Which Instruments are Required?

Flying is such an exhilarating thing to do, but with so many pilots doing not-so-smart things in the past, we have the FAA to deal with now.  We have to make sure we have all our i's dotted and t's crossed so we don't get fined (or whatever punishment they decide on) by the FAA.  

In order to fly in an airplane during the day or night in VFR conditions, there is a list of items that must be operating on the aircraft for it to be airworthy.  For a checkride, you'll need to have all of these items memorized, but for every day pilot life, I would recommend creating a 'cheat sheet' for yourself.  

Following is the 'cheat sheet' I made for myself and still keep on my kneeboard when I am flight instructing or flying solo.  That way if something is inop, I can quickly look down at my sheet and see if I am legal to fly or not.  The acronym I used to help me memorize this is TOMAATOFFLAMES for the required items during day, and FLAPS for the additional items required at night.

Required Equipment: FAR 91.205

Day VFR

Tachometer for each engine

Oil pressure gauge for each engine using a pressure system

Magnetic direction indicator (compass)

Airspeed indicator

Altimeter

Temperature gauge for each liquid-cooled engine

Oil temperature gauge for each air-cooled engine

Fuel gauge indicating the quantity of fuel in each tank

Flotation gear if flight is for hire beyond gliding distance from shore

Landing gear position indicator

Anti-collision light system, if certified after March 11, 1996

Manifold pressure gauge for each altitude engine 

ELT, if required by FAR 91.207

Safety belt for each occupant over 2 years old, Shoulder harness, if after July 18, 1978

Night VFR

All equipment listed above plus….

Fuse: a spare set if accessible to the pilot

Landing light: electric if the flight is for hire

Anti Collision light system: red or white

Position navigation lights

Source of electricity for all electrical and radio equipment

You are welcome to copy and paste this list into a word document and use it for yourself; in fact, I hope

you do.  As pilots, we help each other out- that's the great thing about being a part of such a great community of people.  Keep this list with you at all times while flying so you never have to play the guessing game again.  

My Biggest Challenge

Of course I'd like you all to think that I was a natural born pilot who has always had it easy, but that isn't the truth.  Flying with precision is something I have had to learn over the years.  I have done enough intro flights to know there are those who are natural aviators, and those who are not.  There's nothing wrong with either one, but for some of us, we have to work a lot harder to master the maneuvers than others.

Though my first flight with my instructor was such an adrenaline rush, I remember having a difficult time holding altitude.  I felt like I was keeping the nose of the aircraft where the instructor told me to, but the airplane, against my will of course, kept climbing or descending.  At the time, I didn't realize that some pilots can hold altitude within 10 feet on their first flight, so I thought I was the most amazing pilot that there ever was!

Thankfully my instructor never said anything discouraging to me, and never compared me to his other students, so after a few flight I had mastered the basic maneuvers.  Next up?  Takeoffs and landings.  The takeoffs didn't seem too difficult, but the landings gave me some grief.

I had over 15 hours before I soloed because I could not get a good landing in.  If it was a 'common error' I struggled with it.  Flaring too high?  Yep.  Coming in too fast or slow?  Yep.  Leaving power in too long?  Yep.  Landings were my nemesis.  But I was determined to get it.  I spent a lot of time in the traffic pattern with my instructor.  I'm sure he got bored of flying traffic patterns for over an hour/three times per week, but he never complained.  I saw myself improve each and every time, which is what kept me going.

After a million or so landings (okay, maybe not that many... but it was a lot), my instructor finally felt I was ready for my solo.  I was nervous, but I acted the part and told myself that if he thought I could do it, that I could do it.  I did three touch and go's and survived every single one- in fact, the landings weren't so bad after all.  I could hear my instructor in my head, coaching me through it.  It was awesome!

Once I had my solo endorsement, I went up frequently by myself to work on my landings.  I put in a lot of time and spent a lot of money before I felt my landings were up to par, but I distinctly remember the day when it all clicked.  My traffic pattern was perfect, my approach was stabilized, I reduced power at the perfect time, leveled out, and flared exactly when I needed to- I'd finally gotten the sight picture correct.  I'm sure I still had some less than beautiful landings in that plane before my checkride, but I now knew how to land the airplane safely each and every time.   I had finally mastered the normal landing.

What's the point to this story?  It's that not every pilot is perfect, and that's okay.  If you are having a difficult time learning a specific maneuver, don't just give up.  Keep working at it until you get it.  Don't compare yourself to your peers- your only competition is you.  Study harder so you can be better than you were the day or the flight before.  If you beat yourself up, you won't be able to improve.   Some pilots are naturals, and some are not; it's nothing to be ashamed of.
 If this is something you really want to do, then do it.  There were many times I could have easily given up, but I didn't.  I kept working through it.  I had to study a lot more than most, but that didn't stop me.   Don't let it stop you!

If you have questions about becoming a pilot, or would like to share your story on my blog, email me at trendyprivatepilots@gmail.com.

Fuel- Top if Off, Please!

Getting back into the General Aviation world has re-opened my eyes with how important fuel is.  Of course we pay attention to it at the airlines and check it a bazillion times before we takeoff and during the flight, but the amount of fuel we need is figured out by dispatchers and then put into our planes from fuelers who are paid to do it.  Fuel is burned evenly from each tank into each engine, so we don't have worry about switching fuel tanks throughout the flight.  And the fuel gauges are very accurate on a commercial airliner!

Many GA airplanes are not quite the same, as far as fuel goes.  Fuel gauges only have to show accurate when they are empty, which is not something I want to test out!  Because of that, we need to visually inspect the tanks to make sure they are full before each flight, and sump it to make sure there are no contaminants (including water), in our fuel tanks.  Water weighs roughly 8 pounds per gallon, whereas fuel weighs only about 6 pounds per gallon; if there is water in your fuel tank, it will separate and sink to the bottom of your sump.  If you see this, continue summing until all of the water is removed from your fuel tank.

