The Pilot’s Way

  • My Path to Aviation Knowledge: Updates on My Theory Studies

    I have finally found a school in Poland where I plan to take my EASA ATPL theoretical course. I have chosen Poland for some specific reasons which I have already mentioned. However, there is a catch: I need to obtain permission, similar to the TSA approval process in the US, and the application process is…

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  • Obtaining a First Class Medical Certificate: My Experience in Poland

    Today, I received my first-class medical certificate which is required for commercial pilots in Europe. Prior to this, I had a second-class medical certificate, which is less expensive, but it’s sufficient for a private pilot license that I currently hold. Normally, the initial first-class medical examination should be taken only in a hospital. Subsequent examinations…

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  • Flight to Maintenance: Overcoming a Technical Issue

    As you know, I am currently flying to meet the minimum flight time requirements and, of course, for fun. Today, I had a really useful task: flying the airplane to the mechanics for scheduled maintenance. While reading my preflight checklist, I noticed that the flaps do not deploy. I thought about it and realized that…

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  • Understanding Weather Radar for Pilots: Why Red is a Warning Sign

    Today, flying is not possible due to the weather conditions. The weather radar displays dense clouds, indicating that I should wait for better weather to fly. In essence, the weather radar shows the concentration of water droplets. Red areas indicate large droplets, typically indicating the presence of a thunderstorm in that area, and as you…

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  • Flying in Hot Windy Weather: A Pilot’s Experience

    I was supposed to fly early in the morning, but it didn’t happen. The airplane didn’t have enough fuel, and the fuel service is usually only available in the afternoon. Anyway, I needed some more sleep. I took off in the afternoon and during the flight, I noticed that my ground speed was way less…

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  • Chasing Flight Hours: A Pilot’s Excursion to the North-West of Prague

    Every pilot should have a minimum flight time before taking an exam. For the modular commercial pilot program in Europe, it should be 200 hours of total time. I am currently continuing to gain these flight hours. Today, I decided to fly to the North-West, where I found a nice aerodrome with a concrete runway.…

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  • I’m A Little Black Rain Cloud, of Course

    I’m just a little white rain cloudHovering under the honey treeI’m only a little black rain cloudPay no attention to me… Sometimes the weather just doesn’t want to cooperate. Today, one of these rain clouds demanded my attention. Although the clouds look gorgeous, they are also scary. This one in particular may not seem dangerous,…

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  • Improving My Pilot Skills with Holiday Flying

    I don’t work on holidays, which means I can fly more, or at least, work less if the weather doesn’t permit flying. Today, the weather is great, so I can practice my landings. Practicing more landings helps gaining skills, and different aerodromes aid in that too. Currently, crosswind landings are the most challenging for me,…

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  • Mountain and Lake Adventures: A Flight to the Austrian Border

    I have always wanted to see the mountains and lakes near the Austrian border, and they are truly incredible. The only challenge is that one needs to climb up to 6000 feet to get a good view. Luckily, the weather today was perfect for it. I bet that glider pilots would have been envious of…

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  • Crossing the Country: A Flight Adventure

    Today, I planned a long cross-country flight. It supposed to literally cover almost half of the country. The weather was not perfect, but acceptable, and I set out towards the east. A significant part of the route went through controlled airspace, making my workload higher than usual. As I’m not yet used to talking to…

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airports approaches ATC ATPL BE76 C150/C152 C172 Canada check checkride citabria complex CPL cross-country EASA endorsement Europe exam FAA FAA/EASA FI flight time Icaro IFR IR Italy landings logbook malfunction ME medical mood navigation night paperwork plans PPL rating tailwheel TCCA theory thoughts travel USA weather

Milestones

04/09/2017: My First Flight
04/25/2017: EASA PPL written exam (6 exams passed)
05/21/2017: Radio Operator Certificate (Europe VFR)
05/22/2017: EASA PPL written exam (all passed)
05/26/2017: The First Solo!
05/28/2017: Solo cross-country >270 km
05/31/2017: EASA PPL check-ride
07/22/2017: EASA IFR English
08/03/2017: 100 hours TT
12/04/2017: The first IFR flight
12/28/2017: FAA IR written
02/16/2018: FAA IR check-ride
05/28/2018: FAA Tailwheel endorsement
06/04/2018: FAA CPL long cross-country
06/07/2018: FAA CPL written
07/16/2018: FAA CPL check-ride
07/28/2018: FAA CPL ME rating
08/03/2018: FAA HP endorsement
06/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (6/14)
07/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (11/14)
07/15/2019: FAA IR IPC
07/18/2019: FAA CPL SES rating
08/07/2019: EASA ATPL theory (done)
10/10/2019: EASA NVFR
10/13/2019: EASA IR/PBN SE
11/19/2019: Solo XC > 540 km
12/06/2019: EASA CPL
12/10/2019: EASA AMEL
02/20/2020: Cessna 210 endorsement
08/30/2021: FAVT validation
05/27/2022: TCCA CPL/IR written
05/31/2022: Radio Operator Certificate Canada