Tag: EASA

  • Exploring the Czech Mountains on a Cross-Country Flight

    I’m continuing with my cross-country flights, and today I explored the incredible mountains near the Czech border with Poland. I climbed to 5,500 feet, so I’m getting closer to the airliners! I really enjoy cross-country flights. I get to see beautiful forests, castles, fields, mountains, houses, cars, and people below my plane, with the incredible…

  • Long PPL Cross-Country Flight: A Crucial Milestone in Flight Training

    There was one more important stage for me today: I flew my long cross-country with two full stop landings in different aerodromes. In my case, there were Hradec Kralove (hurray, concrete runway!) and Pribram (hurray, asphalt runway!). I already mentioned that I like concrete and asphalt runways more than grass or turf ones. The landscape…

  • Mastering Cross-Country Navigation: My Latest Flight Check Experience

    Today, I underwent another check to endorse me for solo navigation flights. This internal check is mandatory for all students as per our syllabus. Basically it was a regular cross-country flight using a paper chart, and we flew a very beautiful route. I’m not scared of navigation flights, generally I do well. To be honest,…

  • First Solo Flight: A Milestone Moment in My Aviation Journey

    Finally, the day arrived – I flew my first solo today, a crucial milestone for any pilot. Prior to the solo, I had flown over 10 patterns with my instructor and another three with the examiner. The examiner stayed on the ground with a handheld radio and provided very clear instructions beforehand: if he were…

  • From Above: Land in Sight!

    We have been flying a lot of aerodrome patterns lately, trying them out in different aerodromes to get a richer experience. While I am improving, my instructor is not completely confident in my flying, and so he doesn’t want to let me fly solo just yet. Perhaps if I had only one instructor from the…

  • Exam Success: Reflections on Passing the EASA PPL Written Exams

    Today, I passed the remaining written exam subjects for my private pilot course. I described my first attempt here. One nice surprise was that retaking the exams is totally free in the Czech Republic. I had assumed that I would have to pay for each attempt, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this…

  • Grass or Concrete: Which is Better for Landing and Why It Matters

    Grass or Concrete: Which is Better for Landing and Why It Matters

    Which surface is better for landing? For some reason, I prefer concrete. While grass is softer and results in an easier and gentler touchdown, concrete is flatter and smoother. Moreover, taking off from a concrete runway is definitely better. However, I understand the importance of gaining experience on grass strips, particularly for bush pilot jobs.…

  • EASA PPL Written Exams Reflection: Areas for Improvement

    Today, I took a written test. Actually there were multiple exams covering nine subjects. I couldn’t help but remember my student years when I used to stay up all night before an exam, trying to fill every gap in my knowledge. Generally, I am a passionate learner, especially if I find the subject interesting. That’s…

  • Clear for Takeoff: Conquering Medical and Aviation English Exams

    Today was a big day for me: I got my medical certificate and passed the ICAO English exam (which is required for a non-native speaker). I’m feeling pretty happy right now! For those who don’t know, every pilot needs to pass a medical examination to ensure they are healthy enough to fly. There are three…