Super D

Figured this would be a good place to ask versus AOPA, piper owners society, etc.

I'm a student pilot, I own a cherokee 140/160 ram N4335T. I'm self employed and can fly fairly regularly. I currently have ~12 hours PIC,~40 TO and landings, and have soloed.

Here's my question, once I was soloed(twice supervised), shouldnt I be able to fly the pattern and/or stay within 25 miles of my home airport? Of course assuming nice VFR conditions ?

My CFI doesnt want me building too much solo time. I currently only have 1.8 hrs solo .

The big picture is my CFI is a retired 67 year old great instructor, owns a small FBO, is also an A&P, and some limited charter flights. He has another student similar to me and after one year has just started cross countries. I dont want it to take a year but it seems that the direction I'm headed because he is so busy.

When I know the weather is decent I'll call him and he says he's busy, then when I stop by the FBO hes napping [&o]. I actually dont blame him at 67 years old but its aggrevating for me. A conservative estimate of cancelled flight sessions is at least 10 times.

He's got 30000+ hours mostly for P.H.I.(petroleum helicopters inc.) no doubt a good instructor and person. Flying is becoming a drag when I want to go fly and cant because he's busy and he doesnt want me building too much solo time. I enjoy flying and want to get my private certificate, and later my instrument rating.

Should I stick with the only instructor close to me or look for other options?
One option is tyler pounds KTYR 25 miles from me with several instructors.

Thanks for any guidance
Dylan

TerryW

Here's how I see it.
You should be able to progress as fast as your abilities let you. If you are ready for cross countries then you should be able to do them. I don't know why anyone would want you to take a year or not want you to build solo time. The only, and I mean only reason I could think that he would discourage you from building solo time is, you develope a mood to go play instead of working on manuevers etc. which is what you do when going out flying solo.
I would sit him down and set up a schedule of a sorts with him, if the weather is bad on your scheduled day then he shoud be able to go another day within a time frame. CFI's are a different breed so to speak, one yells louder than another, or one is more reliable than another, more enthusiastic than another, and so on, you'll never find the perfect instructor. My instructor was good at teaching manuevers and doing the real flying, but terrible at any book teaching, everything I learned for my written I basically had to do on my own, so ground school was almost non-existance.
I'm a gonna say that when your instructors ways do not meet your expectations, then you will have to make a descision as if you want to keep on with this one, not everything is a perfect match. Hopefully someone else will post on this one with a different opinion. )

Ercoupe N99879

I tend to agree with Terry, but personally, I'd find another instructor.The ones I have ever dealt with
try and move you through the program as quickly as you are capable.As far as book work, I highly recommend
getting a copy of Rod Machado's Private Pilot manual, and the accompanying workbook.
Rod writes a column in AOPA every month. I know him personally, and you might want to contact him
and get his opinion, but I'll tell you straight out, he'll tell you to find another instructor or try several
different instructors until you find one you like.
And as far as this instructor you are using now, I'd quit working with him in a heartbeat!
He can make better money working on aircraft, and he sounds like he really isn't interested in you, and only
instructs you at his convenience.
For example, I know a guy here who got his private ticket in two weeks, and got his instrument rating a month later.
Had his commercial inside of six months.
Good luck to you.

Super D

Thankyou all so much, I have found 2 other instructors about 25 miles away. The one I chose said he'd work with me to fly over to his airport with ATC, then I could just fly to him and do a lesson. Dual time and PIC, back on the right track.

I really should have seen "the writing on the wall". When I bought my plane it needed and annual, he knew the plane, and didnt require any parts, but took 3 1/2 weeks.

Ercoupe N99879

3 1/2 weeks for an annual?
I could take my Ercoupe apart, put it back together again twice and have it annualed at least twice in that amount of time!
Depending on the airplane, and its complexities, I've seen annuals that take 3 to 4 days, but 3 1/2 weeks? What was this guy doing?
Even if you have to deal with ATC at an airport, that in itself is really a good thing to learn early on about.
I have a buddy I see a lot at the airport,( he's in the hangar directly behind me) and he's an ATC and we help each other with our airplanes. When doing so , he runs me through "mock ATC" drills.
he talks to me like I'm approaching or departing the airport he works at.
It keeps me on my toes.

