Tag: PPL

  • Obtaining My License: A Journey to the CAA and Beyond

    Today, I picked up my freshly issued license. Everything was okay, except for one small mistake in my home address, which caused some additional delay. The interior of the building resembled that of the Russian Traffic Inspection office (or any other legal department), but there were no queues at the CAA. Fortunately, I found a…

  • My PPL Journey and Future Plans

    I went to the Czech Republic to get my PPL, and I passed my checkride in May. My documents are now ready, but instead of requesting them to be mailed to me, I decided to pick them up myself. Meanwhile I wanted to obtain a 1st class medical, and I also enjoy traveling, so this…

  • Passing the EASA Private Pilot Checkride: Reaching the First Milestone

    Finally, I made it! To be honest, I was worried that I would have to return to Moscow before completing my PPL because I didn’t have any possibility to stay here after the 1st of July. It’s much easier to take the exam right after finishing the course because of the fresh skills, and I…

  • Completing Flight Training: Overcoming Weather Challenges

    Summer is approaching, which means thunderstorms will be on the horizon. I need two more hours to complete my flight training, and today those hours are going to fly by. As I arrived at the aerodrome, I noticed a dark cloud accompanied by thunder. I have to be back in Moscow soon, and extending my…

  • 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…