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December 2007 Volume 1, Issue 4 |
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 Welcome
to the fourth issue of Reach For The Sky,
EAA's monthly e-newsletter for people interested
in learning to fly. Your newsletter has
continued to grow - more than 5,000 aviation
enthusiasts are subscribed! If you have ideas
for stories or content you'd like to see in
2008, please let us know at LearnToFly@eaa.org.
And if you know someone who might like to
receive the newsletter, feel free to forward
your copy to them. Remember, you don't need to
be an EAA member to subscribe.
And from all of us, happy holidays!
In
this issue ...
- Second
Flight, by Steve Krog, CFI,
Editor
- What You're Asking:
Questions for your instructor
- A Personal
View: Finding the right flight
instructor, by Steve Krog
- Aviation
Glossary: Learning the language of
flight
- This
Month's Poll: What area of aviation
most interests you?
Got a question
about flight-training? Drop us an e-mail
at LearnToFly@EAA.org.
First
lesson logged; what's next?
Second
Flight
By Steve Krog
In our last two
issues, we gave a detailed description of the
sights and sounds a first-time flight student
would likely experience during a typical first
flight. At the conclusion of the flight and
post-flight review, you left the airport
grinning, with a strong desire to share the
experience with everyone you know. After several
days, the level of excitement is still there,
but now you're probably asking yourself,
"What can I expect during the next
lesson?"
It's now been several days since your first
flight and today you're scheduled for the second
flight. Heading for the airport, excitement and
anticipation build. Your thoughts first focus on
the take-off and the exhilaration you felt
seeing the earth's surface drop away as you and
your instructor climbed out of the airport
traffic pattern. You may also recall the feeling
of apprehension when your instructor asked you
to take the controls. And when you did, you soon
realized that not only were you flying the
airplane but also it wasn't nearly as difficult
as you had anticipated. The airplane
"wanted" to fly -with you at the
controls! Read
more
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Q&A:
What you're asking
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| Common
questions for the instructor from beginning flight students
Q. I hold a private pilot certificate
but haven't flown in a number of years.
Can I become a sport pilot without a
written test and FAA checkride?
A. Your private pilot certificate never
expires. So unless the FAA has rescinded
it for some previous Federal Aviation
Regulation violation, you are still
considered a licensed pilot. If you've
never been denied a 3rd Class Medical
certificate when you were flying, but it has
expired, you can fly as a sport pilot
provided you hold a valid driver's
license and fly according to all sport
pilot rules and regulations. Before you
would be legal and safe though, several
hours of dual instruction followed by a
Biennial Flight Review would be
required. A Certificated Flight
Instructor (CFI) or a sport pilot
instructor can administer this. You will
not need to re-take a written test or an
FAA checkride.
Q. I'm
interested in becoming a sport pilot. How long
does it take to solo?
A. The number of flight hours before solo
depends on several things. How often you
fly? How quickly do you become adept at safely
handling the airplane? What are the wind
conditions you're experiencing while training?
At what type of airport are you
training? If you schedule and fly 2-3 times per
week, are reasonably well coordinated, the
wind is not a factor, and you're flying at a
non-towered, not-so-busy airport, you can expect
to solo in 9-12 hours. When flying only once
each week or flying at a busy airport, it will
probably take 1-3 additional hours.
Q.
Can I take lessons in a non-light
sport aircraft, such as a Cessna 152,
and log those hours toward the required
sport pilot training?
A. Yes, the flight training you may have
taken in non-LSA can be counted toward
meeting the requirements for the sport
pilot certificate, depending on what was
accomplished during that training. You
must take a sport pilot written exam, be
current in an LSA, and do your checkride
in an LSA. Read
more |
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A Personal
View - Finding
the right flight instructor |
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By Steve Krog
In the first issue of
Reach
for the Sky we discussed how to go about finding
the right flight school and flight instructor.
In the time since, I've heard from several new
students who expressed some frustration in
finding a flight school and flight instructor.
I'd like to share their comments with you, not
for the purpose of discouragement, but rather to
keep you well informed. Not all flight schools
and flight instructors are ideal for your
particular flight training needs.
The first student
lived near an airport that has a
reputable flight operation, both instruction and
rental. He called and made an appointment to
meet with an instructor and make an introductory
flight. He'd never flown before and was looking
forward to the flight. On the appointed day he
showed up full of enthusiasm anticipating the
flight school and instructor would be equally
enthused to see him. Read
more
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| Aviation
glossary
empennage
- An aircraft's tail group including the rudder,
vertical fin, stabilizers and elevators.
altimeter
-
An adjustable cockpit
instrument used to measure an aircraft's altitude.
altimeter
setting - A
reference setting on the altimeter so that the
instrument indicates an accurate altitude.
AGL -
(Above Ground Level) Altitude expressed as feet
above the ground or terrain. It is usually set
to indicate the airport field elevation during
the pre-takeoff checklist.
knot
-
(Nautical
mile per hour) The most common measure of
aircraft speed. 100 knots is equal to 115 miles
per hour. (For miles per hour, multiply knots by
1.15.)
more
glossary terms >>
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This
month's poll
Last
month's poll: Favorite
Ground School Subject
Last month's poll asked, "What ground school
subject do you enjoy the most?" The majority
voted "Airplane
instruments, engines and systems" with 32
percent of the votes. It was a close
second between "Airports and Air traffic
controls" with 29 percent of the votes and
"Navigation/charts" with 25 percent.
The least
favorite ground school subject was "FAA
Regulations" with just 1 percent of the
total votes.
View the complete results
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Reach for the Sky - EAA's Guide to Learning
to Fly and Light-Sport Aircraft
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 EAA’s
guide to learning to fly and light-sport aircraft
is a resource to help anyone take the first
steps toward becoming a pilot. Whether you want to
have fun in a powered parachute or one day want to
command a Mars mission, Reach for the Sky is a
great place to start. It is
available
as a PDF
that will take a few minutes to download with a
high-speed connection.
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