You want to go to flight school, but there are so many choices out there. Like any other type of school, flight schools vary in terms of quality and price. If becoming a professional pilot is your goal, you need a method to figure out which school is right for you. You want a schedule you can live with and competent instructors. Here's how to get everything you want:

Figure Out What Type of School You Want To Attend

The first step is to figure out what you want to do. Do you want to be a private pilot or a commercial one? If you want to haul people around, and get paid for doing it, you need a commercial license. If you want to be a scaled-down version of your favorite celebrity, and just fly for fun, you won't need to put in the same amount of flight time and you can get away with attending less expensive schools and a private pilot certificate.

Flight schools come in two categories, Part 61 and Part 141, which refer to the parts of the federal aviation regulations (FARs) under which they operate. Part 61 schools offer scheduling flexibility when compared to Part 141. However, Part 61 schools require you to take more flight hours to get your licenses. For example, for a private license, you'll need a minimum of 40 hours of flight time in a Part 61 school. For a Part 141 school, you need just 35. Most people take 60 to 75 hours before they pass their exam and checkride, but it becomes more important when you're going for a commercial license.

Part 61 schools require 250 hours while Part 141 require only 190. There are also nationally accredited training institutions you can attend. You'll earn a degree, which can be important if you want financial aid - these schools must apply to an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. As such, you'll find it easier to find financial aid and scholarships if you go to these types of schools.

Figure Out How You're Going To Pay For It

There are many grants and scholarships for flight schools, though some of them only pay for a portion of your education and flight time. With an accredited school, you can qualify for federal aid, and school loans as if you were attending any other type of college or university.

A few examples of scholarships include:

•  The Aero Club of New England
• The Aircraft Electronics Association Educational Foundation
• The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
• The Ninety-Nines (99s), Inc.
• The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
• The Alan H Conklin Business Aviation Management Scholarship
• The Lawrence Ginocchio Aviation Scholarship
• The William M. Fanning Maintenance Scholarship
• UAA Janice K. Barden Aviation Scholarship

Find Out What The School Is Like

The best way to do this is to take a trip to the school. Talk to your flight instructor. Find out what the school's philosophy is about. How many students per instructor are there? Engage other students if you can. Find out from people already attending what it's like, how flexible scheduling is, what teaching style the instructors use and so on.

Take a Discovery Flight

A discovery flight lets you actually fly before you commit to a school. You'll meet your instructor, get a tour of the facility, get some basic ground training, learn about basic principles of aerodynamics of flight, and talk about what the flight will involve when you go up. You'll go over basic safety instructions and do a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft.

When you're up in the air, you will actually fly the aircraft with the assistance of your instructor. This will give you a real feeling for what it's like to fly. You will learn how to maintain level flight, turn, climb, and descend.

Examine The Costs and Admission Requirements

Don't forget to ask about the costs to attend and the basic requirements. You will need to be at least 17 years old for a private license and 18 for a commercial one. You must also be able to read and speak English. Costs vary between $10,000 and $30,000. A lot of this depends on the quality of the school, its instructors, and the type of license you want for your end goal.

Ian James is a certificated pilot. He enjoys blogging about subjects related to his profession for a number of websites. Click the complete flight training solutions link for more information.

The first time I took a passenger, I was flying one of my best friends whom I had blown off plans with a few times due to my rigorous training schedule in the weeks leading up to my check ride. Garrick had been in a general aviation plane before on a skydiving trip, but he hadn’t been in a four-seater like this or been at the controls of the plane. The day we were slated to fly, I had been monitoring the arrival of a cold front moving through the area, and called Garrick at the last minute to tell him the flight was still on. With the short flight I had planned, I felt confident that we could fit it in before the front pushed through the area. We took off and went southwest to Winchester, Virginia (KOKV). As soon as we touched down, I made a split second decision to do a touch and go (which I was used to doing with my instructor because she would raise the flaps for me). That went off without a hitch, and we were on our way back to Frederick in no time.

About halfway home, somewhere over Charlestown, WV, our plane started hitting a few bumps. Before we knew it, we were rocking and rolling all over the place. The front must’ve caught up with us faster than I thought! I thought back to all the times I was told how important it was to keep your passengers calm, and that the best way to do that was appearing calm on the outside. Well, I can tell you that I didn’t feel calm AT ALL! All I was thinking was, “Great, I take my friend flying and then I put us into an invisible whirlpool.” However, I just kept quiet and focused on staying in control of the aircraft. As we got closer to the mountains, I felt a slight sense of relief because I knew the airport was on the other side. At one point, Garrick asked, “Hey, so what do you think we should do Saturday night?” I thought, “Saturday night??!! I just want to make it through the next ten minutes!”  I calmly told him to hold on and that I would discuss plans with him after we were on the ground because I needed to concentrate on my approach into the FDK airspace. After we landed, I took a deep breath and was happy to learn that Garrick had really enjoyed the flight. I enjoyed it, too, because I let him fly for part of it and got to nag him about maintaining his altitude, as my instructor had once done to me.

