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Picking Up Where You Left Off

January 23, 2014/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Keeping Flying Fun

January 15, 2014/in Get Started, Having fun/by studentpltnews

When was the last time you saw an ad that said “Come Learn to Fly Just for the Fun of It?” It is like we have forgotten that flying is an amazing and fun thing to do! Learn more about the forgotten fun of flying in the linked article.

Picking Up Where You Left Off

January 23, 2014/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Keeping Flying Fun

January 15, 2014/in Get Started, Having fun/by studentpltnews

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Picking Up Where You Left Off

January 23, 2014/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

One of the more difficult aspects of pilot training is starting back after a lengthy break. If you have ever had to take two or more weeks away from your training, in an otherwise consistent schedule, you have experienced the “rust”. “Rust” is the term that pilots use to describe the degradation in flying skills when you haven’t flown in a while. Rust can be noticeable in as little as a few days while you are early in the training process, or maybe not noticeable for a few weeks once you are a more experienced aviator.

Small amounts of rust will be shaken after a single flight , assuming your hiatus is relatively short. But what should you do if your break in training was longer? Maybe a year or more?

Step 1 – Create a plan

Once you have decided on your flight school and instructor, you need to set a plan in motion that covers knowledge assessment, remedial flight skills, and a syllabus to your end goal – probably checkride. With a qualified instructor as your mentor, you should first begin with a knowledge assessment and study plan. Take advantage of a ground lesson with your instructor and review the major items of your flying knowledge up to where you left off. And place particular emphasis on the last few topics before you took your break.

Many students mistakenly assume to start back at the beginning with the idea that the knowledge gained earliest is the oldest and therefore, most rusty. What that theory does not account for is the law of repetition. Although the knowledge gained first dates farthest back in time, it was also the knowledge repeated most often and used frequently during your flight training. This early knowledge was also less complex. Instead, start with the more recent topics which will also have the most impact on your next flight since knowledge generally precedes the flying skills.

Once you know where your knowledge stands and have created a study plan to get back into the swing of things, you can shift your focus to flying skills and “muscle memory”. “Muscle memory” is the term we use that explains how you know what to do with your hands and feet without even having to think about it. Although flying is never without thought, certain actions come as second nature when you are current and proficient as a pilot. This skill set must be sharpened before you can begin to work on more complex items like maneuvers and landings.

Keep in mind the first flight or two after coming off of a break is not going to bring you back to the point where you left off. But you should expect to have an accurate assessment of what will be needed to get you back to that point. As with any success, it’s difficult to accomplish a goal without a plan to execute.

With your study plan in place, and firm skill assessment, you and your instructor can formalize a plan or syllabus to pave the way to the goal of completing your certificate. This plan should be documented and contain specific objectives so both you and your instructor can monitor progress and make adjustments when needed. The absence of a plan and no meaningful way to measure progress is often the source of students feeling as if no progress is being made. This can also be a contributing factor to losing the motivation and passion to complete your goal.

Step 2 – Follow the plan

Now that you have all of your goals and methods in place to achieve those goals, it’s time to implement the strategy. It would be a disservice to suggest that everything was going to work out as planned, but there are additional steps to minimize set-backs and veering off course.

First, set aside the necessary time in your schedule. Don’t just show up to your lessons and expect the magic to happen, or wait for your instructor to spoon-feed information. If you create a schedule for your self-study the same way that you schedule time for your flight lesson, you will be well on your way to success. Lesson preparedness will save you money during your flight training.

Next, set a consistent schedule with your instructor. Maintaining a steady flight training schedule of at least two lessons per week is great plan to experiencing measured success week after week. When your training is more sporadic, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to develop routines and the necessary muscle memory. Frequency is obviously important to success in flight training, but consistency and predictability in your schedule are also very important factors not to be overlooked. If you have to cancel a lesson due to weather or other conflicts, try to reschedule a makeup lesson as soon as possible.

Last, keep track of your progress on your plan. Creating a detailed road map to completion of your certificate is only an effective tool if you keep that record current. Your records should show progress of lessons, individual notes on lesson performance, and items to improve for the next lesson. Documenting those observations allows you and your instructor to maintain the same progress plan for your training and ensure that you don’t get side tracked. Using that plan at home helps you continue to reinforce your plan and keep your preparation relevant to the items currently experiencing difficulties. The added benefit of keeping your own copy of these records is to gain confidence from your previous success when you feel like nothing is going right in your lessons.

Enjoy

After many months of diligent work, you have succeeded in obtaining your new certificate or rating. Now what? Your new license is not the end of your training and enjoyment; it is the beginning. There is a common expression in aviation that your license is merely a “license to learn”. No statement could be truer, but not to worry. You will not be practicing slow flight and stalls for the rest of your flying days. There are many great activities to do with your certificate, which is ultimately why you got into flying in the first place. Each time you fly you gain valuable experience and experience is the root of learning.

Keeping Flying Fun

January 15, 2014/in Get Started, Having fun/by studentpltnews

Quite often when you see advertising for flight instruction or visit a local flight school, you will see and hear about the utility that being a pilot provides. A pilot certificate can be a great tool in business travel. It can allow you to get to some customers more quickly and directly than driving or flying on an airline.

Flight schools with a “career pilot” program stress the path that you must travel to get from where you are now to a pilot’s seat that pays. Their focus is often on getting you to the front seat of an airliner or corporate aircraft. They will show the benefits and perks that this type of flying can entail.

