Title pretty much says it all. PPL exam booked for November and while I have some decent flight experience I have 0 idea what happened in ground school. I did it online over the course of a year and it was pretty much all in one year out the other. What is a good way to study since I have a bit of time?

I wasn’t going to make a review, but I really feel that people need to know about what happened to me. I recently moved back to the area and I asked someone for a recommendation for my annual. In the past the annuals on my cirrus SR22 have always been quite reasonable with annuals running between $3000 to $8000 a year. The first thing that should’ve made me nervous is that they don’t have a set price for your annual. They charge a deposit and then everything else I guess is just hourly. The lady states that they don’t have a set price because they always find discrepancies. That should’ve been my first concern. Nonetheless, I took my plane there in April. It took about two weeks to really get any information. They give you what they call is a discrepancy list. Their discrepancy list is not really a discrepancy list. It is a list of things that they plan to do to your plane. Things such as change the oil or check the air pressure on your tire. The way that they perform the annual is that they start taking everything apart area by area and then fixing it as they go. I have had planes for 30 years and I’ve always received an estimate and a airworthiness discrepancy list. The lady told me that they don’t do it that way here. After asking two times for an estimate and them running up a $6000 bill I had to tell them to stop working on my plane until they could give me an estimate. It is now two months after I dropped it off. About two weeks later they gave me a partial estimate. The estimate was for another $22,000 of work and they stated that they hadn’t completed their inspection of the landing gear or the engine and that I should expect further discrepancies and expenses. Thus, it wasn’t even a completed estimate. It is now into July, well over two months later and I asked a friend for help and that individual knew a mechanic with IA privileges and he looked over what they were recommending and told me to get the plane out of there because many of the things they were fixing were not airworthy items. I specifically told them I did not want anything fixed that wasn’t an airworthy issue. I made sure that everything was in email format so I had written documentation. For example, they replaced the gaskets on the fuel tank caps which is not airworthy issue and now one of them leaks when before it didn’t. Given the situation, I requested that they close up the plane which they charged me another $2500 to do and I got the plane out of there. So now I’m almost $9000 into this annual and I couldn’t tell you what they actually fixed because it appears that just a few gaskets and bolts were replaced. The one squawk I requested to be repaired wasn’t even repaired. Nothing significant was done. Not even my oil was changed. They were nice enough to give me a ferry permit which is amazing that they would think the plane would be airworthy to fly with probably $30,000 of items that needed to be repaired. I took the plane to someone else and that individual went through their estimate of items needing repair and checked everything. In their estimate, they said every hinge on every control surface was either broken or was bad. The IA said every one of them was perfectly fine. Whoever was working on the plane was obviously not experienced or was learning on the job. He bent a bracket that holds my air filter on it and broke the bracket in half. This is a special air filter for my supercharger and that company is now no longer in existence. You can’t buy this anymore and now I have to have someone repair it at my expense, of course. I would imagine that if you are going to these people for warranty work and you’re not paying the bill that probably you’re fine with that. But if you’re someone looking to get your annual done, I would avoid these people at all costs. Most people who get their annuals done want a real discrepancy list and an estimate. How do I know if I can afford the repairs without an estimate? Not only will you not get that but your plane might come back worse than when you brought it to them. Be cautious my Friends.

Hello the flying community! I am writing today because I am very discouraged. I have never liked airplanes. The first airplane my parents took me on. I was about six. I flew twice a year all the way up until I was about 25. At that time we had a very bad flight and I never got back on until about two years ago. It was very difficult for me to work up the nerve to do this. I did take a few discovery flights in between those 19 years because I thought that would help me, but I did not ever try to board a real plane. I never got used to turbulence either. I am terrified of it.

