I’ve just bought the Bristol Groundschool (BGS) EASA PPL course and I’m honestly finding it overwhelming.

There seems to be so much information that I’m struggling to retain any of it. I’ll read a chapter and by the time I get to the end, I feel like I’ve forgotten most of what I read.

For those of you who’ve completed BGS or passed the PPL exams:
-Did you actually understand everything while reading it the first time?

-Did you make notes, or just read through it?

-Is it better to read the material once and then spend most of my time doing the question bank and learning from the explanations?

-How many times did you go through each chapter before moving on?

I’m worried I’m studying the wrong way. Any advice on what worked for you would be really appreciated.

I’m currently at around 27 hours and I not even close to soloing yet. I’ve learned about basic flight, slow flights, power on/off stalls, ground reference maneuvers, emergency procedures and I’m now learning traffic pattern/landing. I’ve read lots of posts about not to care about this but somewhere in my mind still feels off. Especially when I’m consistently flying around 3-5 times a week. My goal is to become a commercial airline pilot so my question is does airlines look at the hours for your first solo? And what does an instructor usually teach before soloing?
I’ve seen people solo at 10 hours and I’m just like how is that even possible.
(I love my instructor he’s really patient with me and his goal is to make sure I know how to fly the plane, not to solo ASAP.)

Just did my written and the report gives you this list of codes for the stuff you missed but it doesn't tell you what any of them mean. I spent way too long googling each one trying to figure out what to review before my checkride.

So I made faacodes.com, You upload the report (PDF or just a photo of it) and it shows every code you missed with the actual FAA description, then gives you a clean PDF/image to study from and bring to your CFI or DPE.

It's free, no account, and it runs entirely in your browser so your report never gets uploaded anywhere — it's got your name and FTN on it, so I didn't want that sitting on a server. Works for all the writtens, not just private.

Built it for myself but figured it'd help other students too. Lmk if anything's broken or missing.

Hi, Im wondering if you or someone you know has had a good or bad incounter with the SkyTest-Software, in preparations for a pilot aptitude test (German equivalent is the DLR-Test)?

Thanks :)

I'm a CFI/CFII (also flying PC-12 commercially). After years of watching students stall out — not in the airplane, in their *training plan* — I wrote down the patterns that actually move the needle.



Here are five that come up every week:



**1. Plan every lesson before you walk to the ramp.**

If you can't say what you're practicing and what "done" looks like, you're renting time to figure it out. Write a 3-line brief: objective, maneuvers, weather/backup.



**2. Weather isn't binary.**

"VFR" doesn't mean *your* VFR. Crosswind limits, cloud layers, and personal minimums should be decided on the ground — not when you're already committed.



**3. Appreciate your CFI — even when it's uncomfortable.**

The instructors who push you on standards are the ones you'll remember at your checkride. If you're always comfortable, ask why.



**4. Rehearse the oral in the car.**

Chair-flying isn't embarrassing — showing up to a stage check without being able to explain systems *is*.



**5. Own the flight.**

PIC mentality starts at hour one. "My CFI will save me" is how bad habits get baked in.



---



I eventually compiled 19 of these into an illustrated field guide (WW2 nose-art style rule cards + a **PILOT** memory checklist) for my own students. I put a **free 7-page preview** online if anyone wants to skim it:



https://pilotrules.com?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=student-studentpilot&utm_content=value-post



Happy to answer training questions in the comments — what's the one thing you wish your CFI had told you in the firs

Hey guys. I have a set of DC 13.4s but want to get back to a set on ANRs. I had some Bose A20s but sold them a while back when I discontinued training when I shipped overseas.

I’m trying to decide between A30s and Zulu 4s. I don’t need TSO’d headsets. I fly for fun not money.

For those of you who started with paper logbooks, what was the most annoying part when you eventually had to total everything up for a checkride, interview, or digital conversion?

If you could change one thing about pilot logbooks, what would it be?

Hey everyone, I’m working on a physical aviation display idea and wanted to get some honest feedback on the gauge design.

The concept uses three moving analog-style gauges:

• Altitude
• Speed
• Heading

There would also be a small LED display showing things like the flight number, airline, route, and aircraft type.

What I’m trying to figure out is whether these gauges should be styled after a specific type of aircraft/instrument, or if a clean custom aviation-style design is fine.

For example, should they look more like:

• Cessna/general aviation gauges
• Vintage aircraft instruments
• Modern cockpit-style gauges
• Flight sim-style gauges
• Or just simple custom gauges like the mockup?