Ed

TerryW

BTW, when you start using ATC, make sure you have a small pad of paper to write their instructions on, and tell them your a Student so they don't talk so fast !! lol The seasoned veterans can get it without much problem, but when your starting out it will rattle ya at first. Don't worry about getting rattled it happens to everyone, and if your not sure what they said, tell them real slow that your hear as fast as you talk !!
I was at South Bend Ind one time and called the tower to request start up and taxi instructions for take off. He rattled them off, and said to change freq. to clearance delivery. I sat there with my instructor and said "what did he say" He said to ask him to repeat it, (all the time laughing at me) So I called again and the tower fella yelled and asked why was I still on this channel, I told him I had a distraction in the cockpit, he repeated and I wrote it down this time and then went merrily on my way, I did want to invite the tower guy down to the bottom of the stairs for a friendly meeting, but felt better anyway knowing I didn't have to talk with him anymore anyway.
Get that ticket, it'll be the proudest day of your life, it won't be givin to you, you'll have earned it !!!! )

Ercoupe N99879

Terry's correct, If you don't understand ATC the first time, like Terry said, tell them you're a student.You'll often find ATC guys that also fly and they were a student at one time also!
Just remember this
And a pencil and pad is a very handy thing to have with you.

Tell them WHO YOU ARE ( Aircraft type and N number) in your case 'Cherokee 4-3-3-5-Tango"

Tell them WHERE YOU ARE ( approximate position on ground) or in the air, and if in the air, your heading, and altitude

Such as the "Ft Wayne tower, Ercoupe 99879"----then wait for a reply---THEN your heading and altitude

THEN- TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT

such as---


"Ercoupe 99879 heading 160, 20 miles north of Ft Wayne at 3,500, I would like to transition your air space enroute to Versailles Ohio,
I DO NOT have a transponder--- then wait for a reply
If you do have a transponder, they'll assign a squawk frequency to you.
In my case , sometimes they say yes, and other times they tell me to go around the ARSA.( 20 mile radius ring around the airport)

After you copy their instructions, send a short transmission back to them, such "Cherokee 4-3-3-5 Tango, copy 3,000(altitude) at ONE-FOUR-ZERO(heading) letting the ATC know you copied him.
Keep it short and sweet, they'll appreciate it.

It's that easy, you'll get used to it.

Good luck to you!
And ALWAYS be LOOKING for other aircraft around you.

brenthampton79

hey brent here, I fly a turbine 502b airtractor (hopefully get to upgrade this next year to the 802) as well as a navajo, malibu, ram 414's and etc. on the side. my brother and i have bought an acro two to learn full scale aerobatics,
whats up cropduster dave nice to know im not the only one flying spray planes that play with the models too! pic of the 502 is in the pics gallary
about 6000 total

gjesion

Here is a picture of my '59 Comanche.


Regards,
Jerry

Super D

Nice, several old timers have told me those are great planes.

Doc.316

ok...nice thread....have been in a 172, 182, 560, 650, ...all experimental.
Steve

n9331v

Many nice planes on this thread. Here is my mooney I have had for the past ten years. Since the purchase I did the interior, paint, speedmods, glass, avionics, engine FWF, new prop S-tec 30 with gpss etc etc etc etc.

Jaybird

I don't own a plane but I do fly out of Augusta, Maine and rent a Beechcraft Sport 150 and Censsna 172 Skyhawk from Maine Instrument Flight.
I had the chance to fly, with an instructor, an AT-6 (actually the SNJ version) when a company from Florida came to Biddeford, Maine several years back and I have flown a Stearman biplane at the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk, Florida the last couple of winters. I was able to get a ride in a Stearman at the Owls head Museum in Maine this past summer, something I've been waitng almost 30 years to do at that museum.
My favorite flights are in the 172 up to Dexter where I give my father, his lady friend and my uncle rides up over Dover-Foxcroft where they live and Sebec lake. From there you can see Katahdin and the mountain ranges to the west. this past summer we travelled to Seattle and visited the Museum of Flight and had a ride in a WACO UPF-7 over the city. I love biplanes and hope to get as many rides as I can!

Chip_Mull

My Feedback: (1)

Nice thread guys! Especially Ercoupe N99879. Enjoyed your comments about Paul. I was working on the AMA project "Got Wings" a few years ago and asked Paul P. if he would give us a sound bite for the ad. Sure, he said, "It all starts with a model and a dream". I always thought that was the best and most perfect quote we ever got. I'm not sure what happened to the program. They have had the same ad for years.

I started flying in the Army in May, 1968. Did my senior trip in Southeast Asia as a helicopter pilot. When I returned stateside, I started my commercial training at Temple Texas. The year after I left the Army I started flying helicopters commercially in Alaska. They are used for Helitack support for fire fighters in the summers. After moving to the Trans Alaska Pipeline, I left helicopters to become a light twin Captain for Fairbanks Flight Service. That winter I hired on to a small airline in Alaska called Wien Air Alaska. After ten years of the best flying of my life we got caught up in the throes of a Corporate raider named Jim Flood. He basically trashed the airline and I went to work for PSA out of San Diego, CA.

