Looking for a CFI - not that easy

[WDD]

While I did solo, and get to fly a beautifully restored T-6 Texan, I was not able to achieve the needed endorsements for the checkride. No excuses, just didn't happen. If you decide to choose that route, bear in mind there are no guarantees but you will have a very enjoyable experience.

Thanks for sharing your experience. What advice would you give to better the odds of getting an endorsement? Studying more between flights, putting more or less time between lessons, finding the right CFI? Ignoring the urge to pretend to strafe the control tower, dogfight with other student pilots, insisting the ATC refer to you as "Maverick"?

[HAPPYDAN]

While I did solo, and get to fly a beautifully restored T-6 Texan, I was not able to achieve the needed endorsements for the checkride. No excuses, just didn't happen. If you decide to choose that route, bear in mind there are no guarantees but you will have a very enjoyable experience.

Thanks for sharing your experience. What advice would you give to better the odds of getting an endorsement? Studying more between flights, putting more or less time between lessons, finding the right CFI? Ignoring the urge to pretend to strafe the control tower, dogfight with other student pilots, insisting the ATC refer to you as "Maverick"?

Don't trust any school or CFI to do the training plan for you. -IF- you find one that does, good on you. Make a checklist of all the required documents and endorsements you will need for the oral and the checkride. Get and keep a log book up to date from your very first lesson. After each lesson, discuss with your trainer (do not argue) what was good, bad, what can you do to improve, and what the focus will be for the next. INSIST on this. Otherwise, you will spend hours just flying around. Go home, have a drink, keep a journal. Think of your training as a ladder, climbing one rung at a time. Here is a good example:
http://www.dsflight.com/sport-pilot-training-syllabus/
There are plenty of others online. Lastly, expect to get frustrated. At some point, usually after your umpteenth bounced landing, everyone does. Push through it and don't give up. Every poster on this and other pilot forums has his/her story, and will happily share. Try to schedule lessons 3 times (or more) a week, expecting weather or other issues to cancel occasionally. Arrive early and get the pre-flight out of the way. Keep friends and family informed of your progress; they can be wonderfully supportive, just ignore the myriad "plane crash" tales. Join AOPA, your first 6 months as a student are free. AOPA has a good mag, and a wonderful array of online training info. Then go out, have fun and join the capable 1% ers!

[Half Fast]

To Dan's advice, I'll add the following:

1 - Don't get hung up on the hours. It will take however long it takes. THERE IS NO RUSH.

2 - Stop the lesson if you become fatigued or are just having a bad day and making more errors than usual. There's nothing to be gained from practicing mistakes over and over. THERE IS NO RUSH.

3 - If you're not having fun, something is wrong. Pause, figure out what, and correct it. THERE IS NO RUSH.

4 - Train at a pace that is comfortable financially, even if you have to slow down a bit. Flight training is stressful enough without adding money worries. THERE IS NO RUSH.

Keep us posted as you progress.

[WDD]

Don't trust any school or CFI to do the training plan for you. -IF- you find one that does, good on you.

Eye-opening statement there. You've changed my game plan a bit. What you said makes perfect sense with some of the conversations I've had with CFI's, US Sport Academy, etc. And you're saying this even having taken the EAA academy, which I thought would have been planned down to the minute.

Looks like I need to build from Gleim, your website link, etc. my own copy of a learning plan, with learning objectives to be checked off at each stage before going to the next one. Keep it in line with the Practical Test criteria. Establish up front from the CFI what is needed to demonstrate to him/her accomplishment at each step. Otherwise, I might get into the loop of no endorsement to get the Practical Test. Might be more of "lets go flying and I'll think of something to say when we're up".

[TimTaylor]

In my years of flying and instructing, I have never run into a situation such as that. I'm sure they are out there, but most instructors, I believe, have a syllabus they follow. The standards you need to meet are pretty well spelled out. I would not approach this with a cynical attitude. Find a good, reputable flight school and/or instructor and go do it. As I have posted already, Prof. H. Paul Shuch, Ph.D., CFII, LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC, iRMT on this site would be one good alternative.

[joey4420]

I know Sporty's had a training syllabus and my CFI and I followed. Don't get me wrong about half way through my training one flight we took off to go to the practice area and he looked at me and say where do you live and I told him and he said lets fly over your house and practice landings at your local airport. I still remember him taking the controls and doing turns around a point over my house so I could take a few photos. One of the best days of my flight training.

[rcpilot]

........ I still remember him taking the controls and doing turns around a point over my house so I could take a few photos. One of the best days of my flight training.