The next time I took a passenger, I was flying my priest’s niece (try saying that five times fast) and her friend. They were on Spring Break from college and had never been in a small plane. I was thrilled to give them their first flight. They were so excited that they were dancing around wearing big smiles as I was preflighting. We got all set to go, I gave them their passenger briefing, and tuned in to the weather to hear what runway we would be using. Instead, I didn’t hear anything. Confused, I tuned into both ground and tower to see if my radios were working. I still didn’t hear anything. I panicked and started calling my instructor and my boyfriend to see who would pick up first. My boyfriend came out and I shut down the plane so we could work with the radios. He finally just called ground control for a radio check and they replied “loud and clear.” We then learned that the ASOS wasn’t working, so that’s why we couldn’t hear the weather. Additionally, it was just a quiet day at the airport and not many people were flying, hence the silence on the radio. Feeling sort of silly but relieved, I then tried to restart the plane using the hot start procedure. I was having trouble with it, and eventually ended up flooding the engine. I began growing very frustrated and almost thought about scrapping the whole thing. However, these girls were so excited that I knew I needed to make this happen for them. I waited another minute, collected my thoughts, and finally got the engine started. They were practically squealing with delight as we took off, and I was filled with joy that they would always remember taking this flight with me.

I soon got a request from my sister to take her friend DJ flying. He was really interested in aviation and asked me tons of questions as I was preflighting. We were going to fly to York, Pennsylvania (KTHV) for breakfast. It was a beautiful morning, and I had been practicing the route and approach into York so that I would feel very comfortable. It was also the first time my sister was flying with me without another CFI on board. I went to turn the key and the prop didn’t move. “Of course,” I thought. Nothing ever goes right when I try to fly someone. Again, I panicked and called everyone I knew. One instructor thought that the plane was just chilly and needed to warm up. Another said that the starter was wearing out. A third one said that the alternator was failing. I was feeling completely defeated and embarrassed. Meanwhile, DJ and my sister were sitting in the plane wondering what was going on, and I’m sure their nerves were creeping up on them as they wondered whether this plane would be safe to fly if we even got it started. I went ahead and tried one more time, and it started effortlessly. We had a fantastic flight to breakfast and DJ got to fly for part of it, much to his delight. To this day, I’m not sure what the problem was, but I was grateful that we got to follow through with the morning’s plans.

These experiences flying, as frustrating as they were at the time, have taught me so much. In the case with Garrick, I really learned the airplane’s capabilities and how to remain calm even when I felt very uneasy. I can imagine if I had said, “Wow, this is really bad turbulence; I hope everything turns out ok,” he might have started to worry. Instead, I concentrated on the task at hand and got us down safely. Flying the two young ladies also showed me how easily I can check on the radios myself if that should ever happen again. It seems like such a small thing, but I could have avoided a lot of frustration and having to inconvenience others by having to come out to the plane and troubleshoot with me. I also learned that I need to brush up on my warm/hot start procedures. These are a couple of those details that you are required to learn before your check ride, and once that’s over, can fall to the wayside. That also relates to my flight with DJ and my sister, which taught me that there are many situations that can occur within the aircraft systems that can affect something as simple as just turning the prop. If I had been more knowledgeable about those factors, I might have been able to think through the problem myself without dragging so many people into the situation and causing my passengers to worry. As CFI extraordinaire and my friend Jason Schappert says, “A good pilot is always learning.” I realized through all of this that studying procedures and aircraft systems is something I really need to stay current on so that I’m always prepared. They make you learn it in your early training for a reason, and it’s no use to you if you don’t read through it every once in a while.

I do hope to continue giving my friends introductory flights and exposing them to what aviation is all about. Faking it until you make it works in some cases, but when you have peoples’ lives in your hands, faking it won’t always cut it. However, I’m determined to brush up on my skills beyond takeoffs, cruise, and landings so that when I do fly with them, I display more confidence in my actions. But most importantly, I need to do this so that I feel that confidence in myself.  

