.

Still would love to fly, but like my bus better.

I have one thing to add.

Try out a couple of instructors before you commit.

I had two terrible instructors, one that just sat there and hardly ever said anything, he was just building time. He left the school as soon as he built enough hours to fly freight. The other just could not teach, she was a bad communicator.

I had a couple of very good ones.

Try to find one that is instructing because he enjoys it, not one building time to move to something sexier.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
I have one thing to add.

Try out a couple of instructors before you commit.

I had two terrible instructors, one that just sat there and hardly ever said anything, he was just building time. He left the school as soon as he built enough hours to fly freight. The other just could not teach, she was a bad communicator.

I had a couple of very good ones.

Try to find one that is instructing because he enjoys it, not one building time to move to something sexier.

Chemistry with the instructor is important.

I have flown with long time instructors who were great and with some who should have hung it up long ago. I have flown with time builders too - some who were great instructors who enjoyed teaching and some who were just building time. A friend who flies 737s for Southwest and GVs and up corporate also still teaches tailwheel in his Citabria.

You want someone who loves to fly, at least likes (loves is better) to teach, and is able to communicate with you. That package can come with a gagillion hours, retired military aviator, retired airlines after that, etc and it can come in a freshly minted instructor. Whatever description best fits your instructor, he is *your* instructor. Make sure he works for you, and if he doesn’t, find another.

I got my license in 1976 while a high school student in Canada and even though I'm not a multi-thousand hour ATP, I will admit that I think outside of one of my engineering degrees, its one of the best educations I've had.

I've been lucky enough to be able to find several very good flight instructors. I've had a few bad ones that I didn't put up with for very long.

The airplane is a lousy classroom, its noisy, it moves and its cold, cramped and bumpy.

If you can get a ground school class somewhere, do that and take it and the book learning off the table. Get the written exam out of the way.

Read the FAR/AIM - its important and it changes every year. Get comfortable with maps. Radios aren't really that tough.

Once you start to fly, try to fly every week. Stick and rudder skills are perishable and if you spend too much time between flights you will lose a lot. Also, make sure you get a good pre-and post-flight brief - it will enhance your progress.

Good luck. I was once told that a mile of road can get you a mile. A mile of runway can get you just about anywhere.