Originally Posted by
Bill Greenwood
Infidel, really congratulations! We read so many stories on this website and others, where someone says they want to be a pilot if they only had more money or more time or they lived in a better place or didn't have work or school, lot's of other reasons, valid or not. And almost as sad is the stories of people who go take a few lessons, and either quit or let the FBO or CFI drag it on and on. It is really great to hear of someone who went for and got it.
Just curious, do you think you got top knowledge or was it so concentrated that some of it is not retained? I know so many times a student will come to a flight school and end up taking maybe one lesson every week or two and moving pretty slowly. I know that in business and industry, that is not the way learning is done. If IBM needs to send a team to a foreign country, they aren't going to take one language lesson every 10 days or so, they are likely to get in a concentrated program. My Air Force training as a mechanic and my business training as a stock broker, were both pretty much every week day.
I think the basic training as a private pilot, or these days as a sport pilot or a glider pilot, are some of the most fun and interesting of all the flying that I have done in 35 years as a pilot. It is all new and cool. Too many people find it stressful or make it that way, and it should be an enjoyable process, both daily as you go along and as you reach the goal. The closest I have done to a concentred training was going to Flightsafety in Vero Beach for instrument. I have also done some concentrated weekend formation clinics that were a lot of fun and good learning, but that is not the same as a rating in the FAA way.
So what's next? Two good things about learning in a 172: 1st. They are safe for the average student and 2nd. Most every plane you fly after that is going to be more exciting.
And yes I hear they have some "flinty" types at Sportys who can sharpen a student.
You can put anything you want in your log book, I have one for hang gliders, and I have recorded some dual flight time in twins and a jet, etc, because I was the one doing the flying. But when you apply for a flight rating, then you must use only the hours that qualify for that rating.