Lucky you. My house is in the traffic pattern and to this day I've never seen it from the air. Too busy watching what I'm doing.

[HAPPYDAN]

Friends, I was only speaking from my own experience, an utter failure, suffered after 3 separate attempts to get a Sport Pilot License. I'm glad to hear that some have found my experience to be an exception. My mistake was not taking full responsibility for the direction of my training. I (falsely) believed in each case that the trainer was keeping track of my progress. Wrong. After 7 CFIs, and extensive training with 3, that was never the case. Training was received, tasks were completed, positive (verbal) feedback given. But not in writing. My fault entirely, as the FARs are quite specific regarding needed log book endorsements. As I already stated to the OP, if you find a trainer that will make your success his/her personal responsibility, you are one up on me. Good Luck!

[TimTaylor]

There are no guarantees that anyone will be successful learning to fly. Having something in writing is not the issue other than having logged all the necessary training and endorsements and having your recommendations. What matters is when an instructor is satisfied the student is proficient and safe to progress to the next step. Unfortunately, not everyone is cut-out to be a pilot, especially if they wait until later in life to learn. Somehow, my dad, a doctor, got his Private in a Cherokee 140 flying out of KCLT, but I'll be damed if I know how. He didn't start flying until age 50+ and it took him forever just to solo. He and his doctor friend got lost and landed at an air force base. Fortunately for me, he wasn't my student.

[Half Fast]

Friends, I was only speaking from my own experience, an utter failure, suffered after 3 separate attempts to get a Sport Pilot License. I'm glad to hear that some have found my experience to be an exception. My mistake was not taking full responsibility for the direction of my training. I (falsely) believed in each case that the trainer was keeping track of my progress. Wrong. After 7 CFIs, and extensive training with 3, that was never the case. Training was received, tasks were completed, positive (verbal) feedback given. But not in writing. My fault entirely, as the FARs are quite specific regarding needed log book endorsements. As I already stated to the OP, if you find a trainer that will make your success his/her personal responsibility, you are one up on me. Good Luck!

Dan, now that you've had an epiphany, why not give it another try, applying what you have learned?

[HAPPYDAN]

Thanks, but the writing on the wall says "Enjoy planes and aviation from the ground. You are officially a 95 hour failure. Shut up and join the 80% that never get it done." However, if I can save even one individual from making all the mistakes I did, I am gratified. No excuses.

[Warmi]

I don’t think hours mean anything .... if I remember correctly Rich (of Sting flight fame ) soloed at something like 100 hours and got his license even later and now look at him .. pushing 3000 hours in his Sting

[3Dreaming]

Thanks, but the writing on the wall says "Enjoy planes and aviation from the ground. You are officially a 95 hour failure. Shut up and join the 80% that never get it done." However, if I can save even one individual from making all the mistakes I did, I am gratified. No excuses.

Don't let the fact that you have 95 hours and are not finished stop you.

I didn't start him, but I had a student who had more hours than that when they finished. It was due in part to their schedule, and the fact that they fought the airplane.

[WDD]

Training was received, tasks were completed, positive (verbal) feedback given. But not in writing. My fault entirely, as the FARs are quite specific regarding needed log book endorsements.

Ah, new information for me. So, looks like the examiner will test on:

I PREFLIGHT PREPARATION....
II. PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES
III. AIRPORT AND SEAPLANE BASE OPERATIONS
IV. TAKEOFFS, LANDINGS, AND GO-AROUNDS
V. PERFORMANCE MANEUVER
VI. GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS
VII. NAVIGATION...
VIII. SLOW FLIGHT AND STALLS .
IX. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS...
X. POSTFLIGHT PROCEDURES..

Will be looking specifically at:
1. positive aircraft control;
2. procedures for positive exchange of flight controls;
3. stall and spin awareness (if appropriate);
4. collision avoidance;
5. wake turbulence and low level wind shear avoidance;
6. runway incursion avoidance;
7. controlled flight into terrain (CFIT);
8. aeronautical decision making/risk management;
9. checklist usage;
7 FAA-S-8081-29 ?????
10. spatial disorientation;
11. temporary flight restrictions (TFR);
12. special use airspace (SUA);
13. aviation security; and
14. other areas deemed appropriate

Therefore, I need to have the CFI teach each of the 10 sections and sign off when he/she thinks I am proficient at each section, keeping in mind the 14 points listed above. Therefore, if the log book shows proficiency for all 10 sections, then I should be able to get the CFI to authorize the practical test.

Am I on track?

[3Dreaming]

Your end goal is to be proficient in all those areas, but it can not be use as an all inclusive checklist for your training.