I have always been in and out of modeling and General Aviation for the past 40 years (wow, hits home when you put it in writing). I now own two 11AC Aeronca Chiefs. One is a project in the true sense of the word and one is flyable. One to fly and one to fix. If I could figure out how to post a picture again, I'll post a pic of it.

Keep up the great posts and all the great advice to the new pilots (I hate the terms beginner, novice and newcomer). We are all still learning and still newcomers of one sort or another. I worked for decades with the Air Line Pilots Assn. Education Committee traveling to colleges and universities talking to students about becoming an Airline Pilot. Can't say that I could look a youngster in the face and tell him/her it's a great place to work anymore.

compute42

My Feedback: (15)

passed my PPL checkride 11/13/2007 !!!! wooo hoo!!!! ripe old age of 27... flying rc for about 3-4years, finally broke down and went full scale.. Waiting for the freezing temps here on the northeast to dissapate to get crackin' on the IR rating!

slick95

CONGRATS!!!

SLICK

Darklotus

My Feedback: (4)

Well, it’s been just about the hardest, but most rewarding month of my life! I graduated from Redstone College (formally Colorado Aero Tech) on December 4th. On the 18th I took my PPL checkride, then three days later my oral and practical for my A&P. I’m finally done, and what a ride it has been! I’ve accepted a position at Duncan Aviation working on Challengers, and Citation X’s. After the holidays I’m moving to Lincoln, Nebraska to start my new position.

Since I’m finally done with school, I’m looking forward to getting back into building R/c. Would anyone happen to know if there are any flying fields in the Lincoln area? Maybe a local club?



James

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

At the top of the page, put your cursor on RC Community....

....on the drop down box, point at rc People and Places
....move over to, and select Local Clubs.
....put in your info, and find a Club.

Congratulations on your successes and your new career in aviation. [sm=thumbup.gif]

Merry Christmas....Happy Holidays (All).....and a Happy New Year to our Full Scale Friends.

Flyboy Dave.

Kaoma

My Feedback: (4)

Merry Christams to all, and safe flying!

Darklotus

My Feedback: (4)

Here is a picture of my first solo landing. My instructor and I were doing touch and goes at 2v2, and he goes "make this one a full stop so I can get out!" The picture came off a cell phone so its not the best.

Super D

LOL Dark my instructor said the same thing. He's said sarcastically" let me outta this plane your making me sick".
There's a lot of 2nd guessing thoughts go on as you taxi to take off. I figured if he says I'm ready, I'm ready.
I mainly 2nd guessed because I only had 7.8 hrs.

Its a good feeling, and hear your 1st solo x-country can be similar.

Mooneyflyr

My Feedback: (61)

Count me in. I fly Mooney's, I'm building a Jack Stafford Ovation and a GM Plastics 201. My full scale is a 1965 M20C.
I dont see that many of them if any.
Any Mooney builders and flyers out there?
Joe

Build'm&fly'm

jeffharris75

Thought I would check in.
I started flying ultralight aircraft in 1984 and was a USUA ultralight instructor through 2000. Lots of interesting stories from the early days of 2 stroke powered bolt together aluminum aviation. Lots of quiet time too when the engines stoped (not unlike RCs, but pilot in cage, not on ground).
I got my PPSEL in 1993 when I was building an experimental Rans S-9 Chaos. This plane was a blast and reminded me of a sports-car in the air. I took acro lessons and spent most of my time working on those skills untill I sold the plane. After that, I rented through 2001 (Warriors, Citabrias, 172s) and stopped after 911. My wife and I moved to NC and I have been chomping at the bit to fly again as the wheather is beutiful down here (I trained in Maine and New Hampshire). I finally did a BFR last September at Sanford Count Regional and checked out in an Allegro http://www.fantasyairusa.com/. I now fly under Sport Pilot rules only. Anyway, here is a picture of my Rans.

Oh yeah, I taught myslef to fly RC and can certainly attest for the fact that knowing how to fly full scale has liitle to do with success in RC [] much to the disappointment of my wife. So, now I have been flying RC for three years (all electric) and have some success since I purchased a flight simulator 18 mos ago. I now own an e-flite t-craft, minifuntana X, Mini-Pulse, Great-Planes Foker and 3D Hobby Shop Yak. I love them all and have a 48" GeeBee NIB. This stuff is as addicting as the full scale planes

Jeff Harris
Raleigh, NC

KC10Chief

I've been a private pilot for 11 years now. I used to fly Cessna's but haven't done so in about 4 years now. I own a powered paraglider (PPG). A PPG is THE way to fly. It's cheap (relatively), and easy to fly. Taking off is the hardest part.


I fly for a living too. I am a flight engineer on the E-3 AWACS.

ModelJets

Completed my license on the 18th December 1986 and have been flying privately since. Dread the day they say I can't fly anymore but that should be a long time away yet.