I am about to finish up IFS and head to primary. This experience definitely showed me that I am not that comfortable being in the air. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to get my Private Pilot License while waiting to class up? It might be a waste of money, but that is not an issue. I would like to make flying less of a foreign feeling.
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- Thread starter mmhoang1
- Start date
Thank you for the tips!
Echo the above. If not on a PPL syllabus track you can do whatever you want with the CFI. And the CFI will love you for it. Tailor your flights to experience or practise what is bothering you or gives you the juice that makes you want to do this. Good luck.
You don't need to spend the time or money getting your PPL. Like everyone said above, enjoy your time off. If you really want to have fun, find a place that does tailwheel/spin training and have some fun. A few years ago one of my friends was stressing because he sucked at flying the Cessna during IFS. Now he's flying single seat F/A-18s. You'll be okay
This is probably the most important point. If you suck at flying, you have a great chance at flying the F/A-18. It's science.
Stalin
Well-Known Member
I'd focus on prepping for the academics of primary. Learning your EPs/limits, course rules, etc. The academics can be pretty intense and the last thing you want to be doing when studying for tests or in between sims is trying to learn your EPs
Course rules, by the way, is how you get to and from the area. It's a lot harder than simply going to point Bravo and coming in from point Tango, you'll have to be coming from a specific angle/altitude/airspeed, turn to a heading, descend, call Pensacola approach, reach a point and then turn one way or another depending on the runway in use, etc.
The working areas (altitudes, frequencies, etc), course rules, OLFs (frequencies, runways, elevations, etc) is such a large part of Primary. Some of this you can learn without knowing anything about the T-6. You might not know what Point Nugget is but you know you can get to Point Waldo by flying 205. You'll know Five Lakes course rules goes to this point, then this heading, then that point, that heading/altitude, etc. I'd make sure you're good to go on that, that is a much better headstart than dropping a lot of money on flight lessons. I'm not saying it won't help, it's probably unnecessary. The people I saw struggling through Primary were not studying enough/studying ineffectively which shrank situational awareness and made everything in flight suffer.
If you truly can't fly and lack all ability, which unfortunately a few people do, a few extra lessons in a Cessna probably won't help. Like I said, it's almost always a study problem.
As you finish up your last two flights at NIFE, really try and internalize what you could've done better or what you wish you knew going into flight training. When you get to Primary, work on those areas. If you re-did NIFE, you'd obviously do a lot better. Going to Primary, in many ways, is like doing NIFE again (don't get me wrong, Primary is way more involved than NIFE, but if you know you went into flights not knowing EPs or high work procedures super well, you won't make that mistake in Primary)
Course rules, by the way, is how you get to and from the area. It's a lot harder than simply going to point Bravo and coming in from point Tango, you'll have to be coming from a specific angle/altitude/airspeed, turn to a heading, descend, call Pensacola approach, reach a point and then turn one way or another depending on the runway in use, etc.
The working areas (altitudes, frequencies, etc), course rules, OLFs (frequencies, runways, elevations, etc) is such a large part of Primary. Some of this you can learn without knowing anything about the T-6. You might not know what Point Nugget is but you know you can get to Point Waldo by flying 205. You'll know Five Lakes course rules goes to this point, then this heading, then that point, that heading/altitude, etc. I'd make sure you're good to go on that, that is a much better headstart than dropping a lot of money on flight lessons. I'm not saying it won't help, it's probably unnecessary. The people I saw struggling through Primary were not studying enough/studying ineffectively which shrank situational awareness and made everything in flight suffer.
If you truly can't fly and lack all ability, which unfortunately a few people do, a few extra lessons in a Cessna probably won't help. Like I said, it's almost always a study problem.
As you finish up your last two flights at NIFE, really try and internalize what you could've done better or what you wish you knew going into flight training. When you get to Primary, work on those areas. If you re-did NIFE, you'd obviously do a lot better. Going to Primary, in many ways, is like doing NIFE again (don't get me wrong, Primary is way more involved than NIFE, but if you know you went into flights not knowing EPs or high work procedures super well, you won't make that mistake in Primary)
dave02392
Member
Do not waste your money. Not that I have wings or anything but I got to NIFE with 0 hours and didn't do great. In primary i try to know everything about everything before leaving the ground and then eventually your hands figure out how to fly. -most- contacts IPs told me if you show up on time, in the right uniform, and with all the book knowledge, the flying part is up to them. Obviously an over-simplification but killing the brief makes your IP know you're working and when it comes down to performing you will know the procedures cold, even if you need some coaching to actually do them. Put in max effort and it feels like a school. Don't study and it is a silent exam every flight.
RoarkJr.
Well-Known Member
Why continue flying the cessna when you’re NIFE complete? Buy a VR sim setup with that money instead and start “flying” the T-6B. I mean, I could see a PPL helping with confidence with comms. But I’d say if you’re not starting ground school with your Hollywood script/EPs down cold and a basic contact profile understood to/from at least NMOA, you’re behind. Ground school should be a review IMO. So much detail (especially FWOP) that you want to be ahead as much as possible.
RoarkJr.
Well-Known Member
Question: What do I have to do to get my PPL given that I’m a few weeks out of completing primary? Is it quicker than if I was pre-NIFE (or BLADE I think they call it now)?
It is really important to me that I take my dad flying as his health isn’t so good, he’s never gotten to fly himself and love for aviation has been in the family for a long time. My plan is to get it ASAP after completing so I can take him up before classing up for advanced.
It is really important to me that I take my dad flying as his health isn’t so good, he’s never gotten to fly himself and love for aviation has been in the family for a long time. My plan is to get it ASAP after completing so I can take him up before classing up for advanced.
Basically complete the entire Part 61 or 141 FAA syllabus. The majority of your Primary time won't count because it wasn't with a CFI and no one can endorse you to take your civilian checkride with a DPE. You would also need to take the ground test for PPL (I forget the technical term for that) at a testing center. The FAA tests don't really test knowledge, although you'd know a lot of the stuff, it's more about learning how the FAA words questions, so a lot of studying is more memorizing answers. Sheppardair is the way to go if you want to do that. I can't remember how long the test grade is good for, but it's not forever.
Bottom line, it's not a simple process. I understand you're concerned about timeline, but it's FAR easier to get your tickets after you wing...like one test that's seriously easy.
If time is that urgent then this might be the rare scenario where taking a shortcut to a sport pilot rating or a recreational certificate (not even sure this is a thing still) might be better.
Unless it absolutely has to be you and you dad both sitting next to each other in the front seat, it might just be better to get a discovery flight at any of the local learn-to-fly places. Their policy might not let you do the takeoff and landing though, and maybe that's important to you.
Unless it absolutely has to be you and you dad both sitting next to each other in the front seat, it might just be better to get a discovery flight at any of the local learn-to-fly places. Their policy might not let you do the takeoff and landing though, and maybe that's important to you.