While sumping fuel, you have probably noticed that the fuel was either a blue (100LL), red (80), green (100), or clear (Jet-A).  Dyes are added to the fuel to help us identity which grade of fuel is in our tank.  Most of the airplanes I have flown have used 100LL, which is blue.  (As a side note, after you sump the fuel, hold it next to something white so you can verify the color.)

My one exception (minus my airline flying) to that is the Diamond Twinstar, which takes Jet-A fuel.  One important item to note is this: When two grades of fuel are mixed, it will turn clear.  I got asked that question on my commercial checkride and I had absolutely no idea.  The examiner was kind and let me look it up afterwards... whew!

Though many smaller airplanes have only one fuel tank, or two fuel tanks that can be used at the same time, some are not designed that way at all- in fact, you may have to watch your fuel and switch it from one tank to the next every 30 minutes or so.  Make sure you know which type of fuel system you have in your aircraft.  I have heard stories of pilots running out of fuel in one tank, doing an emergency landing, only to remember they still had another tank completely full of fuel.  Don't be that guy (or girl)!

As long as taking full fuel won't put me overweight, I 'top it off' before each flight.  I'd much rather have too much fuel than not enough.  What are your personal minimums regarding fuel?

Back to the GA World

Before today,  it had been 1,324 days since I flew a single engine airplane.  In 2012 I was hired by a regional carrier and completed my last flight as a single engine certified flight instructor (CFI) on August 4, 2012.  It was hard for me to leave flight instructing, as it was my passion, but I had to give the airlines a try.  Maybe I would like the lifestyle more?  Maybe I would become a better pilot?  Maybe I would LOVE the travel benefits?  Plus, it had always been my goal, and I knew then was the perfect time for me to give it a try.

It is now 3 1/2 years later, and I still absolutely LOVE flying at the airlines.  I started at the company flying a turboprop, but last year transitioned over to the jet.  The benefits of working for an airline are pretty fantastic- free flights, great health insurance, traveling all over the place and getting paid to do it, and [after the first year] making more as an airline pilot than I ever did as a CFI.  I would never leave the airlines to go back to a full time flight instructor, position but I do miss teaching!  I have seen people do some pretty incredible things, so why couldn't I do both?  Be an airline pilot and a CFI?

Last week was my last flight at the airlines before I left on maternity leave.  I wasn't ready to go, but sitting for 8+ hours was getting incredibly uncomfortable (as in, my entire body would be sore by the time I got to the hotel each night), and using the lav more than once on a 2 hour flight is quite inconvenient.  I have had so many people tell me to take this time to just relax... you mean laze around?  Not my style!  So I found a great flight school near me and got checked out in their little Piper Warrior today.  I had a mix of emotions in that one hour flight, I thought I'd share... maybe some of you have felt the same way.  But we don't just give up when things are a bit out of our comfort zone- we push through it until we are great, and then we keep on going.

Before I left for my checkout flight this morning, I was a bit nervous/excited.  Nervous because "what if I fly the wrong airspeed, or approach the runway too high, etc, etc."    I am a recovering perfectionist and sometimes I am my own worst enemy.  I finally realized, however, that I WAS going to make those mistakes.   I WAS going to fly too fast at some point; I WAS going to have an imperfect traffic pattern, because mistakes are a part of learning.  Also, I hadn't been in a small plane in years, it's ridiculous to think I could just get in the plane and fly it perfectly- nobody can do that.  In aviation, we all make mistakes, but we learn from them, fix it, and move on.

My first traffic pattern was all over the place (at least in my opinion)!  I was late on the flaps, high on final, and ended up just doing a go-around (ain't no shame in that).  My CFI showed me the second traffic pattern and approach to landing and I thought she was going to kill us- "Whoa... why is she waiting so long to level out and flare... she can see the ground, right???"  But her landing was right on the money- perfect level out and flare.

She handed the controls back to me and I was on my own now.  However, during my first full traffic pattern, approach, and landing, these thoughts did cross my mind "it's easier to just sit at home; why am I doing this to myself?  why am I making myself learn to fly a small airplane again?  this isn't fun;  I'm not good at it; I miss my jet."  If you have ever had these kind of negative thoughts enter your mind, GET THEM OUT IMMEDIATELY.  You will be so much happier after you accomplish your goal instead of just giving up.  You will have more to look forward to each day.  You will feel better about yourself.  It will all be worth it in the end.  Once I told myself I could do this, each landing got progressively better.  They still aren't perfect, but that will come.

I did seven more landings after hers, and by the end, I was feeling pretty good about myself.  I took myself out of my comfort zone and did something that was hard for me (hard for me because I wasn't perfect at it).  I think every pilot going through training feels this at some point, and that's okay... as long as you recognize it and keep pushing forward.

During my flight instructor days I saw so many students try to give up after a bad day of flying.  I often wondered why they were so hard on themselves, because I had forgotten what it's like.  But now I remember.  I am glad I got to experience those emotions again today, because I will understand what my students are going through, and how they feel when they don't have the perfect day of flying.  I'm excited to start flight instructing again, and can't wait to  make a difference.

Private Pilot Training, Part 141

Thinking of earning a private pilots license?  Confused about the differences between a part 61 and part 141 flight school?  Read this post to learn about the requirement for part 61, and continue reading on to find out about the requirements for part 141.

I did all my flight training and flight instructing at a part 61 school in Utah; because of that, I am  more familiar with getting a license under that part of the regulations (if you find any errors or anything missing from this section, please let me know).  There are pros and cons to doing your training under part 61 versus part 141, so make sure you do the research and pick a flight school that will work best for your future goals.

