Student Pilot Questions

[airfreddy]

Hello all I recieved an email from a board member so I figured I would answer the questions here so everyone can get a look

1) I'm just starting my flight training (about 6.5 hours) I'm going through the Cessna CD's, is this a good route for preparing for the test?

I always tell students to use what is best for them. All of the courses out there are great. King, Sporty's, cessna and the rest. They all have the same information in them. Some people like them and some don't it just depends on the student.

For your written test you will want a written test prep. They all have the FAA's questions in them. Jeppeson and asa.

For the oral portion of the flight test I have all of my students use June Bonesteels Prvate Pilot Oral Prep Guide. You can find it at my pilot store. June is probably one of the toughest examiners in the country. She has over 1400 questions and answers in the book. This is the only practical test prep I use.

Remember that your test is based on the Private Pilot Practical test standards. In the PTS they list all of the Publications that are fair game.

One thing you want to remember is that the FAA makes the PTS from THEIR PUBLICATIONS. Those courses above are not the FAA publications but are recognized as industry standard.

At the Private Pilot level the FAA is more concerned with safe pilots so they are not as tough on this as on a flight instructor rating.

Just to help you understand a perfect example is the "PILOT GUIDE" for airports. This is a great resource and has all the information in it. However the PTS are made up from the "AIRPORT FACILITIES DIRECTORY" So I would advise using the FAA publications and then building from there.

Any courses, publications and other sources you use are not going to hurt you. They are only going to help you gain knowledge that is what you want. Here are some of the FAA publications:

airplane flying handbook
pilots guide of aeronauticle knowledge
aviation weather
aviation weather services
Advisory Circulars listed in the PTS
Anything else listed in the PTS



2) Is there anything that I should ask my instructor that might not be covered in normal flight training?

This is a good question since the instructor should cover everything with you. Over the Years I have seen quite a bit so there are times that an instructor will miss something. Even I have missed things over 20 years. Now I have personal checklists to make sure this doesn't happen.

The best thing you as a student can do is check the regulations and make sure your instructor has signed everything off.

As far as something not covered in normal flight training, I would say. Spins, aerobatics and tailwheel training. Now adays everyone is using high teck stuff as " Normal Flight Training". I personally am against it, You need to learn to fly and it is going to take you a few hundred hours. So the more basic you can get the better. Yes a lot of this stuff is great but if you are trained without it, when it fails you won't get all stressed out.

3) Also, should I learn spin recovery (it would seem like a good idea to me) and if so about how far into my training should I request this?

YES. Here is the story that made me start teaching spins to every student.

Spin Training Story

I do spin entries and recoveries with every student before they solo.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other question

Airfreddy

[ThrashN]

Thank you Sir

[airfreddy]

no problem keep asking I am here to help

airfreddy