The first day of the week I flew 5 women. The winds were starting to get gusty and I became concerned about how my first time passengers would take some of the bumps that the gusts created during the flight. On the ground before we took off, I made sure to explain to my passengers how and why the bumps happened. Since the goal of these flights are to share the joy of aviation and build future pilots and friends of the airport, I also let them know that if at any time they felt uncomfortable and were no longer having fun, to let me know right away, so that we could head back to the airport and land. It turns out all 5 women had no problem with the occasional bumps during the flight. We got to fly over the city and near Harper Ferry National Park. They all loved it and left the airport with big smiles. It is a great feeling knowing that you helped add adventure to someone’s day and gave them a new experience. The letters, emails, and photos I’ve received since Women of Aviation Week from our passengers have put a permanent smile on my face and wonderful memories in my heart.

Even though we had to cancel two days of flying because of weather, snow, and winds, overall it looks like the pilots of Frederick Airport flew over 300 girls and women during the week! Even if we don’t win the official “Most Female Friendly Airport” title, I think we did our job and I know we had fun doing it. Another reason why I LOVE being a pilot!

On Saturday, I helped AOPA's President, Craig Fuller, fly women and girls in a Cessna Caravan.

We had perfect flying weather on Saturday. My mom (left) even came out to volunteer.

I'm not going to make you read. It was a spectacular morning.

Mt Diablo looking South East

Concord Airport

Windmill Farms of Contra Costa

Byron Airport

Discovery Bay

Point Edith Wildlife Area

San Francisco Bay

San Pablo Bay, Mt Tamalpais

There's nothing quite like making laps around the Statue of Liberty at 150 miles per hour. Of course, I can't honestly say I felt the wind blowing through my hair, but at 1500 feet the experience is exhilarating enough.

As if flying feet away from the New York City skyline isn't your dream flight, try bringing along a passenger. Better yet, bringing a passenger who never even knew the world of general aviation existed. I think you get the point-- this is a really cool flight. Cool enough that I've flown the Hudson Corridor nine times, and have another flight scheduled for next week.

What flight am I talking about? How was I legally able to get so close to Manhattan high rises? And there must be special airspace keeping me away from the Statue Of Liberty? I'm just a private pilot, and made no special request. The hudson corridor is a pilot's best kept secret-- legal and fun. I fly out of KHPN, or Westchester Country Airport, which is some 20 miles North of New York City. After taking off, I put my nose on a direct course for the Hudson River, which runs North to South feeding into the Atlantic Ocean. Flying southbound, I visually follow the west side of the river and tell Air Traffic Control my intention-- to Lady Liberty and back. I'm given an altitude, and a bunch of traffic warnings, and that's it. New York City is mine...

It's not so simple though. To put it into perspective, it is probably one of the hardest challenges for a private pilot. But, if you know what you're flying into and therefore stay ahead of the plane, the trip becomes a once in a lifetime experience... until next time. Flying the corridor is a privilege, so I'll always plan meticulously before departing on the adventure. Being kind to Air Traffic Control and advising all requests early makes it less stressful for everybody. And, flying with an instructor or experienced pilot the first time is a must. There is no comparison to this flight, so make sure you be safe.

What is it about the corridor that makes it so special? For me, it's not just the challenge, or the breathtaking views, but it's being above everything. Flying is truly the only way to find the forth dimension of our world. Driving through the city, it seems like the traffic never stops and the buildings reach the clouds. It is claustrophobic-- you literally get choked up by shadows. But, being above the city that never sleeps is different; it's majestic to see what man can, and has, achieved. The grid my GPS shows when I need to get to 49th and Broadway opens up into reality. Times square is mobbed by ants, or tourist is their proper title. And the Statue of Liberty, the same Statue that represented America to all the immigrants who believed they were at a place where candy fell from the sky, still stands tall, and reminds me of the freedom I take all too granted every day.

There is more to flying New York City than just the mechanics and postcard pictures, there is emotion to this flight. This is what general aviation is all about; bringing the fun and experience back in travel. Except this flight is not about the destination, it's about the checkpoints getting there. Guess you'll just have to fly on down to understand what I'm talking about...

You know what I love just about as much as flying, if not more? PUPPIES! There is no denying that I have a weak spot for animals, especially dogs. Kittens are also acceptable.

Anyway, I have done a lot of thinking about what my goals as a pilot are. In my last post, I provided an extensive To Do list of additional training that I want to complete. But I don’t plan on spending my entire piloting “side-career” training or flying to lunch. I want to do something, and not for myself, but others. I’ve been granted this wonderful gift, and I can’t think of a better way to enjoy it than giving back. 

