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Fly Universal
11-15-2011, 09:03 AM
I am currently 14 and Learning to Fly. I currently am working on my Gliders Liscence, but once the winter is over I will probably start on my Pilots Liscence. We are actually looking into an SR22 GTS that is for sale at our home airport, and a Cessna 340 that comes with a personal hangar. Not regarding the aircraft, what are the tips would you give to a newbie:confused:

rosiejerryrosie
11-15-2011, 09:27 AM
The one that I always use -- You don't have to take off but you always have to land.....

Eric Marsh
11-15-2011, 10:31 AM
Fly as often as you can. Don't just follow your instructor's lead - buy books on flying and take the initiative to learn on your own. When I started doing that it really helped me.

Hal Bryan
11-15-2011, 10:48 AM
I am currently 14 and Learning to Fly. I currently am working on my Gliders Liscence, but once the winter is over I will probably start on my Pilots Liscence.

Welcome! My first and strongest bit of advice is, and please listen carefully, keep up the good work!

Starting with gliders at 14 and already thinking ahead to your next certificate shows that you have a commendable level of drive and passion for anyone, but especially at your age. As I write this, Jerry and Eric have chimed in with great nuggets of advice, and I have no doubt that there will be many more to come...but, in my opinion, the first thing you have to do when learning to fly is to love it, and the second thing is to act on it. Congratulations for having done both and giving yourself a fantastic head start!

Keep us posted on your progress!

- Hal

Tex Sonex
11-17-2011, 07:43 PM
What I mean is, don't be afraid to try several different instructors until you find the one that "clicks" with you. The two of you communicate better, and you find you learn better from him/her. I also found I learned different things from different instructors, so having more than one was beneficial.

Barnstorm
11-18-2011, 07:58 AM
What I mean is, don't be afraid to try several different instructors until you find the one that "clicks" with you. The two of you communicate better, and you find you learn better from him/her. I also found I learned different things from different instructors, so having more than one was beneficial.

Very, very good advise.

.

BenjaminB
11-18-2011, 11:52 AM
Starting with gliders!! WAY TO GO!:thumbsup: Just got my Private Pilot glider myself a few months ago at 16 and have already been able to stump one of my instructors who doesn't fly gliders, on a gliding question. Gliders are definitely the way to start. And while your at gliders look into winch launching.

Here's a video that I made for the winch group that I'm a part of.
http://vimeo.com/31036622

rangerofthewest
12-15-2011, 12:15 PM
Start by earning your private, then High performance, then IFR. This enables you access to most single engine planes.

rangerofthewest
12-15-2011, 12:15 PM
Very, very good advise.

.

This is really, really good advise. Take it.

wotai
12-18-2011, 04:16 PM
One thing I always recommend to students is to use a flight simulator at home. It is a great tool during your pilot training. It allows you to practice what you learnt at your lessons when you come home. Flying lessons are expensive and it's difficult to go out and fly every single day as much as we may want to. If you're practicing and flying at home, it also means less time spent going over review at your next lesson.

Bob Meder
12-18-2011, 09:54 PM
One thing I always recommend to students is to use a flight simulator at home. It is a great tool during your pilot training. It allows you to practice what you learnt at your lessons when you come home. Flying lessons are expensive and it's difficult to go out and fly every single day as much as we may want to. If you're practicing and flying at home, it also means less time spent going over review at your next lesson.

I'll agree to an extent.

My two biggest complaints about home simulation programs are that:

*They don't have the same tactile feedback as a real plane;

*I keep having to untrain self-taught instrument pilots - that is they're looking at the gauges instead out the window.

Having said that, they can be good procedures trainers under the guidance of an instructor. Make sure you coordinate with your instructor so you get the most effective use of your time.

JeffCasto
12-19-2011, 08:44 AM
Aeronautical decision making is one of the most important skills in flying. Flying gliders is a good way to develop your decision making. If you haven't landed at another airfield, get your instructor to take you to one and have the towplane come with you. Take a few tows at the new airfield, cover the altimeter, and have the instructor pull rope breaks on you. Without the familiar landmarks of your home airfield and with no altimeter, landing becomes a matter of evaluating your angles and managing your energy.

Stretch your legs as far as allowable for a student at your soaring club. Fly short triangles around the airfield without getting out of glide range. Plan your flight ahead of time using a sectional. Draw "safe altitude" circles on the sectional around your airfield and use them during your flights. If there are nearby grass strips use them as waypoints. They are not always easy to find and it makes good navigation practice.

Fly in various wind conditions (but only with your instructor's approval). Get used to slipping to a landing.

Do all of the above in a safe manner.

Have fun!