Perhaps this is the year that you start learning to fly. If that’s where you are, congratulations and I’m excited for you. Go book an introductory flight right now, if you haven’t already flown one. (Flight sim folks, I know you consider yourselves aeronautically solid, but please book an introductory flight anyway. That time can be logged toward your certificate, so what’s not to like?)
Maybe you have already started training—a brand-new logbook with entries already on the first page. If that’s so, get going on your medical certificate requirements. AOPA’s medical certification specialists can help you through the sometimes-complex medical application process. The FAA’s stance on medical conditions is not static, and things are happening with regard to mental health, ADHD, and antidepressants. Still, it may not be a straight line from your computer to your doctor’s office to your medical certificate. Get in touch with AOPA and get the road map you’ll need. Remember that sport pilot training doesn’t require a medical certificate, nor does glider instruction or hot air ballooning. There are multiple ways for you to get into the air.
Is this the year you’re going to cross the finish line, make a date with the designated pilot examiner, and earn that certificate? Hooray! You’ve worked hard for this, and I know you will be successful. When the checkride is scheduled, sit down with your flight instructor, and go through the airplane’s logbooks to make sure it is up to date on its inspections. Then go through your own logbook and make sure that you have completed all the requirements of FAR Part 61. It takes weeks, sometimes months, to book a DPE. Failure to meet the airworthiness or pilot requirements is a needless showstopper for your checkride.
Maybe you’re a new private pilot. This may be the year you choose to dive into a new rating, No matter which rating or certificate you choose, it’s going to make you a better pilot. I would suggest that you not wait too long before starting on something as complicated as the instrument rating. It can take awhile to get your brain back into learning mode, and believe me, you’ll need all brain cells at your disposal. Could this be the year you decide to buy an airplane? I see pilots on social media taking the plunge all the time, and my heart sings for each of them. Owning an airplane takes your aviation knowledge to a new level as you become intimately acquainted with your airplane. It does deplete your savings, but it also expands your horizons like nothing else can. AOPA has a huge batch of resources for airplane ownership—everything from guides to help you narrow your search, to financing options, to an operation costs calculator, and tips on buying an aircraft (aopa.org/go-fly/aircraft-and-ownership). And don’t forget the Pilot Information Center (800-USA-AOPA). These pilots, medical certification specialists, and flight instructors answer more than 30,000 questions each year and they can help you, too.
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This marks my final “Around the Patch” column for Flight Training magazine. I’m handing the controls to Senior Content Producer Ian J. Twombly, whom you already know as a fine writer and flight instructor. Ian’s become an aircraft owner as well, and so I know he will have lots of good advice for you.
I began writing “Around the Patch” in 2014 with the goal of sharing how aviation has changed my life and can change yours as well. I believe I’ve done that, and then some. I’ll still be working on Flight Training and AOPA Pilot, so look for my byline and keep in touch. (Oh, and if you want a weekly five-minute dose of me, stream the “Pilot Briefing” podcast—the top five things you need to know in general aviation each week—on all major podcast platforms.) See you around the airport. —JWT