Advice for Student Pilots – Top 10 List

[Dave Blake]

1. You will not land perfectly every time. In fact, you’re going to have bad landings. It’s OK. Everyone goes through it. Don’t give up.

2. Pull back, houses get smaller. Push forward, houses get bigger.

3.The plane will fly without you touching it. When you find yourself jerking the controls trying to get it to fly straight and level, try letting everything go (with an instructor sitting next to you). You’ll be surprised how nicely the airplane can fly without human interference.

4. If flying were easy, everyone would do it. You’ll get it, but not overnight.

5. Immerse yourself in aviation. Spend time hanging out at the airport. Talk to other pilots and listen to their advice. We’ve all been there.

6. Listen to the CTAF or Tower frequencies while flight planning. Hearing other pilots make mistakes on the radio will help keep you from making the same mistakes.

7. Just because you haven’t vomited in an airplane yet doesn’t mean you won’t. Carry sic-sacs. If not for you, for your passengers.

8. Don’t force the airplane on the ground. Eventually, it will come down.

9. Bored with turns around a point? Fly to grab a meal somewhere. Finding utility in aviation will make training much more fun.

10. Start watching the movies Airplane and Top Gun repeatedly. When other pilots throw out a movie quote, you need to be prepared to either complete it, or trump it with another one.

[peterom]

These were great! If I only saw this when I was a Student Pilot.

[Dave Blake]

Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Surely you can't be serious.
I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.

[chriszdc]

hahahaha, nice ones

As a former Air Traffic Controller that has helped dozens of lost pilots.

File that VFR flight plan and activate it!

Get VFR flight following from ATC, some controllers find it a pain, but I always preferred to talk to them so I know what you are doing. We can keep you out of restricted/prohibited airspace and help you see traffic. Also keep you away from the heavies descending into their destination.

If you are lost, call for help on the radio. Hopefully you followed the rule above, if not, use guard 121.5. If you are lost, it IS an emergency. Take a deep breath, always fly the airplane, look for significant landmarks, always fly the airplane, ask air traffic for help! More than once I had the VFR sectional out talking a pilot to a small airport in eastern North Carolina. Do you see the 2 lane road off the left? Follow that west, airport is on the right

Oh, and always fly the airplane!