One Rating Down!

[rollthbns]

Well, I finally took my private chekride yesterday after 5 months and 70 hours of flight time and passed! I was DREADING the check ride, as I do most "tests", but it turned out to possibly be the most fun I have had in a helicopter to date! I learned an awful lot too.

 

That brings me to an issue i would love to get some advice on. To be totally up front, I still dont feel like I am qualified to be licensed, or to be flying solo. I feel like there is so much that I dont know. Anyone else feel like that after getting your initial rating? After your first solo? Dont get me wrong, I am enjoying every last minute of my training, and I might even be addicted to it. Anyway, its good to have the first rating done, and now I can take my license to learn and work hard on the next step.

 

Be Safe!

[doanut99]

Congrats man! I can't wait till i get mine....

[gmsemel]

Good for you on gaining your private pilot's certificate, here's is what you do about the other thing, go and fly someplace by yourself. It don't have to be a long flight, but just go and do it. Back when I learned how to fly, I started out in airplanes the first flight I did after gaining my Private Pilot Certificate was I took an airplane, and I when out to Nantucket and got myself a lobster Dinner. Didn't have an more questions about ability to fly after that. So go find an spot where you can get some lunch or dinner.

Edited June 6, 2007 by gmsemel

[TheLorax]

gmsemel,

 

nantucket is a nice place. im sure the lobster was second to none. did you fly with floats on your plane? when i get my license id love to fly a helicopter over to nantucket and stop by Something Natural and grab a sub... with floats of course.

[clay]

CONGRATS!!!!

[heligirl03]

I just had this conversation with my instructor literally yesterday, while he was giving me all the solo endorsements. I have been studying like crazy for my PPL written to get that out of the way, and I feel the same. Like I have to know next to nothing to get a PPL. I'm not saying it's not a lot of stuff to know, but it just doesn't seem like enough to let me out there alone! I can't think on the fly yet!! How can anyone fly safely with just a PPL if I have another 100hrs to go before I can be paid for it??? So I asked two people. My instructor said of course you're not crazy, you'll probably be a smarter pilot for thinking that way. Then he said, how well do you think you could drive with 60hrs under your belt? Right. So give yourself the time it takes and have faith that your confidence will grow along with it. Then I asked my friend who is an employed helo pilot (but only about 1500hrs so he remember what it's like to be riding the learning curve) if I am just supposed to rely on training and muscle memory?!?! B/c I most definitely will not be able to think through a solution AND fly in any sort of emergency yet. He said of course, at this point that's all you have. You have so much more to learn, just get done with the PPL stepping stone and then get into the real CPL meat of how that thing works and what it can do and where and why and soon you'll have 150hrs and be moving on to your CFI.

 

Yikes. I'm glad I'm not the only one out there feelin' the heat!

 

BTW, I'm definitely addicted and I love every minute of it too.

Edited June 6, 2007 by heligirl03

[jmerryman]

Congrats! The helicopter checkride is my next big milestone.

 

Your story reminds me of my checkride for my fixed wing private - I ended up taking a few trips, learning a lot from each, and gaining a lot of confidence in my ability to fly safely (within conservative personal limits).

 

Enjoy!

[Dan Jones]

Nice Job!

[Tenacious T]

Gratz, rollthbnz!

I'm in the same boat, got my PPL 2 weeks ago at 70 hours and felt amazed that I had a license to fly at this point. I've flown 10 more hours since then including long solos and night solos and every flight builds confidence that I am growing as a pilot. To me getting the PPL felt like I was moving past trying to grasp the essentials and actually beginning to learn to be a pilot. In the meantime instrument training is the new challenge and I am trying to fly as much as possible to get those commercial requirements done.

[Goldy]

B/c I most definitely will not be able to think through a solution AND fly in any sort of emergency yet.

 

 

H Girl- you should be comfortable with throttle chops ( ok, maybe throttle REDUCTIONS in a 22)...so much so that you enter the auto immediately and get the attitude correct for the auto...from there you can probably wrinkle the bird and still walk away. But you are on your own in that bird, gotta think thru every possible scenario and what you would ( should) do.

 

Good luck on your training, Goldy

[betr_thn_Icarus]

I just passed mine as well. I took it in a Bell 47. After flying four R22's, a Schweitzer 300 then a Bell 47. I passed with instruction from Sean at Gunner Aviation. I had a lot of issues with my previous school HSH. Good to finally get this big step out of the way. I'm on to Florida to Join up with the gang from Tomlinson Aviation.

 

-betr_thn_icarus