“I got my first taste of flight in a Cessna 23 years ago. The desire to fly began with that flight. There had been numerous attempts at finding an instructor and a school to learn. One summer morning in 2011, I made the decision that I had to complete it. Found an instructor, Steve, and luckily this time he was the right person.
“In the weeks that followed, the routine was to wake up at 5 a.m., fly at 6:30 a.m., work through the day, home by 7 p.m. and study through 11:30 p.m. Training everyday has its benefits. I got to my solo in three weeks. It was a momentous event, one that is hard to describe.
“I took a practice test every alternate day and got through my written. It was finally time for the checkride. My interest in aviation concepts came handy in the oral. Here I was, in a cockpit, with the FAA designated examiner. Takeoff, maneuvers, flight plan tracking, and the landing went well. The short-field landing was less than perfect, and she asked me to repeat it. Soft-field takeoffs and landing went well.
“Finally she said, 'It’s time to find yourself a new dream. Congratulations!'
“I had waited 23 years for this day. It was absolutely worth it.
Three pointers worth sharing—
1. Find an instructor who loves to fly as well as teach.
2. Keep your training schedule tight.
3. Use a simulator to practice. I have been a simulation enthusiast since 1985 and I am very sure that my hours on the simulator have actually contributed to my license significantly in more than one way."
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“I got my first taste of flight in a Cessna 23 years ago. The desire to fly began with that flight. There had been numerous attempts at finding an instructor and a school to learn. One summer morning in 2011, I made the decision that I had to complete it. Found an instructor, Steve, and luckily this time he was the right person.
“In the weeks that followed, the routine was to wake up at 5 a.m., fly at 6:30 a.m., work through the day, home by 7 p.m. and study through 11:30 p.m. Training everyday has its benefits. I got to my solo in three weeks. It was a momentous event, one that is hard to describe.
“I took a practice test every alternate day and got through my written. It was finally time for the checkride. My interest in aviation concepts came handy in the oral. Here I was, in a cockpit, with the FAA designated examiner. Takeoff, maneuvers, flight plan tracking, and the landing went well. The short-field landing was less than perfect, and she asked me to repeat it. Soft-field takeoffs and landing went well.
“Finally she said, 'It’s time to find yourself a new dream. Congratulations!'
“I had waited 23 years for this day. It was absolutely worth it.
Three pointers worth sharing—
1. Find an instructor who loves to fly as well as teach.
2. Keep your training schedule tight.
3. Use a simulator to practice. I have been a simulation enthusiast since 1985 and I am very sure that my hours on the simulator have actually contributed to my license significantly in more than one way."
Related Articles