Lee's Private Pilot License Journey

FTCA Director

Lee Kachner
Admin
I've started my journey toward getting my PPL. As I am going through this journey, I will be posting here to let everyone who wants to follow along. My plan right now is to complete ground school by Spring '23, while it's colder weather here in Ohio, and start flying when it begins to warm up. I'm excited to share this journey with everyone, and maybe even inspire someone to get their PPL. Please feel free to ask any questions (on topic) along the way. I'm happy to share!
 

Taildragger

Legendary member
I've started my journey toward getting my PPL. As I am going through this journey, I will be posting here to let everyone who wants to follow along. My plan right now is to complete ground school by Spring '23, while it's colder weather here in Ohio, and start flying when it begins to warm up. I'm excited to share this journey with everyone, and maybe even inspire someone to get their PPL. Please feel free to ask any questions (on topic) along the way. I'm happy to share!
You and me will be pretty close! I'm hoping to pass my checkride in late summer '24.
 

Draftman1

Active member
Congrats on the journey.
I have had my ppl since 2013, instrument for 5 yrs and commercial for little over a year.
It’s been a wonderful journey and I love to fly.
It’s a lot of work and takes dedication, enjoy the process and it is not a race, don’t be an hour watcher,
 

Mr NCT

Site Moderator
I've started my journey toward getting my PPL. As I am going through this journey, I will be posting here to let everyone who wants to follow along. My plan right now is to complete ground school by Spring '23, while it's colder weather here in Ohio, and start flying when it begins to warm up. I'm excited to share this journey with everyone, and maybe even inspire someone to get their PPL. Please feel free to ask any questions (on topic) along the way. I'm happy to share!
Don't rule out flying in the winter, nice thick smooth air.
 

Bo123

Elite member
Another student pilot! I’m in australia, so we have something called recreation aviation australia. It is basically just Light Sport Aircraft, but is governed and managed by a seperate association (not out government one). I am getting my Recreation pilots certificate, and should be done around feb 2024. Good luck lee!
 

Flying Monkey fab

Elite member
Free advise from a former CFI.
Don't string out the flight portion. Wait until you can fly no less than once a week. Otherwise half of every lesson is getting back to where you were.
Also don't pay big bucks for a ground school. If there is a community College thing that is cheap, great, otherwise everything you need is available for free as downloads from the FAA.
If you have a concept that is perplexing you there is help right here and hundreds of other places.
I'd also pass my written before ever starting to fly in ernest.
 

Draftman1

Active member
Amen to that, fly as much as you can.

Get the written done first.

Free advise from a former CFI.
Don't string out the flight portion. Wait until you can fly no less than once a week. Otherwise half of every lesson is getting back to where you were.
Also don't pay big bucks for a ground school. If there is a community College thing that is cheap, great, otherwise everything you need is available for free as downloads from the FAA.
If you have a concept that is perplexing you there is help right here and hundreds of other places.
I'd also pass my written before ever starting to fly in ernest.
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
Would make a GREAT episode to see you and BIX in full scale. There has been talk that there would be some full scale footage in the past,.but not much has come of that.

Cheers!
LitterBug

Edit:. My guess is insurance and/or corporate did not want to allow it...
 
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wilmracer

I build things that fly (sometimes)
Mentor
I'm on a similar journey right now and while I don't know what Lee is up to at the moment I CAN tell you that the FAA can be just as, if not MORE, frustrating for full scale pilots and GA. I went in to get a medical cert (required before you can solo) back in November. The FAA has VERY stringent (and perhaps outdated) regulations regarding the medication you can take. I had one old prescription for medication I no longer take, and I was also taking Zyrtec D for my allergies. Both are banned and resulted in "deferral" to the FAA. So it took about 4 weeks for the FAA to review my application, then they snail-mailed me their questions. I sent back a response within a week (snail-mail only). 3 weeks later someone at the FAA scanned my response into their database. 3 weeks after that someone reviewed it and another letter was sent out with a request for MORE information. I'm still waiting for that one to arrive so I can keep the process rolling. At this point if my next response clears up their concerns the deferral will have added 6 months to the process.

My instructors wisely suggested that I slow-roll flight training just in case the FAA eventually outright rejects my application. For me that would be devastating, BUT the FAA claims that they have about a 99% approval rate for those who stick out the process and jump through all the hoops. I'm "pot committed" here so I won't be giving up no matter what they ask for.