There are a lot of similarities between 61 and 141, but also a few major difference.  In a quick summary, part 61 is less strict, but requires a few more hours in the long run.  Part 141 is more regimented, requires an exact syllabus to be followed, but has less flight hours required.  Either program is going to be a great way to train- just find one that works well for you and go for it.

Keep in mind, in this post I am only discussing the requirements to get a private pilot's license, airplane single-engine land. I have also paraphrased some of the information to make it easier to understand,  but if you want to the exact wording, you can refer to the FARs Part 141. 

Following is information taken from the FAR/AIM Part 141 section:

If you attend a Part 141 flight school you must have a minimum of 35 hours of ground training in the following areas (part 61 does not have a time limit on the ground hours, the only requirement is that you cover all the ground areas with a flight instructor):

Ground Training Aeronautical knowledge areas:

(1) Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations for private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;

(2) Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;

(3) Applicable subjects of the “Aeronautical Information Manual” and the appropriate FAA advisory circulars;

(4) Aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems;

(5) Radio communication procedures;

(6) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;

(7) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence;

(8) Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance;

(9) Weight and balance computations;

(10) Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems;

(11) If the course of training is for an airplane category or glider category rating, stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques;

(12) Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and

(13) Preflight action that includes— 

(i) How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing
distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements; and 

(ii) How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered.

You must also have a minimum of 35 hours of flight training. 

Flight Training areas:

(1) 20 hours of flight training from a certificated flight instructor 

(i) 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a single-engine airplane

(ii) 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes— 

-One cross-country flight of more than 100-nautical-miles total distance; and 

-10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop

(iii) Three hours operating the aircraft solely by reference to instruments

(iv) 3 hours of flight training in preparation for the practical test within 60 days preceding the date of the test.

Some of the flight hours can be completed in a simulator.  If you decide to attend a part 141 flight school they can give you the details of that (if they have an approved sim), or you can refer to the Regs.

Following are the areas you have to demonstrate proficiency on for your checkride (same as part 61):

(i) Preflight preparation; 

(ii) Preflight procedures; 

(iii) Airport and seaplane base operations; 

(iv) Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds; 

(v) Performance maneuvers; 

(vi) Ground reference maneuvers; 

(vii) Navigation; 

(viii) Slow flight and stalls; 

(ix) Basic instrument maneuvers; 

(x) Emergency operations; 

(xi) Night operations, and 

(xii) Postflight procedures.

You are still required to have solo time to earn a license under part 141.  You will need at least 5 hours of solo time.  Following are the requirements for those hours (these hours go towards the minimum 35 hours needed to get your license):

(1) One solo 100 nautical miles cross country flight with landings at a minimum of three points and one
segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles between the takeoff
and landing locations; and

(2) Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at
an airport with an operating control tower. 

In a part 61 flight training program, stage checks and end-of-course tests are not required; however, in a part 141 flight training program, they are.  The school you attend will have the information for the stage checks- how many they require and the ground and flight training for each one.

I flight instructed at a part 61 school that did stage checks, even though it wasn't required.  For example, the private pilot training was divided into 3 stages with a stage check after each one: pre-solo, cross-countries, and checkride prep.  I think stage checks are great- for the instructor and the student.  It's a good gauge for the flight instructor to make sure they are teaching all the required information, and it's good for the student (YOU) to make sure you are learning what you need to.  Also, doing stage checks makes the checkride less stressful because you will be used to flying and getting tested by someone other than your flight instructor.  Stage checks are there to help you, so don't be too nervous about them.

I hope that clears up some of the confusion between part 61 and part 141 flight training.  I paraphrased quite a bit here, so if you want to read the exact wording, refer to the FARs.  Have fun finding a flight school, and make sure you find one that fits you well with your future goals.

The All-Mighty Checkride

I originally posted this on my other blog, trendypilots.blogspot.com, but I thought my new readers might enjoy the post.  I had a lot of questions about what the checkride even was in the beginning, and I thought you might too.

What is a checkride anyways?  I remember asking this question when I first starting training, so here is your answer: It is the final test you take, including ground and flight, to get your license or rating. In this post, to keep it simple, I'll talk only about the private pilot checkride, but keep in mind that all checkrides follow the same basic principles.  If you are ready, checkrides don't have to be nerve-racking or stressful.  If you are prepared, they will be no big deal.

Once your have completed all the required training (I talked about Part 61 training in THIS post), you should be ready for the checkride.  Before I ever sent my students to their checkrides, I did a mock checkride with them; I asked them questions similar to what an examiner would ask, and treated the flight like I was an examiner, not their flight instructor.  This gave me and my students a good gauge as to whether or not they were actually ready.

Before you go to your checkride, here are a few things to keep in mind.  Most examiners want cash, so make sure you hit up an ATM before you meet with the examiner.  Bring everything you can think of that you have used in your training with you.  Some things may include: Foggles, Headset, Weather Charts, Flight Planning Tools, Logbook, FAR/AIM (and know how to reference it)... I am sure there are a few things I am forgetting, but if you are in doubt, bring it.  Other things you also need to bring are your completed IACRA form, your driver's license or govt. issued ID, current pilot's license, and your medical.

On my private pilot checkride, the examiner stumped me on a question.  As it was the first one I didn't know, he said I could use the FAR/AIM to look it up; problem was, I didn't even know how to reference this book.  It probably took me 20 minutes of pure stress to find the answer.  Not fun!  After the checkride I went through and tabbed some of the important stuff so I could find the answers, if I needed, for my next checkride.  It might be a good idea for you to do the same.  There is a list of pertinent FARS for each phase of training in the front of your book that you could use as a starting point when tabbing your FARs.   