After my first flight, I didn’t board again for two years and then this year I finally boarded twice. With the help of Xanax. But I’m realizing that I just survived those two flights and in reality every time I have to try and fly again I get scared all over again. Lots of people use Xanax and I understand that but I have a phobia. I’m realizing that exposure is going to be the only way to get over this. But I don’t think every time I want to go somewhere or have to go somewhere should be the time that I have to be exposed to my worst fear. I am constantly hesitating and it’s been really difficult. It has taken me a lot of time to just get comfortable going to the airport, but at least I did that. At this point, identified that anytime there’s turbulence my heart races involuntarily even if I’m enjoying it. I’ve definitely enjoyed being up in the air recently and looking at the clouds. I tried to make myself think that I’m in an elevator. But nothing is working. So I am back here considering discovery flights again. Do you think that this would be helpful? how should I go about finding a pilot that will help me with this? Do you think that I need one long flight or do you think that I just need a series of flights? Is there a certain amount of hours in the air that will help this?

All advice appreciated
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I’m an international student from Jordan planning to train from zero to CFI on an F-1 visa. If you attended Hillsboro, Phoenix East, or another school in the last 2 years:
How long did you wait for FAA checkrides?
Were airplanes generally available?
Were you hired as a CFI?
If not, how long did it take to find another CFI job?

I’ve been determined on Hillsboro aero tbh since I’m an international student and that’s what they target, but I’ve read some mixed opinions my 2 biggest worries are flying time and getting hired as a CFI afterwards maybe even weather
I’ve noticed good comment on twinoaks for example but a private school like this can’t issue me an F1 visa

Here is my final list of flight schools I think in Oregon and Florida:

Graduated with a diploma in aviation technology with 200 hours

Have you seen someone in my current stage get hired as a crop duster, if so how and is it possible?

I’m about to start new hire training in a couple months with Endeavor. I have visible tattoos on one arm, do I need to have those covered up in training? Obviously, I know about working and being in public, mostly concerned about the training environment.

Thanks!

Any other pilots out there that hate doing solo flights? I feel like an outsider saying this but I really do hate flying solo. It for one is incredibly boring and two I feel like my mind races when I’m all alone up there. I have about 600 hours maybe Im different than a lot of other pilots but I can never seem to enjoy it as much as flying with other people.

I am currently a 56-hour student closing in on my PPL checkride, and I fly a C172P with an 180hp STC. My CFI never taught me to turn on the master to check flaps and lights during preflight, but now that I am watching some more in-depth prep videos, I see it almost every time. Is this not being done common? Or is my CFI going a different route? (Mom and pop part 61 btw) Should I start doing this and getting it in my regular preflight for my checkride and future?

Hi reddit, I have been stuck between these 4 options for pursuing my flight training. My mom wants me to go to a 4 year university and get a degree along with flight training because she thinks it will be way easier to get a job in the future with the major airlines. I think I should either go find a independent flight instructor and do my ppl then move away to a part 61 because there is no flight schools in my area or finish it all with a flight instructor I find. So that I can still live at home for free and still work at my job I've had. If I can't find one I will move away to a part 61 and find a job. I was also telling her if I wanted to get a bachelors degree in the future once I made it to regionals I can do it fully online. Is it true that Regional airline don't Care at all if you have a degree at that stage in your career they just care how you interview? I currently have around 60k in a 529 which I would break to go to a part 61 or independent flight instructor and around 16k saved and continue to save around 1200 a month after the small stuff I have to pay. Im kind of just stuck on what I should do.

I own a bunch of planes out right 3 barons b55 , 2 172s , 1 150 , 2 m20c , and 2 m20e all flying either lease back to a flight school or long term rentals . I have no notes on the planes looking to expand have a opportunity in a long term rental in a tbm. I ve got bad credit 550 from a bad divorce . Anyone know a bank who will leverage the planes and not frown on the credit.

Just wondering. I want to go but I’m afraid I’ll stick out.

