Tag: USA

  • Christmas Eve Celebration with Flight School Officials

    Today is Christmas Eve and unfortunately, my instructor is not available. However, instead of flying, all of the students were invited to a dinner party at the chief pilot’s home. I was starting to miss the cozy atmosphere of being at home, so this celebration was really good for me. I just wanted to take…

  • The Art of a Good Decision Making: Weather Challenges

    Weather is a critical factor for any pilot, and today we were planning ILS and VOR approaches in controlled airspace. The forecast was initially good and even improving, with almost no wind, a ceiling of 4300, and visibility of 10 miles or more. After all preparations and a preflight check, however, the wind shifted to…

  • IR Part 141: Instrument Approaches

    Probably the most challenging, but also the most interesting, part of the Instrument Rating training program is instrument approaches. This phase of flight requires a transition from the enroute portion to landing, and demands even more attention and better multitasking skills. Although I know how to perform the approach in theory, putting it into practice…

  • IR part 141: Flying Holding Patterns

    The next part of the course includes flying holding patterns. Sometimes it is not possible to make the next planned step or maneuver right away, such as due to congested air traffic or rapidly changing weather. In this case, an aircraft must wait in the air. However, the airplane is constantly moving through the air…

  • Passing the First Stage Check of Part 141 Instrument Rating Course

    The Part 141 Instrument Rating course requires a proficiency check after every stage of training. There are a total of three stage checks and a final end-of-course check. The Part 141 course also mandates a strict order of lessons, so one cannot begin the next stage before completing the previous stage check. I had been…

  • IR Part 141, Lessons 9 and 10: Improving Proficiency with VOR and GPS

    It’s vital for an instrument pilot to be proficient with airplane navigation equipment. We’re continuing with VOR and starting with GPS. All airplanes have the Garmin 430, and its interface is not very complicated. However, the main problem is multitasking: it’s not so easy to fly the airplane properly and simultaneously tune frequencies while communicating…

  • IR Part 141, lessons 7 and 8: Brush Up and Radio Navigation

    Lesson 7 is a review of all previous lessons, focusing mainly on airplane control and unusual attitudes. Lesson 8, on the other hand, is completely new and focused on navigation, particularly VOR interception and tracking. The theory is easy, but in practice, the workload is pretty high, especially the first time when you need to…

  • IR Part 141, Lesson 6: Radio Navigation and Maneuvers

    Today’s weather is pretty challenging, with occasional wind gusts up to 15 knots. Apart from that, everything is great, and we’re going to fly at about 3000 feet, where the air is less turbulent. Today, I flew a different airplane, and I had the impression that it was not properly trimmed and tended to turn…

  • Partial Panel Flying: Dealing with Instrument Failures

    For every pilot, it’s crucial to deal with any system failure promptly. Recognizing failures and taking corrective action can be vital, especially in bad weather. Today’s lesson was about flying without some instruments, a technique called “partial panel.” In practice, the instructors covered some instruments, and I had to perform the usual maneuvers, including stalls,…

  • Choosing the Best Place to Obtain a Pilot License: Considerations about Flight Schools in Europe and the United States

    For every professional pilot, the first step is a Private Pilot License (PPL). The second usual step is an Instrument Rating (IR), which allows one to fly in worse weather. Currently, I am at this stage, but what’s next? For various reasons, I decided to learn to fly in Europe and in the US. Australia…