Though this isn't required, I would recommend that you dress nice for a checkride.  No jeans with holes or sandals or baseball caps.  The nicer you dress, the better you feel about yourself, and the better you will most likely perform on your checkride.  You are taking a test to become a professional pilot, so dress like one.  I always wore nice black dress pants and a white button up shirt for checkrides.

Plan to show up for your checkride at least 30 minutes in advance so you have time to de-stress and make sure you have everything in order.  You could also do a quick preflight of the airplane to make sure there isn't anything major missing or damaged before you go out there with examiner.

The checkride consists of 2 segments: ground and flight.  The ground portion must be passed before the flight portion can begin.  The shortest ground portion I ever had was 1.5 hours, and the longest was 4 hours (that examiner was particularly chatty).  Most examiners try to keep it around 2 hours.  The examiner can ask anything from the PTS during this ground portion, so it is important to thoroughly study all the material outlined there (including all the information in the Introduction).  Click HERE to go to the FAAs website where all the PTSs can be found.

Most checkrides require that a flight plan be completed beforehand- the examiner will give you a cross country flight to plan, which will include the amount of bags and passengers you will take on this pretend flight.  Bring everything you used to plan the flight to the checkride in case he asks you to show how you got a specific number, such as distance from point A to B.  This is not required, but a good idea in my opinion-- also bring all the weather charts you used in your flight planning.  These charts include (from the PTS):

1. METAR, TAF, and FA. 
2. surface analysis chart. 
3. radar summary chart. 
4. winds and temperature aloft chart. 
5. significant weather prognostic charts. 
6. convective outlook chart. 
7. AWOS, ASOS, and ATIS reports. 
8. SIGMET s and AIRMET s. 
9. PIREPs. 
10. windshear reports. 
11. icing and freezing level information. 

Why is it good to bring all of these?  Because you can look them all over and make sure you know how to read them all.  If you have your own weather charts, the examiner might just use those for the testing, which is great since you have those charts studied to a "T".  I always had my students do that and none struggled with the weather portion on a checkride.

The flight planning is usually a big portion of the checkride, as the examiner can tie so many things into the fight plan, such as, "If you get lost, what are you going to do?" or "If you have an engine failure at point X, what will you do and where will you land?" or "What airspace are you in at point X at the altitude you have planned to be at?"  or "How can I find out more information about this airport?"  I think you get the point.  The examiner can check a lot of boxes off during your flight planning portion by asking you scenario based questions.

Make sure you are familiar with all the ground items outlined in the PTS.  It is not a secret what you will be asked.  So study!

Once you have passed the ground portion you will move onto the flight portion, the fun part.  Most examiners will look through the maintenance logs with you and make sure all the required inspections have been completed.  If everything is correct in the maintenance logs, your flight portion will begin.  The examiner may walk with you during the walk around and ask questions about the aircraft, such as fuel, antennas, weight limitations, engine operation, etc.  Know your stuff!  I once had an examiner ask me what color the fuel would be if you mixed two different types of avgas.  I had no idea!  He told me to write it down and look it up later... the answer is clear (much different from the brownish color I had imagined).

After the preflight comes the flight portion.  If you had to plan a flight for your checkride, you will probably fly the first portion of your cross county on departure.  The examiner wants to make sure that you can actually fly the route you planned and that your times match up.  Once you pass that portion, you will move on to the maneuvers, in whichever order the examiner decides.  The flight portion is usually 1.5 hours long.  Make sure you relax.  If you make a mistake (like lose 200' altitude), correct it immediately and don't beat yourself up about it.  The examiner cannot fail you for 1 or even 2 mistakes... you have to consistently exceed tolerances to fail a checkride.  So correct the error, speak positively to yourself, and nail the next maneuver.  Don't dwell on your mistakes or it could most definitely be the downfall of your checkride.

Once you have passed all the required maneuvers and have landed the airplane beautifully, continue to stay in 'testing mode.'  The checkride is not over until you have safely parked the plane and chocked it or placed the tie-downs on it.  Once that's all over, and the examiner has told you good job, you are done!  And you will feel the most relief and success you have ever felt.  Each checkride is a huge accomplishment- seriously.  It takes a lot of time and effort to pass a checkride, so make sure you celebrate afterwards!

If you have any questions about the checkride that weren't answered in this post, feel free to email me at trendyprivatepilots@gmail.com.  I look forward to hearing from you.

How Aviation Found Me

It wasn't until I was a junior in high school that I even heard of a pilot as a possible career choice.  And honestly, I stumbled upon it by accident.  When I was in high school I decided to start taking college classes to try to graduate high school early with some college already under my belt.  I needed one more class to fill up my schedule that semester, and the only one that really fit was an Intro to Aviation Science class.  I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it sounded interesting, so I registered for it.

On the first day of class the teacher went over the entire syllabus and told us what we could expect to learn that semester.  He also told about his flying background.  I was intrigued.  You mean to tell me that people make a career out of becoming a pilot?  It's not just something from the movies?  That sounds awesome.  As the class continued throughout the semester, I got more and more hooked.  It was the first time in my life that I wanted to know more.  Can women do this?  Can I do it even if I don't have perfect vision?  Where can I go to school for this?  Can I afford it?  I've never even been on a plane, though, will I even like it?

I had tons of questions, so instead of just sitting back, I decided to find some answers.  I began by researching out flight schools and found out the college I was attending in high school offered an aviation program and it was rated among the best- and better yet, it was much cheaper than the others at its level.  I asked my aviation teacher if I could do it without having perfect vision, and he told me yes!  As long as it was corrected by glasses, contacts, or lasik.  Things felt like they were falling into place for me.  Then came the bigger question- are there women out there that do this?  His answer again was yes!  Though women weren't as common in this industry, they could in fact do it.