At AOPA Summit in October, I met the cutest puppy in the whole world at the Pilots N Paws booth. I instantly fell in love. I was just a student pilot back then—about two months away from my checkride. They asked whether I wanted to get involved and I just kind of looked down and said, “…well, I’d love to, but I’m not a pilot yet.” They were extremely encouraging and gave me a brochure to read over and consider.

Last Friday, I unpacked a box of materials from Summit (can you say procrastinator??) and pulled out the brochure. I decided right then that I was going to get involved and begin contributing to this amazing organization. For those of you that are unfamiliar with Pilots N Paws, they are a non-profit organization and maintain a website that serves as a meeting place for those that rescue, shelter, or foster animals, as well as pilots and aircraft owners that can help with the transportation. Many of the animals that are transported in this program have been abused or are at risk for being euthanized, and the pilots carry them to a new location where they can be placed in loving homes. They have a message board where all of the coordinating is done between the volunteers.

I started poking around on the site and then remembered that a coworker, who also owns a Piper Arrow, is a regular contributor on missions. After chatting with him for about ten minutes, I asked him to consider bringing a copilot on his next mission. Coincidentally, he had one scheduled for that Sunday. I told him I was definitely in.

We were slated to transport four puppies (to me, all dogs are puppies, and they will henceforth be referred to as such) to Schenectady, NY. Their day had actually started in Knoxville, TN. Dan and Ann were 4 month old beagle/hound mixes, Clair was a 1 year old Aussie, and Zeus was a 3 month old Catahoula. It would be the third and final leg of the day, so I’m sure the initial excitement had worn off by the time we got them. They were very energetic puppies and didn’t seem too keen on going back in the crate, but we managed to get them in.

We flew a DA-40, so space was limited. I’m working on getting checked out in this plane, so aside from the takeoffs and landings, I stayed on the controls. The flight was beautiful and completely silent for two full hours. All four puppies had fallen asleep.

When we arrived at Schenectady, the shelter volunteers enthusiastically bolted out of the FBO to greet us (ok – they were probably more interested in the puppies). They loved them as much as we did, and I was sad to think about parting with them after sharing this experience. However, I knew that they would be going to good, loving homes. After meeting these sweet puppies, it was unfathomable to even think about their fate had they remained in Knoxville. For instance, I learned that Clair was found in a burlap sack with her puppies. Even still, she is one of the most gentle and sweet animals that I have ever met, and the family that adopts her is going to love her.

I’ve been searching a long time for a volunteer opportunity that is fulfilling and fun at the same time, and I couldn’t think of a better combination of those than flying animals in need. As I gain more experience, I’d like to expand my contributions to include flying wounded warriors or those in medical need. Those organizations require (for good reason) quite a bit more experience and have more stringent requirements. It might motivate me to actually get my commercial pilot certificate, because that will even further enhance my skills and ability to take part in more missions. In the meantime, I’m going to start looking for additional Pilots N Paws missions that are on a smaller scale and possibly more local while I’m getting my feet wet.

And now when people ask who I fly for, I can tell them that I fly for animals in need— an answer that I’m proud of and should still manage to impress them.

About a month ago, my instructor informed me she had a date in mind for my checkride. Then reality set in. I had exactly 3.5 weeks to prepare, and the thought terrified me. I hadn’t yet flown my full 10 hours of solo time that is required, hadn’t had many successful short and soft field takeoffs and landings, nor had I practiced crosswind landings on more than one occasion.

My biggest concern, however, was preparing for my oral exam, which would be a 1-2 hour quizzing session right before my actual flight test. We started with one hour study sessions before work, covering a new set of topics every day. I could get the information to stick for one day, but didn’t feel that I was retaining a whole lot. 

As the checkride date grew closer, we started scheduling flights for every weekday, as well as some weekend work. I was getting tired. Really tired. My friends started noticing that I was always on edge, and I seemed to be completely consumed by the fact that a year’s worth of hard work was going to come down to one day of testing. To make matters worse, I knew it was coming right before Christmas, and I feared that a poor outcome would make for a very depressing holiday season.

My checkride was scheduled for Thursday, December 13^th. The Friday before, I had a practice oral exam, which mainly centered around the DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA), the procedures for which I had mostly forgotten. The next day, we did the practice flight. We went out, did some maneuvers, and simulated instrument work and an engine-out. We had to divert to a nearby airport, which I didn’t have the frequency for. When we finally got back on the ground, the instructor evaluating me asked how I thought I had done. I looked him dead in the eye and immediately blurted out, “I hated it. I did terribly. I was uncomfortable. I want to delay my checkride.”

