The Instrument Rating is what often distinguishes professionally-minded pilots from the more casual, recreational pilots. To earn an Instrument Rating, pilots must have logged a minimum of 50 hours PIC (pilot-in-command) as well as 40 hours of instrument time (in either actual or simulated instrument conditions … i.e. not being able to see out the windows when flying). Early in instrument training, I have students flying real instrument approaches into a variety of airports. As a post-flight briefing tool, I provide GPS tracks of the flight superimposed onto Google earth with approach chart overlays (see below), a technique I developed which is being offered nowhere else.
One of the first and most important steps in beginning flight training is selecting the right flight instructor, commonly referred to as a CFI. Too often, people walk into a flying club or flight school and hook up with the very first CFI they talk to, I guess because they have the notion that flight instruction is highly standardized and that one CFI is as good as the next. The truth is that, while CFI credentials, experience, and hourly rate are factors that weigh in the decision, equally important (if not moreso) are the CFI’s instructional philosoply and “bedside manner”, so to speak. The chemistry that exists between the CFI and student goes a long way towards determining that student’s success in acheiving his or her goal. For this reason, I encourage every flight training candidate to take some time and interview several CFI’s before making this very important decision.
As you’ll see in the video below, I place a great deal of importance in making sure that flight training is fun. Over the course of my own flying career, I myself have worked with 14 or 15 CFI’s and can tell you that I’ve seen some very good ones, and some very bad ones. It’s often difficult to know ahead of time how a CFI is going to behave in the cockpit – they may be quite charming and personable on the ground but change dramatically once in the air. If this happens, dump that instructor immediately – remember, he/she works for you, not the other way around.
If your considering training to fly both airplanes and helicopters, my recommendation is to get your Private Pilot – Airplane license first, THEN add the Rotorcraft – Helicopter. In my opinion, it’s much easier to do it that way than the other way around.
During the Pre-Solo phase of their training, flight students are introduced to what are known as Ground Reference Maneuvers. These include 1) Rectangular Pattern, 2) Turns Around a Point, and 3) S-Turns Across a Road. The purpose of the maneuvers is for students to learn how to make the airplane follow an intended track over the ground without allowing the wind to cause the plane to drift off that track. This is accomplished through wind correction angles on the heading and with varying degrees of bank in the turns, depending on how the wind is influencing the plane’s ground speed. Faster ground speed (tail winds) requires steeper banked turns and slower ground speeds (headwinds) require shallower turns. As the student progresses through the three maneuvers, increased finesse and precision are necessary to fly the designated track.
Below are the GPS tracks for a GRM lesson flown at 1000′ altitude yesterday afternoon. Winds were approximately 12 knots from the North. This being the student’s first time flying the maneuvers, I’d say they did fairly well. With practice, of course, the student’s performance will improve.
During a training flight heading to Monterey, CA, this was the view we had looking forward out of the cockpit window. It’s times like these in particular that I’m reminded how lucky we are as pilots.
When people are thinking about the possibility of learning to fly, they most often will start off by taking a Discovery Flight. Both on this blog and on YouTube, I’ve posted a large number of videos serving as examples of what Discovery Flights are like, but I can’t say that I’ve ever captured the magic of flying as well as this video produced by Tristan Brotherton, a passenger on one of my most recent introductory flights. If you find yourself saying “I’ve got to do this!”, then you may very well be destined to become a pilot. Enjoy!
Recovery from a Power-on Stall (a.k.a. departure stall) is one of the required maneuvers for Private Pilot certification. This short video offers helpful hints for proper entry and recovery from a Power-on Stall.