Now that all those questions were answered it was time to actually step foot on a plane to see if I would even like it.  For my 18th birthday my parents bought me a round trip ticket on Frontier Airlines from SLC to DFW to visit my grandpa.  Navigating an airport for the first time seemed a bit confusing, but I found my way through security and to the gate hours before my flight was to leave.  I was so excited that the time seemed to draw on and on.  After a century or so, the flight finally began boarding.  I found my seat next to the cutest old lady and got settled in.

The flight attendants began their safety briefing and I was all ears.. how come nobody else seemed to be paying attention?  I guess I'll be the only one that knows what to do in an emergency.  And yes, I did read the entire safety briefing guide and knew exactly which emergency exit I would use if I needed to.

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when that plane began rolling down the runway... and when those wings finally developed enough lift to get that plane off the ground, it was the best feeling I'd ever experienced up to that point.  It was incredible!  This is what I was born to do; If I could feel this every day for the rest of my life, I would be happy.  I remember the flight being a bit bumpy out of SLC (when is it ever smooth flying out of that airport?), and the lady next to me white-knuckling the arm rest.  What was she so nervous for?  It was just a few bumps and we were flying through clouds, this was awesome, not scary.  I was on an aviation high and I never wanted to come down.

When we made it to DFW (which felt like a 2 minute flight for me), my grandpa was there to pick me up.  I had only met him one time before this, but I liked him instantly.  He is an older version of my dad with the same silly sense of humor.  He calls Walmart 'Wally-World', and when we went there he let me pick out whatever I wanted to eat- what a treat!

My grandpa had gotten his pilot's license later on in his life, and he offered to take me up- not once, but twice!  I was the luckiest girl in the world.  The first time in the plane I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.  He showed me how to do a preflight inspection, how to use the checklists, and then he even let me taxi for a bit. I was all over the place on the taxiway, but it was awesome.  I knew I would get better at it.

The feeling I got when we first took flight in that little Cessna was one I will never forget.  To see the ground get further and further away was incredible.  We were flying through invisible air- life doesn't get more amazing than that.  I thought my grandpa was trying to kill us when he showed me a stall, but his recovery was flawless, so I lived to tell.  And the steep turns- I loved the steep turns; I felt like we were defying gravity.

I don't remember exactly what we did on each flight, but I remember that I had found my purpose in life- I was going to be a pilot!  My time with my grandpa went by way too quickly; after a short few days I was on my way back home.  But I had a purpose now, I had a passion, and I was going to do everything it took to get my pilot's license.

That was 12 years ago, and I am happy to say that since then I have earned my Private, Instrument Commercial with Single and Multi-Engine privileges, my CFI, CFII, MEI, Gold Seal, Ground Instructor- Advanced and Instrument, and most recently, my ATP.  Being a pilot has been such a great career so far and I am excited to see what the future holds for me.

If you are thinking about becoming a pilot, research it out, find answers to your questions, and make sure it is what you want to do.  If the answer is YES, then start doing something about it.  Nobody can do it for you- you have to do it for yourself.  But I am telling you that it will be worth it!  Please let me know if you have any questions by emailing me at trendyprivatepilots@gmail.com.  You can also find me on Facebook, facebook.com/trendypilots, or instragram @trendyprivatepilots and @trendypilots.  Or you can just go to trendypilots.com and find links to all of that in one place.  Happy flying!

What is Required for a Private Pilot's License?

I remember once when I was a new pilot, I asked a pilot exactly what I needed to do to get my license, and he said "it's all in the Regs... haven't you read it?"  The Regs... you  mean the most confusing aviation book of all time?  The one that says one thing but maybe means something completely different?  That huge book that I can't find anything in?   That book of Regs?  No- I couldn't find that section...

Now I'm sure you are all brilliant and have never felt this way, but just incase there is one person out there that feels the way I used to, I've decided to "dumb" it down a bit and tell you what you need to get a private pilot's license.  This post will be especially good for those of you who are just getting started or would like to start soon, and want to know what it requires.  If you want the detailed information, you'll have to refer to the regulations (which you will learn how to navigate through soon enough).

I found out pretty quickly that in order to find anything in that huge book of regulations, a.k.a. the Aviation Bible, I was going to have to put some tabs in mine.  I used big tabs for the main sections (1, 61, 91, and NTSB 830), and smaller tabs for the items I needed to be able to find in each of those sections.  There is a study guide at the front of the book that directs you to the regs you should know if you want to get your license- I used that as a reference when tabbing mine for the first time.

In this post, I am only going to talk about the hours required if you decide to do your training Part 61 (part 141 is more strict- I will write about that training n a later post).  If you can find FAR 61.102, which is section E of part 61 (page 91 if you have the same book as me), you will find all of the requirements for a private pilot.

Let's start out with the first section- 61.103 (I am going to abbreviate it a bit.. you can read it word for word if you'd like by opening the regs).  You must:

1. Be at least 17 years old
2. Speak English
3. Have a logbook endorsement from an instructor stating that you are prepared for the knowledge test (also known as the written test)
4. Pass the knowledge test
5. Receive another endorsement from your instructor stating that you are prepared for the checkride
6. Know all the required ground and flight information (we'll cover that below)
7. Pass the Checkride

Doesn't seem too bad right?  But then the regs break it down even further.  Following is all the information you must know to pass the ground portion of the checkride.

61.105 Lists the aeronautical knowledge, or the ground information, you need to know.  All of this must be logged in your logbook by the instructor that taught you the information.  The amount of hours you'll spend with your instructor on the ground information really depends on how much you study.  If you study on your own before meeting with your instructor, you may only have to pay your flight instructor 15-20 hours, but if your instructor has to teach you a lot of the information, it will probably take closer to 40 hours of ground training.