He kind of smiled and after giving me a short debrief, told me I did fine and that I was ready. I didn’t believe him but I figured I had at least a few more days to prep and I just needed to get this thing over with. To make matters worse, I had gotten sick over the previous few days, and seriously considered delaying my checkride on that basis, although that would’ve been a cover for the fact that I just truly didn’t feel ready.

The week of my checkride, my instructor and I studied for the oral exam twice a day and flew each day. I was basically at my wits end and was seriously hoping I was going to enjoy aviation after receiving my pilot certificate. I wasn’t sleeping at night, but even if I managed to fall asleep for five minutes here and there, I was having nightmares about my upcoming tests. My instructor had to constantly remind me that I had been consistently flying within Practical Test Standards.

My checkride was scheduled for 9:30 am, and I wanted to sit down with my instructor beforehand to look over my flight plan. I was supposed to plan a flight to Lancaster, PA (LNS), then to Cumberland, MD (CBE), and back to Frederick. I woke up at 5 am, feeling super tired and groggy, but after a cup of coffee or two and a few words of encouragement from my instructor, we headed out to preflight. The second I got to the plane, a huge sense of relief came over me. We taxied over to the flight school where I was taking my test and I input the flight plan into the GPS.

When I got inside, I saw the examiner, whom I had met the week before. I was really glad I had done that because it made me feel at lot more comfortable. I sat down in her office with my instructor while she went over the maintenance records and my logbook entries to ensure that I was indeed qualified to take the practical test. At one point, I realized I hadn’t gone over the National Transportation Safety Board regulations recently, so I inconspicuously took out my FAR/AIM and breezed over it while the examiner continued looking over the maintenance records. The last step before my instructor left was handing over my $400 in cash. That suddenly made the whole thing seem real.

My instructor got up, wished me good luck, and left the flight school. Before I realized what was going on, we were in the midst of the oral exam. I looked over at her list, which was a full page long of different topics typed in tiny font. I thought, “are you kidding me? This is going to take forever!” We covered spin recovery procedures, ground reference maneuvers (because it was a relatively calm day outside), obstacle clearances, special flight permits, Land and Hold Short Operations, airport signage, weather requirements, and more. I watched her check off item after item and before I knew it, she said, “ok let’s take a break and go flying.” I couldn’t believe it! There was so much more that I had fretted over and drilled into my head that we didn’t even cover! I suppose it’s like that for everyone, though. You never know which mix of questions you’re going to get asked, so you need to be prepared for everything.

What made the test the most comfortable was how my examiner would mention a topic and ask me what I could tell her about it. Then, she would ask me questions based on what I said. I never had to recite regulations perfectly verbatim. She wanted to make sure I understood the rules, and if I was unsure about something, tell her where I could find it. She also could tell when I didn’t understand a question and had no problem clarifying what she was really asking. Half of the test down—half to go.

I went out to preflight again and also called flight service to get an updated weather briefing. I knew that I wouldn’t end up needing the weather information for LNS or CBE, but I wanted to be prepared in case she asked me. She got in and got settled while I finished preflighting.

I finally hopped inside, put my seatbelt on, and closed to door, only to see that I had left the GATS jar on top of the cowling. Good move, Kristen. I retrieved it, started the plane up, and listened to the ATIS. “…arriving and departing runway 5.” Runway 5?? I hadn’t used that runway in months! I could barely remember which taxiways would get me there. The winds were only at three knots, so I had fully anticipated using my trusty runway 23. Runway 5 has a right traffic pattern, and it’s always been harder for me to maintain a tight pattern using right traffic. Oh, well…onward and upward.

We simulated a short field takeoff and had just barely made it to my first checkpoint when she said, “Ok, my airplane. You can put your hood on now.” After a little bit of simulated instrument work, we went over the other maneuvers I anticipated: slow flight, compass turns, an emergency descent, and power off and power on stalls. My left steep turn was unimpressive from my perspective, and my right one was perfect. That was, by the way, the opposite of what has happened while practicing those on any previous flight. I asked her if she wanted me to do the left one again, but she said it was fine.

She asked me to divert us to Hagerstown (HGR), to which I told her that we could not do that, because it would take us through Prohibited Area 40 (aka Camp David). I was ready to get a diversion for which I had to calculate a new time en route and fuel burn, but I didn’t end up having to. She then asked me to turn 180 degrees to Carroll County Airport (DMW). All I could think was, “Thank goodness my mock checkride instructor had me divert there.” Fortunately, I had already printed out the Airport/Facility Directory entry for DMW, so I entered the frequency and announced my position when entering the pattern. As soon as we were downwind, she pulled my engine, and I went over my engine-out procedures. We made one landing, which she said was soft enough to count as a soft field landing. We took off again and she told me to head back to Frederick. On the way back, she asked me to show her a forward slip. Piece of cake.