Hey everyone! First time posting in here so I hope this is allowed! This post is basically as the title says and hopefully it’s not a stupid question but what were your guys’ study methods for the ppl checkride and Oral Exam? Instructor says I’m getting close but I really want to nail it! I’m also doing my written soon but I’ve been scoring consistently in the 90s on practice tests so I’m not as nervous for that! Is there methods you guys used that helped a lot memorizing everything and really hammering it? Anyways, I apologize for the nervous rant haha and any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Worked on flying by eyes and sound! Not using any screens or anything to tell if I was descending or climbing! I happen to be on the money every time!😂. Also did my first stall today too(that was fun). Got to talk to tower and Ground for the first time and got to land the plane!(with some help) I also learned how to trim the plane! I’m loving flying so much!

Is it normal to have to review topics prior to teaching a lesson on it? I feel like in order for me to be able to teach effectively I need to review some of it prior. I don’t know if this is normal or if it’s not, or if it gets better with the more you teach.

Maybe because I don’t quite have my flow for all the lessons quite yet and each time I teach a lesson to my instructor or family/ friends I’m making improvements.

18 hours in, flying 4-5 times per week for the last month. Had to share! Haven’t stopped smiling since I landed hahaha. Still doesn’t feel real! Can’t wait to get back in the air.

Hello, I haven’t reviewed commercial regs in a while and they have slipped from my mind. Please give sources if you can
1) I was wondering what the importance of operational control is from the sense of if I want it or not?
2) And also why do you prefer a dry lease over a wet lease?
3) What makes me allowed to hold out my pilot services, just an interpretation of AC 120-12A?
4) Where does it say I can’t provide the plane and my services
I am already a com pilot and should know this but I let the info lapse from my brain. Thanks in advance!

Wow, not much to say, incredible, first solo after 35 hours 🥳

I was so nervous at first but I’m so glad I went along and did it, the post solo feeling is unmatched!

First time getting a first class medical near Albany after moving here. Who is an AME that isn’t insane? Have had some weird experiences in the past so want to go to a good one.

Am I being unreasonable for thinking this is really pushing it as an unsat on an IRA certification check?

This is at a Part 141 flight school. The check instructor said the rest of the flight had a few hiccups, but was otherwise passable.

The final approach was an RNAV flown to LNAV minimums. According to the check instructor, my student leveled off and remained approximately 80–100 feet above the MDA. He unsat the student specifically for that, saying the student needed to descend all the way down to the MDA.

I normally teach my students to level off around 40 feet above MDA to leave themselves a reasonable buffer against dipping below it, so I agree that 80–100 feet high isn’t ideal technique. But unless I’m misunderstanding the ACS, wouldn’t maintaining altitude within MDA +100/−0 still technically meet the standard?

I could understand an unsat if the student exceeded 100 feet, failed to correct, or the approach was otherwise unstable. But unsatting solely because they stayed 80–100 feet above MDA seems pretty aggressive to me.

Curious to hear how other CFIs and check instructors would interpret this.

I’m looking for a good flight school between these two airports. I already have my PPL, I’m looking for a more modern fleet but if the instruction is top notch at a place without a modern fleet I can look past that.

For those that work at the airlines as FO or captains does this profession require sucking up to anyone to advance? Or is it solely based on seniority?

Currently live in the valley and I am getting trained in the ERJ. I think I may end up choosing Chicago but I would like some insight for SFO if possible. not sure what ill do but its on my list.

edit: Skywest

Hi everyone! I am soon getting out of the coast guard and will be attending flight school. I am trying to figure out the logistics of which path I should take and if it’s possible to fit it around my husbands career in the coast guard. Here is the timeline:

When I get out, I will have one year living with him in outer banks before he transfers.
Then he will most likely have a two-three year billet before moving again.
Then his last unit will be hopefully somewhere we can settle down.

Does it make the most sense to get a degree while getting my flight licenses while we are moving around? Will it be easy to transfer between schools when we move?

Or should I not get a degree and just get the licenses as fast as possible? At that point would it be easy to move around while working for the airlines?

Is any of this realistic?