1. FARs that relate to a private pilot
2. NTSB 830
3. AIM and ACs (Advisory Circulars)
4. Use of Aeronautical Charts (such as sectional charts; non-pilots would call it a map)
5. Radio communication procedures
6. Windshear avoidance and use of weather charts
7. Collision avoidance  and wake turbulence avoidance
8. Effects of density altitude
9. Weight and balance
10. Aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems (this is a BIG section)
11. Stall awareness, spin awareness, and how to recover from a spin
12. Aeronautical decision making and judgement
13. Preflight action to include knowing where to find runways lengths at airports, performance data for takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, and what to do if you cannot complete the flight as planned

61.107 Lists the flight maneuvers you need to be able to perform to pass the flight portion of your checkride.  All of these items must also be logged in your logbook by the instructor that flew with you each time.  (I'm only going to list the areas for airplane single engine land)

1. Preflight preparation
2. Preflight procedures
3. Airport operations
4. Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds
5. Performance maneuvers (steep turns)
6. Ground reference maneuvers (rectangular course, s-turns, turns around a point)
7. Navigation
8. Slow flight and stalls
9. Basic instrument maneuvers
10. Emergency operations
11. Night operations
12. Postflight procedures

61.109 Breaks down the amount of hours you must have before taking your checkride- this is probably the section you were hoping I would include.  You will need a minimum of 40 hours of flight training (most of my students needed closer to 60 hours), with

20 of those hours from a flight instructor, which need to include:
*3 hours of cross country
*3 hours of night flying, including a 100NM cross country minimum, and 10 full-stop takeoffs and landings
*3 hours of instrument training
*3 hours within 2 calendar months prior to the checkride (the FAA doesn't want you to take a checkride without being properly prepared)

10 hours of solo, which need to include:
*5 hours of solo cross country with one cross country a "long" cross country (refer to the regs for that breakdown)
*3 takeoffs and landings to a full stop

And that's it.  That' everything that is required to get your license.  It may seem like a lot, but flying is such an enjoyable thing to do that the time will fly by (haha... no pun intended).  And I'll break all of the ground areas into small, easy, doable ground lessons so it won't seem so overwhelming.  You will be on your way to earning your license in no time at all!

If you have any questions about becoming a pilot (other than money questions, because I am not a loan expert by any means), please email me at trendyprivatepilots@gmail.com.  I look forward to hearing from you.

How To Spend Less

Before you get started, you must know that aviation is expensive.  I realized this very early on when I went to purchase my books for school. My private pilot ground kit cost more than all my other books (for non aviation classes) combined.  Then I went to buy a headset...expensive.  And then some books to help me study for my checkride...small books, but also expensive.  The list goes on and on, right?!  We all know that if something is for pilots, it is going to be expensive!  I've always been a bit thrifty, so instead of going more in debt for these things, I devised a plan to help me save a little money here and there so I could finish school and flight training with the smallest amount of debt possible.

Here are my top 10 ideas on how to spend less and still get the most out of your training:

I have based my numbers on $120/hour for the airplane, and $30 for the instructor.  Obviously your rates may be more or less- this just gives you a ballpark range.

1. Memorize or become very familiar with the checklists so you can run through them quicker.  I thought this was silly and unnecessary until I began paying attention to how long it took me to get through all my checklists.  I changed my .5 (hobbs time) taxi from the parking area to runway down to .2 hobbs time.   If you are paying $150 for the airplane + instructor fees, that is a $45 savings each flight!

2. Always study and then review your notes before meeting with your flight instructor.  If you have a good flight instructor, they should always let you know what you will be working on next time.  Don't just say you'll study and then find a million other things to do instead.  Set aside some time to study ALL the material so you can show up prepared.  I recommend studying shortly after meeting with your flight instructor while you still have the motivation and the "high" from flying.  Then an hour or so before you meet with your flight instructor, review your notes and make sure you still remember what you studied.  I could always tell when my students studied before they came.  Instead of spending 30 minutes on our pre brief (talking about how to perform the maneuvers, airspeeds, clearing turns, etc.) we would spend only 10-15 minutes.  If you are paying your instructor only $30/hour, studying on your own will save about $8.  May not seem like a lot, but how many times do you meet with your instructor?  That $8 will add up!

 3. "Chair fly."  I mocked people who did this, until I finally let my walls down and gave it a try.  It really does work!  Sit in a chair and mentally fly all the maneuvers you will practice/fly that day.  Think of everything you will have to do when you are in the airplane.  Airspeed, amount of bank, back/forward pressure, rudder pressure, aileron pressure, when to start coming out of a turn, when to call ATC and what to say... everything you need to do!  And if you are alone, I recommend saying everything out loud.  Saying things out loud will help you think more and remember more.   Chair flying will save your countless hours in flight because instead of needing to practice the maneuver 3-4 times before getting it right, you will most likely get it right on the 1st or 2nd try.

4. Clearing turns- 2-90 degree turns or 1-180 degree turn is completely safe.  You do not need to do a bazillion 360 degree turns.  I did stage checks for years- the students who did 3 or more clearing turns before each maneuver usually had at least .5 more time spent in the plane than those who didn't- that means they spent at least $60 more than they needed to.  Of course you need to do clearing turns (please never forget to clear the area), but just clear the area and then begin the maneuver.

5. While practicing maneuvers with your flight instructor or when solo, talk out loud.  Again, this will seem silly in the beginning, but like I said before, talking out loud has a way of helping us think more and do more.  You won't have to practice the maneuver as many times to get it right if you talk yourself through the maneuvers- just like you would if you were "chair-flying."  Plus, when you decide to get your CFI, talking out loud will be no big deal for you.