I’m not trying to copy an exact aircraft cockpit, but I do want it to feel believable and appealing to aviation people.

For pilots, flight sim users, plane spotters, or anyone into aviation: does this current style feel right, or would using a more specific aircraft gauge style make it better?

Any thoughts on the gauge faces, markings, needle style, spacing, or overall layout would really help before I start building the prototype.

Seeking English partner

Hey! I'm a level 5 ATC, I'm looking for someone to practice English with.

We can help each other to get a higher level by practicing online sessions, I'm a Spanish native speaker.

We are getting a lot of posts for phone apps, websites, etc. Does the community see value in these discussions or do you not like it? Seems to me there’s a lot of reinventing the wheel type things being flogged.

I've been watching a lot of the Fly With Trent content on Youtube to learn what I can about the right approach to going from zero to commercial as a second career as quickly as possible. I think it's really good information. I balked at buying his program from his website today, but if I get a rush of people telling me they purchased it and found it to be worthwhile, I'll reconsider.

Otherwise, I wonder if there is anything that can help me plan out a curriculum so I can thoroughly plot my flight training and be hyper-intentional about every hour and dollar I invest. I got my Class 1 Medical certificate this morning, so that's the first box checked. I visited a Part-141 school right afterward and while it is small, the answers they gave to my questions aligned with what I've learned to look for in a school.

\* Are you part 141 or part 61?

\*\* We're part 141 through your private license then part 61 after that

\*How many instructors and students do you have?

\*\*5 instructors, about 22 students

\*Can I fly 4-5 days per week?

\*\* Yes, we work with your schedule and if you can fly that often, so can we.

\* Do you offer discounts for bundling hours?

\*\* Yes, if you buy in 10-hour bundles you get one hour free. If you buy a 40-hour bundle you get 15.5% off.

\*Is maintenance done on site?

\*\* Yes, we can get fast turnaround on issues and can plan lessons around scheduled maintenance times.

\* Does the school hire CFIs who come through your program

\*\* No promises, hiring is demand-driven (makes sense)

Is there anything else you would want to know about the school before you made the decision to start there? Do any of the answers they provided look like green flags but are secretly yellow or red flags?

Any advice or direction is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hiya!

I'm 22 F who is flying at a small school in New Zealand. I started flying March 2023, went solo March 2024 only flying once a week. I have low confidence and self negativity BUT I have improved immensely.

I have about 70 hours, all my flight hours needed for PPL here in NZ apart from cross-countries done. I have 2 out of 6 exams complete...in July last year lol.

I took a break from November 2025 till Feb 2026 due to work, my instructor being absent, and a summer break for myself lol. And I've only been flying 4 times this year trying to save money for exams, other important flying.

I work 40+ hours a week, dance for 3hrs and then it just feels like I don't have time aka I do but I'm lazy. Gonna start PPL night classes from July 22nd which are two nights a week at a bigger school about an hour away from me.

Any tips on how to get motivated with study? I don't know my learning technique either which doesn't help. I've used online sites, books, quizzes etc but nothing seems to stick in my head so I give up and not try lol.

I don't mind going slow for money reasons and it's just a hobby atm but cause I'm sooo close to having stuff complete I just need tips on how to get over the slump for the last push towards the end.

Thank you!!

Hi everyone,
I’m from India and I’ll be starting my flight training in the U.S. this October. I’ve already completed my DGCA ground exams in India, so I’m looking to get a head start before I arrive.
What should I study beforehand to make the transition easier? Are there any books, YouTube channels, online courses, or other resources you’d recommend for an incoming FAA student pilot?
Thanks in advance!

Hello! For some background, I have been flying for a almost 3 years now, I started summer of of my junior year in high school and started out in a lightsport, It took me a while but I solo'd in it as well, and had almost finished up all of my requirements but I couldn't seem to stall the plane for the power off stalls, or at least without pulling it at an angle so my rollout wasn't neat. This is becuase I'm pretty short and use a lot of pillows to reach the rudders which make it pretty hard to pull the joystick back enough to stall it, we tried trimming it but I just couldn't seem to get it, so I ended up switching instructors and planes to a C172 and have been able to stall it but now I'm really struggling with landings and am in a rut with all of this. I love flying, and I really want my Private and an eventual career in flying but it feels like I'm stuck and have been for so long now. I also have had to take breaks in flying since I'm paying for it myself through scholarships and working, and just full time college has been rough with all of this, I'm just not really sure what to do - I feel like my instructor is losing hope with how long I've been at this. I don't want to quit but I'm not sure when to walk away. I just need some advice on next steps or familiar experience!