[Comet]

hey guys,
so this is something I've wanted to do for a while and I finally decided to go ahead with it

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on flying, the kind of equipment I might need, or some good tips to remember while flying.

I'm mostly afraid of bad weather landing but I know that's a long way away

I still haven't called in for my medical exam because I'm waiting for some papers (airport passes and stuff). But as soon as I get those papers I will go ahead with it.
I'm going to be taking my classes in Lebanon with MEA. I believe I'm in good hands when an airline is teaching me how to fly.

I am doing this just for fun, not as a career and I eventually plan on going with a Cirrus plane but I'll be learning on a Cessna

[Bimmer-Pilot]

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're going to love it..
Don't be afraid of bad weather... BUT RESPECT IT!!!!!!!!!! My the time you get to IFR you wont be afraid...

[Greeney]

Congrats! You will love it, study hard and get the writtens out of the way.

[Comet]

I just had my first hour of actual flight
it was pretty cool!

[DenverJayhawk]

Just a few things.

- It's not actually a piloting license, but a piloting certificate.
-In the U.S., you have to maintain so many flight hours per year to keep certificate active.
- You'll need to pass a medical exam
- I can't remember what the hours are in the U.S, but you have to have something like a minimum of 35 flight hours to take the final exam and check ride. I think most people need something like 50 hours or more before they are ready. Your instructor will make the decision.
- Your instructor will have you solo after they are comfortable you can do the basics
- After you get your certificate, you can progress through higher ratings such as Instructor Cert, ILS (instrument approach), Commercial Cert (allows you to make money by flying), and multi engine.

There's a couple old pilot sayings that are worth repeating:

1. No go is always a good decision. It ensures you will live another day. If you have ANY doubt about going up (weather, not feeling well, or have a bad feeling about anything) then DO NOT fly.

2. There are old pilots, and bold pilots. But there's no old bold pilots. Those who take risks usually end up dead.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by DenverJayhawk

Just a few things.


2. There are old pilots, and bold pilots. But there's no old bold pilots. Those who take risks usually end up dead.

I was just going to reply with the same line. There used to be an idiot who lived near me who owns a crop duster. He doesn't dust crops. He just likes the way it handles. It's got a very loud radial engine. He would come around and make like he was dive bombing his house, which was right behind mine. He'd pass over my house at about 100ft and scare the shit out of us and the cats. I told him if I ever get a photo of him pulling that crap I'd send it to the FAA in a heartbeat. Luckily he's moved away. Bet he's still pulling the same crap, though.

Lesson here: Fly with dignity and respect for others. Skip the BS hotdogging stuff.

[vioaltec]

why didnt you apply for EK's or Ey's cadet pilot program? thats what im planning to do once i graduate fom college

[TRZ06]

Flying is very rewarding. It is to be respected and approached with the right attitude and mindset though. It can kill you if you don't take it serious.

I have almost 300 hrs now. I have my Private, Instrument, Commercial, and about half way thru my CFI, but that is on hold right now for financial reasons.

If fact, I played hooky today and went flying

My #1 suggestion, is after you get your private, go to a school that specialized in up-set recovery training and take a few lessons on spins and some basic acrobatics. It will make you a much better pilot and teach what an airplane can and can't do and show you how it reacts when outside its flight envelope.

As a private pilot you shouldn't get into any really bad weather, just stay mindful and keep a healthy respect for strong/gusty winds and windshear, especially early on in your flying career until you get some time under your belt. Most general aviation accidents with new pilots happen in the landing stages of flight with loss of directional control when landing.

Also keep you head on a swivel and stay alert when near/landing at un-controlled airports and near VOR stations, as these areas are where small planes tend to converge.

Good luck and enjoy it!!

Oh and join AOPA, they support general aviation and protect our rights as GA pilots.

Happy Flying

[Comet]

Originally Posted by DenverJayhawk

Just a few things.

- It's not actually a piloting license, but a piloting certificate.
2. There are old pilots, and bold pilots. But there's no old bold pilots. Those who take risks usually end up dead.

why is it referred to as a PPL then? (I figured that stood for Private Pilot's License)
I have no intention on flying risky
I already have my skipper's license..

Originally Posted by vioaltec

why didnt you apply for EK's or Ey's cadet pilot program? thats what im planning to do once i graduate fom college

apply for wha?

Originally Posted by TRZ06

My #1 suggestion, is after you get your private, go to a school that specialized in up-set recovery training and take a few lessons on spins and some basic acrobatics. It will make you a much better pilot and teach what an airplane can and can't do and show you how it reacts when outside its flight envelope.