At one point, she offered me a mint. Was this a trick to distract me? I wasn’t sure but I really wanted the mint, and I somehow managed to unwrap the mint with one hand on the control wheel and maintained my altitude and heading.

We got back to the airport, I showed her a short field landing, and the tower instructed us to taxi back to the ramp. I turned to her and asked if I was supposed to comply or if she wanted me to taxi back to perform any more takeoffs or landings. She told me that taxiing back to the ramp would be fine. I suddenly realized that this whole ordeal was about to be over, as long as I didn’t screw up taxiing back to the ramp and parking.

I finally shut the plane down and after about two seconds went by (that felt like 20 seconds), she turned to me with her hand extended and said, “Congratulations.” That was it. I was done. I had just become a pilot! The sense of relief I felt was astonishing. Tears were welling up in my eyes. She told me she would head back inside and start the paperwork while I finished securing the plane. I hopped out and heard a familiar voice; one of my coworkers was also out on the ramp. He captured this picture right after my checkride.

My instructor came to meet me at the flight school and we sat together with the examiner while she printed out my temporary pilot certificate. They made small talk while I sat in a daze, unable to comprehend what had happened over the past few hours. When my instructor and I got out to the plane, she asked me if I wanted to taxi us back to the AOPA ramp. “Nope,” I replied. Although, I did end up taxiing us back over once I got in the pilot’s seat and my instincts kicked in.

The rest of the day was a blur of congratulatory remarks and trying to catch up on work I had been putting off while I was in the heat of my flight training. Since then, I’ve been asked about 50 times when I’m going to start on my instrument rating. Instrument training is definitely on my To Do list, but I’m looking forward to taking a breather and just enjoying being a private pilot for a little bit. I was recently asked if I plan on flying with an instructor any time soon. While it is really nice to know that I don’t have to deal with scheduling and always flying with someone whose job is to constantly critique me, I have a couple things that I really want to practice more. One of them is flying at night. I met my requirements for night training, but I never soloed at night, so I don’t feel that I am quite up to par. I also want to practice flying near max capacity, so that when I take friends flying, I’ll have a better feel for the performance of the plane with extra weight.

The biggest thing I want to focus on right now is finding a balance in my life again between work, flying, and my personal life. I am the type of person that puts everything on hold when I’m working toward something, and I became completely consumed with training. Did I need to do that? No. But I knew that the checkride was a momentous occasion when one person would decide my competency to pilot an aircraft whenever I wanted, not when my instructor was endorsing me to solo somewhere. And I realized it’s not just about someone saying “yes” or “no,” it’s about knowing that in case of an emergency, you know how to handle yourself and the aircraft. There will be no more instructors there to bail me out if something goes wrong, or answer my questions if I’m unsure of something. But finally having my pilot certificate has actually motivated me to learn more about my airplane, rather than focusing on performing maneuvers that I may never have to perform again.

If there’s any advice that I can give to future pilots, it would be to CALM DOWN during the time leading up to your checkride. The intensity of your flight training during that time is only to over-prepare you for the actual thing. People keep asking me whether the test was hard or stressful, and I haven’t been able to say it was that difficult. That has nothing to do with my examiner being easy on me; it has everything to do with awesome instructors wanting me to make sure I knew what I needed to know, not just enough to pass a test.

I’m not really sure where I’m going to go from here, yet, but I’m super pumped to share my new adventures with all of you. Standby! -Kristen

As a follow-up to my last post, I though that you might enjoy seeing the video that covers Deadly's first flight.  Click on the image above and enjoy!

My Flight Training Story

Greetings - I am high-time student working towards a private pilot license. Like many people, I have had to endure many obstacles and have had to postpone or delay my training numerous times. Mostly I have trained in Cessna 172 aircraft, spent some time in Piper Cherokee and Archer aircraft, and even flew Schweizer sailplanes as part of my primary training. 

My obstacles were many: Lots of travel time for work, building a new home, adoption of children, financial issues, working abroad, weather, even a plane incident that destroyed my primary trainer. Presently, I fly with a flying club based in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Here is my story.

