7 Advices for Student Pilots
Whether you have started your flights or you are just in the beginning of your training, we think that there is no ‘too much’ for helping. And when it comes to flight training helping is our passion. Here are 7 advices that can be helpful for any student pilot from all around the world.
1- Learn on the Ground Before You Fly
Usually student pilots focus on flying when it comes to learning and don’t realize how much they could learn while not flying. If you try to learn only while only while flying it will cost you more since you need to fly more than enough so it has also an economical affect. Reading flight training articles, watching training videos can be accepted as ground training but most important and effective ground lesson is the debriefing done with the instructor after the flight training.
When you do a mistake while flying it is better to talk about it on the ground since you have limited time while flying. Learn and study on the ground and then apply what you have learned in the air, you will see yourself performing better. It never hurts to bring your checklist home to study on it.
2- Weather Information Before Each Flight
A large percentage of fatal aircraft accidents are caused by weather conditions. A pilot ignoring the weather briefing or even seeing the weather briefing but attempting the flight anyway can be deadly. Therefore, you should always see what the weather will be like after you take of and before you land on each flight. You may think that you will not get away from the airport and weather will not be a problem but you still need to get information about the weather. The reason for this is, the weather briefing will also get you information about the NOTAMs. If you don’t want a fighter jet rocking it’s wings outside of your window you should care about NOTAMs.
3- Know Your Charts
Charts may seem old school or unnecessary since we have phones that can show a terrain type of a field 1000 mile away but don’t forget that a battery can die anytime. There is nothing you can trust but an old-fashioned paper chart when your phone shuts off so it is important to know how to use a chart.
By knowing the chart, we don’t mean memorizing a huge chart of a country inch by inch. Prior to your flight or just a day before, draw a line that represents you planned flight path on your chart, but don’t forget to do it with an erasable pen. After seeing where will you fly on the chart try to learn what will you see along the flight but using only the chart. That way you won’t get lost even if your phone dies or your aircraft’s GPS shuts off unexpectedly. Also, don’t forget that on your check ride you will be responsible for direction finding on a chart.
4- Don’t Fly Low if You Don’t Know How To
For some students there is a temptation to fly low. Objects passing by and ground flowing under your aircraft may feel faster and crazy, we understand your passion but it is extremely dangerous to fly too low and legally prohibited, as you will know from the Air Law lessons.
Next time you want to get closer with the ground you should remember that there are considerable numbers of accidents that could have been avoided if the pilot didn’t fly low and choose to fly higher. We know that showing off to the people on the ground can be fun but the best pilot is the one who lives longer. There fore study your chart properly and learn the possible height you can descent without landing.
5- Know Your Aircraft
By knowing your aircraft it doesn’t mean to have an emotional bonding with it. It means that if something goes wrong, you should know where are the required buttons or levers. During an emergency a student pilot’s memory can get complicated in seconds. It can be hard to find even the throttle lever in such situations.
In order to get familiar with the cockpit of your aircraft you can take a photo of the cockpit or in some flight schools it is already given to the students. If not, you can always ask your flight school for it. When it comes to the outside of the aircraft you should know where to look for distortions or deflects. Imagine looking to a hinge every day before each flight. You will see easier if there is a missing screw easily.
6- Don’t Trust Anybody When It Comes To Pre-Flight Check
Imagine coming to your aircraft after another student parked it. The student told you that he or she did the pre-flight checks and everything is good. You thanked him or her and jumped to the seat and started the engine. After taking of you saw the oil temperature is rising and pressure is falling. You will regret thanking that student.
Pre-flight checks are in your responsibility and you are the one who should do it.
The question ‘what if?’ must be always in your mind. Even if your flight instructor says he or she checked the oil and closed the oil cap you should check it again. After all you have only one life and you don’t want to lose it just because someone forgot to close a simple lid.
7- Don’t Forget Flying is not Easy
Humans are not evolved to fly and therefore flying is not an easy task for us. If it was easy everyone could do it but only a small percentage of human population have the privilege of flying with an aircraft. You may feel frustrated and feel like giving up after a bad landing. Don’t forget that if the aircraft can fly again and everyone is alive, it was a good landing. You will get better and better in each flight but not in a day. It’s good to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day.
