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.