6. Use FAAs free online books at www.faa.gov.  Nobody ever told me about these, I just stumbled upon them one day.  Click here to open a new window to the FAAs Handbook and Manual page.   Especially with the use of tablets, books are becoming more obsolete.  Why pay money for these books when you can download and use them for free?  I used the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautic Knowledge the most; but they have a vast amount of other useful books including copies of all the PTSs.  Instead of buying the book from your local FBO, just print it off of their website or download it for free.

7. If you do need a book that the FAA doesn't give for free, buy used books.  Would you rather have a shiny new book or be less in debt?  Hopefully you picked less in debt.  I used amazon.com the most, but I am sure there are a bunch of other websites out there that sell used books.  Just make sure you are buying the most recent edition.

8. If you are doing instrument training, invest in Microsoft Simulator.  You can't log it, but it will help you get your scan down, be able to fly while switching radio and navigation frequencies, and help you to think about what you need to do next.  It will help make you a better instrument pilot.  You will realize when you begin your instrument training that there is a lot going on!  Practice makes perfect, right?  So practice on the Microsoft Simulator before practicing it in the airplane.  This will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

 9. Get a hard case for your foggles.  I broke way too many pairs of foggles by just putting them in my flight bag.  Also, write your name in permeant marker so nobody will be tempted to keep them in case you accidentally leave them in the airplane after your flight lesson.

10. Fly at least 3-4 days per week; 2 days is not enough.  If you don't fly enough, each time you get in the plane you will have to spend time reviewing the items you learned on the previous lesson.  If you have gone too many days in-between, that review time may be 30-45 minutes; if you flew the day before yesterday, you many only have to spend 5 minutes.  I had enough students during my flight instructor days to see a huge difference in students who came to their lesson 3 days a week instead of just 2.  They spent way less money and were able to get their license in as little as 2 months, compared to some students that took almost a year!

Things you do not want to do to save money are underpay your flight instructor or make them feel guilty if they say you need another lesson before your checkride.  They are there to help you and have your best interests in mind (if they don't, go find a new flight instructor).  It will save you money to fly once more with your instructor and pass your checkride the first attempt than to take the checkride, fail, have to fly with your flight instructor again anyways, and then have to take the checkride again.  See my point?

Be smart, and save where you can!

If you have questions about becoming a private pilot, you can email me at trendyprivatepilots@gmail.com or comment in the section below.

Is your Instructor Helpful?

I have incredibly fond memories of my flight training days.  I had some pretty amazing and intelligent flight instructors who taught me well but also allowed me to enjoy my training.  They were tough on me at times, but it was for my own good. 

I was 18 when I started my training, so consequently I felt like I knew everything.  My first instructor was the meanest, toughest person I had met, I was sure of it.  He drove me crazy at times, but even though I was a know-it-all, I still remember trying to see him as a nice person.  When he taught me how to land he would always say the same thing on the base leg "Look at the runway and ask yourself, where am I going to land?  If I keep this power setting and configuration, where will I land on that runway?"  He would say it every single time and sometimes multiple times on the same base leg.  It drove me crazy! 

I took this pic in Alaska- there were so many float planes in the traffic pattern.

After a bit of time, I was ready for my first solo.  I wasn't nervous beforehand because I was young and invincible.  I knew I could do this because I was the bomb... I obviously still had my teenager mentality.  I hopped in that little 2-seater Katana and was on my way.  However, once I got in the air I realized that I didn't have anybody to help me anymore.  If I screwed something up, I was going to have to fix it.  If I bounced or flew a terrible approach, my instructor wasn't there to coach me through it.  By the time I made it to the downwind leg I was nervous!  Could I really do this?  What if I hit the prop or something equally terrible, would that be the end of my aviation career?

And then on downwind my instructor's words, the exact words that drove me absolutely crazy, began filling my mind.  "What should you be doing?  What checklist should you be running?  What airspeed and power setting should you have?"  It was amazing!  He wasn't trying to be mean or especially hard on me, he was trying to set me up for success.  He wasn't saying the same things all the time to annoy me.  He wasn't trying to be rude or treat my unfairly just because he could.  He was teaching me that way so that when I flew without him, I could live to tell.  He was hard on me to make me a better pilot. 

On base I found myself asking "If I keep this configuration, where am I going to land?"  It was the coolest feeling ever- to know that he had taught me well enough that he didn't have to be there with me.  I successfully flew 3 full traffic patterns with 3 beautiful landings that day.  I was on top of the world, it was the greatest feeling I had ever felt. 

My instructor and I got along quite well after that.  Sometimes he was a bit hard on me, but I knew it was for my benefit.  I knew he wanted me to succeed, and for him I will always be grateful.  I haven't seen that flight instructor in years, but maybe someday I will finally be able tell him thank you.  To this day I still hear his words in my head when I am on base or on a really long final- "If I keep this configuration, where am I going to land?"  If your instructor is being hard on you, instead of being angry about it, realize the he is probably doing it for your own good.  Of course there are some instructors who really are terrible, in which case you should find a new one, but in my experience, those ones are few and far between. 

Are We the Right Fit?

I'm sure most of you know now that I flight instructed much longer than any normal person would (5 years!!), and had more than enough hours to go to the airlines when I finally did.  Even with the hundreds of traffic patterns I did, and the steep turns, and how many times I had to remind my students of "safety first," I still loved every day of it.  I tried to be the best flight instructor I could be and felt I did a pretty good job. 

That being sad, there were still students with personalities so different than mine that we were not a good fit.  I couldn't explain things in a way that would help them understand.   Before you settle on a flight instructor, get to know them a little bit and make sure you have personalities that will get along.  If, halfway through training, you don't enjoy meeting with your instructor and dread going to your flight lesson, then find a new flight instructor.  Training should be hard but incredibly fun and rewarding- it shouldn't be something that you dread.