If you're willing to roll the dice you CAN continue flying and training without the medical but without it you'll never get your airman certificate. I may actually go ahead with SOME training and get my tailwheel endorsement (and a few others) even before I get the airman certificate.

Lee mentioned not to pay big bucks for ground school. I did the $279 online program from Sportys (https://www.sportys.com/learn-to-fly-course-private-pilot-test-prep-online-app-and-tv.html) and it was really comprehensive. I prefer the flexibility of online training and can watch the videos pretty much anywhere.

On my commute I will often listen in to radio traffic at our local airports using https://www.liveatc.net/. I'm looking into the various radio comm simulators but there is no substitute for listening in to the real stuff, especially from the airfields you plan to fly from.

Finally, and I freely admit this is overkill in a big way, but flight training IS expensive. Particularly when you are paying for aircraft rental and CFI instruction. For the cost of maybe 10 lessons in the air I built a very basic in-home simulator w/ VR. I'm just using MSFS2020 and I purchased some VERY realistic models of the various aircraft I'm training in. Before a lesson I can read through my textbooks and run the flight on my own. After a lesson I can retrace the flight in the simulator and practice the maneuvers. Plus you can get very familiar with instrument panel layout and walk through your actual checklists and runup procedures. This isn't necessary but I've found it very valuable and enjoyable, particularly as I'm not flying as much as I would like while I wait for the Medical.

Hopefully Lee is having smooth sailing on his journey. I'm happy to share my experiences from the bumpier path.
 

Mr NCT

Site Moderator
I'm on a similar journey right now and while I don't know what Lee is up to at the moment I CAN tell you that the FAA can be just as, if not MORE, frustrating for full scale pilots and GA. I went in to get a medical cert (required before you can solo) back in November. The FAA has VERY stringent (and perhaps outdated) regulations regarding the medication you can take. I had one old prescription for medication I no longer take, and I was also taking Zyrtec D for my allergies. Both are banned and resulted in "deferral" to the FAA. So it took about 4 weeks for the FAA to review my application, then they snail-mailed me their questions. I sent back a response within a week (snail-mail only). 3 weeks later someone at the FAA scanned my response into their database. 3 weeks after that someone reviewed it and another letter was sent out with a request for MORE information. I'm still waiting for that one to arrive so I can keep the process rolling. At this point if my next response clears up their concerns the deferral will have added 6 months to the process.

My instructors wisely suggested that I slow-roll flight training just in case the FAA eventually outright rejects my application. For me that would be devastating, BUT the FAA claims that they have about a 99% approval rate for those who stick out the process and jump through all the hoops. I'm "pot committed" here so I won't be giving up no matter what they ask for.

If you're willing to roll the dice you CAN continue flying and training without the medical but without it you'll never get your airman certificate. I may actually go ahead with SOME training and get my tailwheel endorsement (and a few others) even before I get the airman certificate.

Lee mentioned not to pay big bucks for ground school. I did the $279 online program from Sportys (https://www.sportys.com/learn-to-fly-course-private-pilot-test-prep-online-app-and-tv.html) and it was really comprehensive. I prefer the flexibility of online training and can watch the videos pretty much anywhere.

On my commute I will often listen in to radio traffic at our local airports using https://www.liveatc.net/. I'm looking into the various radio comm simulators but there is no substitute for listening in to the real stuff, especially from the airfields you plan to fly from.

Finally, and I freely admit this is overkill in a big way, but flight training IS expensive. Particularly when you are paying for aircraft rental and CFI instruction. For the cost of maybe 10 lessons in the air I built a very basic in-home simulator w/ VR. I'm just using MSFS2020 and I purchased some VERY realistic models of the various aircraft I'm training in. Before a lesson I can read through my textbooks and run the flight on my own. After a lesson I can retrace the flight in the simulator and practice the maneuvers. Plus you can get very familiar with instrument panel layout and walk through your actual checklists and runup procedures. This isn't necessary but I've found it very valuable and enjoyable, particularly as I'm not flying as much as I would like while I wait for the Medical.

Hopefully Lee is having smooth sailing on his journey. I'm happy to share my experiences from the bumpier path.
I totally agree on using MSFS. Using the Cessna 150 and 172 you can learn the instrument panel for free rather than paying to do it in the air and pattern procedures are fairly accurate.
 