I plan on doing that after I get my hours.. thx for the tip

As a private pilot you shouldn't get into any really bad weather, just stay mindful and keep a healthy respect for strong/gusty winds and windshear, especially early on in your flying career until you get some time under your belt. Most general aviation accidents with new pilots happen in the landing stages of flight with loss of directional control when landing.

Landing looked scary as hell

Also keep you head on a swivel and stay alert when near/landing at un-controlled airports and near VOR stations, as these areas are where small planes tend to converge.

hehe, this is something I've gotten used to when sailing/power boating.
first lesson was a bit stressful cuz it is completely new to me

Oh and join AOPA, they support general aviation and protect our rights as GA pilots.

Happy Flying

don't live in North America.. no point

[vioaltec]

Originally Posted by Comet

apply for wha?

Lol..........Ek is Emirates and EY is Etihad. Both are major carriers of the UAE and they have programs called "cadet pilot" where they will select candidates around the world with no flying experience and bring you to Dubai or Abu Dhabi to train you. They pay for everything and in return you sign a 5 year contract with either one of the airlines as a pilot. O yea and if you work for Ek or EY, they will give you a condo....nice eh?

[KingOfJericho]

My buddy is a flight instructor with almost 2,000 hours and he has a Cirrus. I have maybe 5 hours and find that plane to be very intuitive and user friendly (not to mention the chute). I am trying to decide if I want to put a chunk of my bonus this year toward getting my cert... I mean, what's the point when you have a buddy who flies?

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

My buddy is a flight instructor with almost 2,000 hours and he has a Cirrus. I have maybe 5 hours and find that plane to be very intuitive and user friendly (not to mention the chute). I am trying to decide if I want to put a chunk of my bonus this year toward getting my cert... I mean, what's the point when you have a buddy who flies?

The Cirrus w/ the chute has gotten many pilots killed. Far too often, rich low time pilots buy these planes and think, I have a chute, so I can do stuff I shouldn't be doing or flying in weather I shouldn't be and "the chute" will save me.

Obviously not referring to your friend, just about the rich in general who buy those planes.

Money and in-experience is a bad combination in aviation.

However, if respected, the cirrus is definitely a luxury plane, as is the Cessna 400 (aka Columbia 400).

[Comet]

Originally Posted by vioaltec

Lol..........Ek is Emirates and EY is Etihad. Both are major carriers of the UAE and they have programs called "cadet pilot" where they will select candidates around the world with no flying experience and bring you to Dubai or Abu Dhabi to train you. They pay for everything and in return you sign a 5 year contract with either one of the airlines as a pilot. O yea and if you work for Ek or EY, they will give you a condo....nice eh?

ah.. I don't want to be a commercial pilot.. I have a career already.. I flew on my godfather's private jet a few times and I loved the experience. No hassle in the terminal.. you just walk to the plane.. no line ups..
Most of my flights are beirut-larnaca (cyprus) which is a 25mins flight (1hr in a cessna give or take) and with the prices of that flight going up (400$ for business.. it used to be 250$) I figured, I might as well fly myself for that price, go when I want, come back when I want, at my convenience without having to put up with a 2hr wait in the terminal..

Originally Posted by TRZ06

The Cirrus w/ the chute has gotten many pilots killed. Far too often, rich low time pilots buy these planes and think, I have a chute, so I can do stuff I shouldn't be doing or flying in weather I shouldn't be and "the chute" will save me.

Obviously not referring to your friend, just about the rich in general who buy those planes.

Money and in-experience is a bad combination in aviation.

However, if respected, the cirrus is definitely a luxury plane, as is the Cessna 400 (aka Columbia 400).

I am considering a Cirrus when I get enough hours under my belt. Beautiful planes.

is the chute that bad?

[JB991]

Originally Posted by DenverJayhawk

There's a couple old pilot sayings that are worth repeating:

1. No go is always a good decision. It ensures you will live another day. If you have ANY doubt about going up (weather, not feeling well, or have a bad feeling about anything) then DO NOT fly.

2. There are old pilots, and bold pilots. But there's no old bold pilots. Those who take risks usually end up dead.

Well said. As a controller, there are many times we wished some people would just land rather than playing with the odds. We can only recommend so much, and nothing makes for a more f'ed up day than some pilot dying (taking family and friends with him) because he feels he just has to be somewhere.

[Comet]

Originally Posted by jcmf75

Well said. As a controller, there are many times we wished some people would just land rather than playing with the odds. We can only recommend so much, and nothing makes for a more f'ed up day than some pilot dying (taking family and friends with him) because he feels he just has to be somewhere.