Now, there is nothing wrong with either of these types of ads. Having a pilot certificate does provide you with a great deal of utility opportunity. A career as a pilot is a lofty goal and it can be very satisfying. In addition to the airline and corporate flight careers, there are also pilot careers hauling freight, flying as a bush pilot, aerial survey, airborne security, and many others including my personal favorite, the professional flight instructor.

Let’s get back to the flight school ads and the point of my ramblings today. Think about the ads that you have seen in your flight school search. When was the last time you saw one that said “Come Learn to Fly Just for the Fun of It?” It is like we have forgotten that flying is an amazing and fun thing to do!

Certainly, you can go out for an evening of mini-golf for less money, if you looked at the price of playing a round of “full-size” golf at a nice course lately? Depending on where you live and the quality of the course, a round of golf you can find the best price and enjoy of a different evening.

Take a look sometime at what you pay for your favorite leisure and entertainment activities and I think that you will see that flying isn’t that much more than a big night out on the town.

You may be thinking that learning to fly or going flying with friends isn’t cheap entertainment and you would be right, but it is a lot of fun!

Flying for Fun Alone

You may not realize this, but you can start learning to fly without ever planning to get a pilot’s certificate. Just plan to fly occasionally and pick up a few things along the way.

Career minded and other “rigid” flight schools may not be able to help you out with this type of enjoyment flight training plan. But, I suspect that you will find an instructor or school somewhere nearby that would love to have you and your enthusiasm to learn about flying as a regular customer. Make sure that the instructor and/or school know(s) that this is your plan and work out an enjoyable arrangement for occasional training.

Without the focus of a required destination, you are free to learn and try the things that you want to do. You don’t have to worry about meeting practical test standards or flying the maneuvers that the FAA says you should know. You and your instructor can fly to a restaurant or a museum or simply plan to fly over some familiar local sites such as your home or place of business.

Guess what, along the way, while you were having fun, you were also learning a few of the skills of a pilot. Not in the traditional, maneuvers based training progression but in a more natural real world environment. Your instructor may teach you about flying straight-and-level, climbs, descents, turns, takeoffs, landings, traffic patterns, navigation, radio communication, and many other “maneuvers” without spending time doing drills on them.

While the rating isn’t your focus, you may start getting closer to being ready for a practical test over time. If this comes about, and your instructor may point it out, you can always reconsider your plan to not pursue the rating. Your time, while possibly longer than that of a rating focused student, has not been wasted as long as you were enjoying it!

Along this same line, have you ever thought about taking a flight instruction vacation? You can stay close to home or travel to your favorite destination flight school and just spend a week immersing yourself in aviation. If you go with the intent to enjoy yourself rather than to meet a specific goal, it can be very relaxing.

When I took my family for a week at a particular mouse themed amusement park, I left with a rather large dent in my wallet. This same amount of money spent at a local flight school would have meant several hours of enjoyment in the air.

Fun with a Pilot Certificate

Flying without the goal of a pilot certificate, is not the only way to have fun in aviation. Obtaining that certificate can open even more doors to fun and adventure.

The Recreational Pilot certificate is one point of entry to your aviation adventure. With the Recreational certificate, you and your significant other can enjoy a romantic flight together. Fly as a couple in a Cessna 172 to your local fly-in restaurant or enjoy the fly-in breakfast sponsored by the EAA chapter at that next airport over.

The Sport Pilot certificate is another entry point. With the Sport certificate you can take your significant other for a flight in a Light Sport Aircraft. Travel to other airports is permitted and you may be able to use your driver’s license as your medical.

Both the Recreational and Sport Pilot certificates are great entry points and each has its advantages. You can fly for the rest of your aviation life with these certificates or you can use them as a stepping stone to higher ratings.

The Private Pilot certificate may be your next step after the Recreational or Sport certificates or you can use the Private certificate as your entry point. With the Private certificate, you can take your significant other and your entire family flying to any public use airport in the US and to many airports beyond our borders. Watch a sunset from the air or plan to fly a trip to an exciting aviation destination like EAA AirVenture or the Sun-N-Fun Fly-in or any of the countless smaller fly-ins held each year.

The Private Pilot certificate opens up a wide array of destinations for multi-day vacations as well as single day trips. Here in Southwestern Ohio, places like Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie, Niagara Falls, The Great Smokey Mountains, Washington D.C., and many other locations are an easy flight in a Cessna 172, on less than a tank of fuel. Plan a fuel stop or two and you can go anywhere in North America and to areas of the Bahamas well beyond the typical tourist magnets.

To make your vacation trips more relaxing and less likely to get cancelled for weather, the Instrument Rating will be your next step. The Instrument Rating won’t prevent postponement of all trips but it will help you out with minor weather difficulties that could interrupt your fun.

The Beginning of the Fun

Well, that about wraps up my ramblings for today’s entry on fun flying. I have only scratched the surface of the enjoyment that is available to you in the aviation world. If you have had an exciting adventure involving aviation or would like to share other amusing things to do with a pilot’s certificate, please feel free to share them on the Learn to Fly Here Facebook page.

Until we meet again, Blue Skies and Smooth Flights!

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Picking Up Where You Left Off

Keeping Flying Fun

Picking Up Where You Left Off

Keeping Flying Fun

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Picking Up Where You Left Off

Keeping Flying Fun

Flying for Fun Alone

Fun with a Pilot Certificate

The Beginning of the Fun

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