I completed my first solo in Fall of 2010, after studying on and off for years, and even spending time in gliders at a soaring club. I always expected I would fly solo in a glider - but it turned out that I first flew solo in a good-old Cessna 172. Not that there is anything wrong with the other aircraft - however, years of halting and restarting my training and moving around to different training platforms compounded my challenges to achieving solo status. Though it was good to get a perspective for flying different kinds of aircraft - high-wing vs. low-wing, powered vs. non-powered, if I had it all to do again, and my recommendation to anyone else is to find the ONE platform that works best and master it first. Only after earning your ticket should you spend significant time in another type or category of aircraft. If you have to suspend your training, always return to the same type you previously trained in. It saves MANY hours, although having the "holistic" experience may offer its benefits in the long run.

When I completed my solo, I was wearing the t-shirt given to me by the AOPA’s MyFlightTraining program (www.myft.org), meant to encourage student retention in flight training. The shirt came in handy, as it featured dotted "cut" lines on the tail of the shirt, and my instructor cheerfully cut off the tail (following the orange lines!) and it has since been framed in a case with a model of a 172.

Well, it was winter in the Northeast, and although I managed to schedule some longer flights with my instructor and then some solo flying, after January 1st, 2011 I did little flying.

At first it was that the weather did not cooperate. After all, it was winter in the Northeast and challenges like snow, icing, low ceilings accompanied by wind howling over terrain tend to be counter-indicative of flight training.

During the same winter of 2011, I lost my job and encountered financial issues. Recovery was quick, but the job I had found was in Singapore. This definitely put a hiatus to my flight-training. Not that flight-training was non-existent in Singapore - but hard to accomplish. I could write a book about user fees and their consequences after looking into flight training in Singapore. In a nutshell, every flight is treated like a commercial flight, you pay user fees, and it is very expensive. Then again, everything is expensive in Singapore. Clearly, not every nation offers the freedom and accessibility of flight as we enjoy here in the states!

Finally in June 2011 I returned stateside.

I re-learned how to land my trusty Cessna 172M and proceeded with a dual cross country trip. That trip turned out to be the last x-c trip and the last successful landing for that aircraft - two days later there was an accident and the airplane was totaled. I was very upset, and even cried, but two weeks later I was flying in a Piper Archer. Soon after, I was doing air work in the Archer, more dual x-c work, and preparing to solo.

 I found the transition from a high-wing Cessna 172 to a low-wing Piper Archer to be challenging, and with money tight, I decided to look for something else.

Eventually, I joined a flight club. I belong to Grasshoppers Flying Club in Poughkeepsie, and I fly out of KPOU. I was lucky to find a flight club that trains student pilots. I also belong to the Poughkeepsie Pilots Association, and once served as a board member.

 I finally re-soloed again on August 30, 2012.  I was delighted!!

Since then, I've been flying for about ten hours - at first just around a 25 mile radius, and later during solo x-c work. I have also begun an introduction to night flying, and hope to brush up my air work to prepare for the private pilot check ride. Question is: Can I realistically complete it by year's end?? That has been my question for the longest time - and I have since decided that like the rest of my training, I will move to the next level when I am ready. I take each step and each mission with careful consideration, and put the emphasis on quality - not on quantity of hours or on meeting an arbitrary deadline. This has proven to be effective for me - it removes "pressure" to achieve the next level, it affords me the opportunity to be flexible, and it allows me to begin to think of my checkride and the day I finally "earn my ticket." 

Why I choose to train with a flying club.

Belonging to a flight club, and completing my primary training as a club member has worked well for me, and has certain advantages. It gave me the opportunity to do some dual cross country work (the type that I probably would miss the opportunity at a formal flight school). One day this past summer, the Cessna Pilot's Society was hosting their annual meeting at our airport (Poughkeepsie). They organized a "fly out" to Montauk, New York.

I flew over water to the event at Montauk Point, New York State's eastern-most airport (MTP). It was a beautiful beach-side landing. It was quite the thrill, and reminded me of landing in the Caribbean!

Later that summer, I flew on another dual x-c trip to Cape May, NJ. I had the company of my 11-year son in the backseat, and we met up with family in Cape May to enjoy a weekend on the Jersey Shore and a half-marathon race. (There is a trend here - cross-country flying to beach destinations - I wonder where the next "exotic" destination will be??) The Cape May trip took me through Class-B airspace in the New York City area, and cruising at 6,500 feet; I was impressed the by the sight of large commercial airliners passing BELOW me!!

 We have had a lot of interesting aviation experiences here at Poughkeepsie. From the unfortunate crash in June 2011, to a dramatic engine-out landing in a Piper Arrow on the way back from an Angel Flight in Martha's Vineyard (which resulted in no damage, no injuries!), to our first airport open-house in 2012, to hosting the annual convention of the Cessna Pilot's Society.

Words of wisdom.