I was told that 99% of the time a plane crash is due to a stupid pilot..

would you say that holds any ground?

also, why do you guys speak so fast lol
I can barely understand when a controller talks to me.. any tips?

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by Comet

ah.. I don't want to be a commercial pilot.. I have a career already.. I flew on my godfather's private jet a few times and I loved the experience. No hassle in the terminal.. you just walk to the plane.. no line ups..
Most of my flights are beirut-larnaca (cyprus) which is a 25mins flight (1hr in a cessna give or take) and with the prices of that flight going up (400$ for business.. it used to be 250$) I figured, I might as well fly myself for that price, go when I want, come back when I want, at my convenience without having to put up with a 2hr wait in the terminal..



I am considering a Cirrus when I get enough hours under my belt. Beautiful planes.

is the chute that bad?

It's not that the chute is bad, it's the "I can do anything because I have a chute to save my ass" attitude that gets pilots killed. It isn't a cure all pill, as some people think.

[Comet]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

It's not that the chute is bad, it's the "I can do anything because I have a chute to save my ass" attitude that gets pilots killed. It isn't a cure all pill, as some people think.

lol that's like saying "I've got airbags, I can crash into anything"

I don't understand why someone would want to test their chute lol

[OC Guy]

Let me bestow you with some knowledge:

[JB991]

Originally Posted by Comet

I was told that 99% of the time a plane crash is due to a stupid pilot..

would you say that holds any ground?

also, why do you guys speak so fast lol
I can barely understand when a controller talks to me.. any tips?

I wouldn't call the pilot stupid, but I would say inexperienced. We have pilots all the time asking, "what should I do?" Our first response is "land at (nearest airport)". Most won't do it and some end up paying their life for it. Then we work on calling them stupid, because we are there trying to help, we see a picture many, many, miles away.

I think it depends on the controller and their level of comfort, or complexity of what they're doing that changes voice speed. When your busy, you tend to talk faster. When you're nervous you tend to talk fast, thinking you're falling behind.
Pay attention to the voice next time you're flying. Chances are, the younger they sound, the faster they may be talking. Inexperience = nervousness

My tip would be to listen up. That's the biggest problem I see, pilots don't listen. You know your callsign, that's all you really need to recognize. Don't be like Southwest pilots, that's easily two calls each time unless it's a shortcut we are offering.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

The Cirrus w/ the chute has gotten many pilots killed. Far too often, rich low time pilots buy these planes and think, I have a chute, so I can do stuff I shouldn't be doing or flying in weather I shouldn't be and "the chute" will save me.

Obviously not referring to your friend, just about the rich in general who buy those planes.

Money and in-experience is a bad combination in aviation.

However, if respected, the cirrus is definitely a luxury plane, as is the Cessna 400 (aka Columbia 400).

I actually had no idea about the chute until a guy came up to us when we were getting gas and was asking a bunch of weird questions about parachutes. When we took off again I asked him and he explained the chute stuff. He had several years of experience prior to picking up his Cirrus which he's had for around 6 years (we're both 29). I don't know much about planes but of the 3 I've flown I would definitely pick the Cirrus.

[777ER]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I was just going to reply with the same line. There used to be an idiot who lived near me who owns a crop duster. He doesn't dust crops. He just likes the way it handles. It's got a very loud radial engine. He would come around and make like he was dive bombing his house, which was right behind mine. He'd pass over my house at about 100ft and scare the shit out of us and the cats. I told him if I ever get a photo of him pulling that crap I'd send it to the FAA in a heartbeat. Luckily he's moved away. Bet he's still pulling the same crap, though.

Lesson here: Fly with dignity and respect for others. Skip the BS hotdogging stuff.

The FAA doesn't give a hoot about them...

As long the aircraft is classified crop duster, there's not much you can really do about it.

Heck they can even fly into LGA/JFK/EWR/LAX or any major airport without a transponder...all they have is basic gauges, the bare minimum would be fuel level and altimeter gauges.
However they do have to file a flight plan before they can enter the airspace.

[Comet]

so I got my second hour down
I'm trying to get the teacher to put me in twice a week now

I took a few pictures while waiting to be cleared for landing today

Port of Beirut:


On top of the VOR:


Raouche:


I felt much more comfortable with everything.. I was actually able to hear the controllers.. and my CFI made me do all the call ins to the tower which I really appreciated

however, something odd is that when he was going over the stall warning, I could barely hear it..
I had no trouble hearing it last week.. but this week, I really had to concentrate to hear it... I don't have a hearing problem.. all I could hear was A LOT of wind and a faint beep