Piotrsko

Master member
For a while the FAA had authorized MSFS for use as an ifr hood trainer with added desk hardware, further saying that time logged was acceptable but only with a certain maximum amount of hours like maybe 15 total. Been non current and non airplane for the last 15 years, so maybe no longer or it got modified.

Feel for you about the medical, I have an odd condition that the FAA was determined to disqualify me over, but medical doctors mostly ignore. Every medical with a new doctor resulted in the OMG routine you now enjoy. Try to not change examiner for future medicals but there's a guy here in Reno..........

I fully believe the FAA doesn't want non military pilots
 

Yankee2003

Well-known member
I'm on a similar journey right now and while I don't know what Lee is up to at the moment I CAN tell you that the FAA can be just as, if not MORE, frustrating for full scale pilots and GA. I went in to get a medical cert (required before you can solo) back in November. The FAA has VERY stringent (and perhaps outdated) regulations regarding the medication you can take. I had one old prescription for medication I no longer take, and I was also taking Zyrtec D for my allergies. Both are banned and resulted in "deferral" to the FAA. So it took about 4 weeks for the FAA to review my application, then they snail-mailed me their questions. I sent back a response within a week (snail-mail only). 3 weeks later someone at the FAA scanned my response into their database. 3 weeks after that someone reviewed it and another letter was sent out with a request for MORE information. I'm still waiting for that one to arrive so I can keep the process rolling. At this point if my next response clears up their concerns the deferral will have added 6 months to the process.

My instructors wisely suggested that I slow-roll flight training just in case the FAA eventually outright rejects my application. For me that would be devastating, BUT the FAA claims that they have about a 99% approval rate for those who stick out the process and jump through all the hoops. I'm "pot committed" here so I won't be giving up no matter what they ask for.

If you're willing to roll the dice you CAN continue flying and training without the medical but without it you'll never get your airman certificate. I may actually go ahead with SOME training and get my tailwheel endorsement (and a few others) even before I get the airman certificate.

Lee mentioned not to pay big bucks for ground school. I did the $279 online program from Sportys (https://www.sportys.com/learn-to-fly-course-private-pilot-test-prep-online-app-and-tv.html) and it was really comprehensive. I prefer the flexibility of online training and can watch the videos pretty much anywhere.

On my commute I will often listen in to radio traffic at our local airports using https://www.liveatc.net/. I'm looking into the various radio comm simulators but there is no substitute for listening in to the real stuff, especially from the airfields you plan to fly from.

Finally, and I freely admit this is overkill in a big way, but flight training IS expensive. Particularly when you are paying for aircraft rental and CFI instruction. For the cost of maybe 10 lessons in the air I built a very basic in-home simulator w/ VR. I'm just using MSFS2020 and I purchased some VERY realistic models of the various aircraft I'm training in. Before a lesson I can read through my textbooks and run the flight on my own. After a lesson I can retrace the flight in the simulator and practice the maneuvers. Plus you can get very familiar with instrument panel layout and walk through your actual checklists and runup procedures. This isn't necessary but I've found it very valuable and enjoyable, particularly as I'm not flying as much as I would like while I wait for the Medical.

Hopefully Lee is having smooth sailing on his journey. I'm happy to share my experiences from the bumpier path.

99% approval rate…..That is a slam dunk. I understand your apprehension….but 99%……from the outside looking in….FULL SPEED AHEAD.
I got my private license right out of high school. I agree with you about the written. If you study….it just isn’t that hard. Millions of us have passed it.
Good luck Carl….don’t get too discouraged.
I was an air traffic controller in the military….after a very short time and the radio chatter and procedures will be second nature.
 

CappyAmeric

Elite member
ATC communications are 100% about using expected language in word, phrase, and order. Listening to ATC will help with that. Just be ready to transmit with the same expected language. After a bit, it will be second nature and hearing anything on the radio that does not match that pattern will sound like fingers on a chalkboard (and identify the noob that is talking).
 

Yankee2003

Well-known member
ATC communications are 100% about using expected language in word, phrase, and order. Listening to ATC will help with that. Just be ready to transmit with the same expected language. After a bit, it will be second nature and hearing anything on the radio that does not match that pattern will sound like fingers on a chalkboard (and identify the noob that is talking).

Very true. And us ATC guys aren’t all that bad….some of us were pretty good people…friendly…nice and understanding.
We were literally there to help.
Carl is definitely an over achiever…I have no doubt he will be fine.