I think I can honestly say that I have had virtually every obstacle in my training - financial, family, work/travel, destruction of aircraft...

... yet somehow I keep trying.

I am a high time student with about 145 hours (including solo and x-c time, and 19 hours in a glider), but I hope to complete my check ride early in 2013, or even possibly in late December 2012. But more importantly, I aim to complete my check-ride when I am READY...

...and then, perhaps I will move onto my glider rating, earn an instrument (IFR) rating, and finally master the elusive art of driving a low-wing aircraft.

One day, I hope to fly search-and-rescue missions for CAP, and participate in the Pilots-n-Paws, PALS, and Angel Flight programs. Maybe one day I will even be an instructor? One day, one day...

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About David Gianna
David works in the field of Information Security. He is a Senior Manager at Protiviti. David is also an adjunct professor and teaches information security in the online Graduate Cyber Security program at University of Maryland University College. David is married and has a son and a daughter, is a Senior Member of Civil Air Patrol, serves as Avionics Officer on the board of the Grasshopper Flying Club in Poughkeepsie, NY, and has been trying to earn his private pilot license in both powered aircraft and in sailplanes (gliders). David holds an MBA and an MS in Computer Science from Marist College, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology. David was born in New York City and currently lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York State.

All pilots and prospective pilots remember the excitement of the first time they got to take the control of an airplane in flight. I recall my "Discovery Flight" when, passing through 1000 feet, the instructor sitting next to me said, "why don't you hold the stick and make a turn to the right." What a student does in this situation says so much about the pilot they will become, even if the whole moment happens subtly. I grabbed the stick with a tight grip, gave it a quick snap to the right, and put the plane in an instant 30 degree bank. Of course, as a novice, the Instructor gave me a, "Whoa there, no need for so much pressure on the control, try doing it gentle like this" as he demonstrated a boring slight bank angle. However, gentle was his style of flying. And not mine. When I am the pilot, I fly the way I want to fly, safely. I want to keep my blood pumping and make every moment exciting, as I'll have plenty of time to relax on the ground.

Whether you enjoy stomach-wrenching climbs or uneventful straight and level cruise, at some point you'll have to successfully master the art of maneuvering your bird. No generic syllabus will spell out exactly when you must learn how to make a "steep turn", but this  maneuver is required on your Private Pilot Practical Checkride. And if you have to learn how to roll over 45 degree's, maintain altitude, and look outside, why not have fun with it? I, like most pilots, had some motion sickness when flying the most unusual ways possible at first, but through resistance and repeated practice, I became the pilot I am today-- a maneuvering champion.

I don't feel it would do justice if I attempted to explain the various maneuvers students will have to learn for their checkride. That is what you pay your flight instructor for. However, it always helps to watch a fellow pilot and pick up a few tips, which is why I encourage that, whether a student or pro, you spend 15 minutes and watch the video I have uploaded below.

But first let me explain a few things:

1) I do 5 maneuvers in this order: 2 steep turns, a emergency decent, turn around a point, and S turns over a line. Before any maneuver I do a flow checklist and a set of clearing turns. The clearing turns are necessary, you must do these before any maneuver on your checkride. The checklist is smart. It might seem illogical at first to confirm doors are closed (the first item on my pre-maneuver flow), but getting into the rhythm and situating the cockpit will ensure you stay ahead of the plane every time.

2) I am not a perfect pilot. I'm not even an instructor, just a proficient private pilot. Don't copy what I do, learn from what I do. For various reasons I do a maneuver proficiency flight every few months. The single flight keeps my skills fresh, allows me to see where I am rusty, and means I won't need to stress when the annual proficiency flight required by my flight school for all renters sneaks onto my schedule. Look for things I do wrong; I can spot a number of slight failures on my part, like the fact that I spend too much time looking down at my avionics. Learn, we can all learn. If you take something away from this video, I have accomplished my goal.

3) Notice what I do and don't do. I thought through every action I took in this video during my pre-flight planning. Notice I don't practice any stalls.  When I practice stalls, I prefer to do it with another pilot, or instructor in my case. I still fly with an instructor once a month for proficiency.  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXIuAKVjyaY&feature=g-crec-u

 Hope you enjoy the video. My advice: make the most of all your flying-- including your very first maneuver. If  it isn't your style, there is no need to fly gently on your checkride. You have margins of error that you must stay between for a checkride. Control the plane, stay ahead of the plane, and have fun with the maneuvers! Please check out my up-and-coming website and my various social media outlets.  I plan to do future google hangouts where I can answer you're questions live, so stay tuned. Cheers!