During my flight instructor days, I was always proud of the fact that I could teach any student to land an airplane smoothly- no slamming it onto the runway or turning one landing into three.  It is a finesse to be able to do that, and I felt my students mastered it quite well.  I even had multiple examiners call me after the checkride to tell me that my students had awesome landings (proud CFI moment).  Here's a pic with me and one of my students after her first solo- she did awesome!  As did all my other students, but that would be too many pictures to share in one post.  :)

However, I had one student about a year after I began flight instructing that I could not teach to land.  We'd spent countless hours in the traffic pattern, but to no avail.  I could not figure out what the problem was.  The approach was always so beautiful, but then it got a little sketchy during the flare with me having to take over the airplane more often than not. 

After weeks of trying I didn't want to waste the student's money anymore, so I sent him with a new instructor.  There were no hard feelings and it wasn't awkward.  I kid you not, just a few days after flying with this other flight instructor, he could land like a pro.  Did this offend me?  Of course not!  I was happy for him and the other flight instructor. 

For whatever reason, my tips didn't help him out at all; but this other instructor was able to teach him things I could not.  If you are having issues with your flight instructor, or if you are a flight instructor having issues with a student, do not be ashamed to switch things up a bit.  You should both want what is best for each other, even if that means meeting with a different flight instructor.  Make it a positive experience for all the parities involved, and everybody will win!

Private Pilot Training, What is it?

I am so excited to help you earn your license.  Teaching is my passion, and I love being a pilot.  It is the least boring career I know of.  Of course you will have challenging days being a pilot, but who doesn't?  Every career has its ups and downs.  Before we get started I wanted to break down the training into three phases to help it look less daunting.  It's so much easier to accomplish goals with baby steps, so that is how I plan to help you.  

Private Pilot training is designed to teach you the basics.  In my opinion, this is the most important part of training, because with out solid basics, the rest of your flying days will lack; because of this, you must find a good primary flight instructor.  This phase of training will be the foundation for the rest of your career.

I have divided the private pilot training into 3 phases:

1: Preparing for Solo Flights

2: Preparing for Solo Cross Countries

3. Preparing for the Checkride

So what exactly is Phase 1?  As far the flight portion goes, it is mostly maneuvers.  You'll start off with the basics- straight and level flight, turns, climb/descends, and them move on to actual maneuvers.  They are not difficult, but it will take some practice to get them right.  In fact, if there was never any wind, you would probably master them after a couple of flights.  But, sadly, we have wind, which makes learning these a bit more challenging.  This phase of training is a good motivator because if you are flying 3 times a week (which is what I highly recommend... more if you have the time), you will see big improvements in your flying ability each time.  

During this phase you will also be practicing takeoffs and landings.  I usually had my students takeoff the plane on the very first flight (keeping my hands and feel close to the controls, of course).  Landing is a bit more difficult and takes some time to practice.  Every 2 or 3 flight lessons we would spend an entire day just in the traffic pattern, taking off and landing.  It is good to do 8-10 in a row because you can focus on your errors and correct them on the next takeoff or landing.  More than 10, I found, in a row becomes overwhelming and negative learning starts to occur.

During this phase, you will also be studying on the ground to learn the things you need to know to keep you safe when you solo- this is the part I will be helping you out with.  Some of the things you will study are aircraft systems, airspace, airport markings and signs, and regulations.

When you complete this phase you are ready to solo.  Soloing is the most exhilarating and nerve-racking thing you will do.  But, it will also be the best confidence builder.  Remember, your instructor will not let you solo until they know you can do it safely... it is their license on the line, not yours.  So if they say you are ready, you are most likely ready.   I always took a picture with my student after they got done soloing so they could remember their accomplishment.  

Phase 2 is great because you'll be able to actually go places.  You'll learn how to plan a cross country flight and then you'll do it, during the daytime and nighttime.  On my first night cross country with my instructor, we saw some military aircraft practicing little bomb drops from their aircraft.  How cool!  I will definitely never forget that.  You'll do a few cross countries with your instructor, and then you will do a few solo.  I remember feeling so free during my first solo cross county- no instructor to tell me what to do.  :)  You will love this phase of training!

During Phase 2 you will also start (if you haven't already) flying a little bit with 'foggles' on.  What are foggles, you ask?  They are like glasses that aren't clear- essentially when you wear them you can't see outside the cockpit.  They simulate you flying in clouds.  No, you will not actually fly through the clouds, but if you inadvertently get into a cloud on your cross country, you'll be able to get out of it without putting the airplane in a spin.

Once you master your cross country flying, it's just a matter of reviewing for the checkride, which is Phase 3.  What you will be asked on the checkride is not a secret.  There is a book published by the FAA, Practical Test Standards, which details the checkride.  The examiner cannot ask you something if it isn't in this little book.  It's still a lot to know, but at least it gives you an idea of what you need to study and know for the checkride.  

I usually did a 'mock checkride' with my students before I ever sent them to the actual checkride.  The checkride explanation is a bit long, but don't worry- I'll do a blog post for that in the near future.  

I know this seems like there isn't much to it, but this is at least 30 flight lessons and around 16 ground lessons.  Depending on how often you fly and study, getting your license can take anywhere from 2 months to 10 months.  As a reference, the students that met with me 3 times per week and studied on their own for at least 3 hours a week, ended up taking about 4 months.  If you aren't super dedicated, it can take a while; but if you are, the time will fly by and you'll be holding your certificate in just a matter of months.   

If you have any other questions about Private Pilot training that wasn't answered in this post, feel free to email me at trendyprivatepilots@gmail.com.  I can't wait to help get you started in your aviation career!