Well.. Friday's the big day! The beginning of an epic journey.

[Jake Bourdon]

Hey guys, have posted in a while but believe me I've been reading and 'eye-balling' per-say as much as well.. A SimV forum fanatic? Aside with the corny introductions, this Friday I will be entering the actual world of aviation; starting flying lessons. I've met the instructor many times and we've sat down and had our chit chats in the wonderful Midfield Cafe(in Nashua Airport) as the sounds of multiple plane engines take control of our eardrums. He's a great guy, and we've scheduled for two hours this week(I received 6 purchased hours of lessons as a Christmas gift, waiting to be taken advantage of). I'll be taking my lessons(all the way to a PPL luckily) in a beautiful 1982 Cessna 152. I will never forget the day(how could I? It was 3 days ago! ) when he handed me that manual; I was speechless. But anyways, I'm just curious what everyone thinks and if anyone has any tips as to what I should know/do beforehand and such.

Alright, you all take care

-Jake Bourdon

[Fozzer]

Well Done!... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]...!

..and you are

[pete]

Hi Jake! That's great news! A good instructor is all it takes to et you through the course and it helps to have the same good instructor throughout.

Looking forward to hearing how it all goes!  8-)

[Flying Trucker]

Wonderful news Jake...

Keep us informed as to your progress and above all else...have fun learning...

[Jake Bourdon]

I'm stoked that all of you are happily supporting me I can assure you all that I'll keep ya updated I greatly appreciate the excitement and support that you're all giving me, thanks a lot  8-)

-Jake

[Jake Bourdon]

No kidding! Well how about that, what a great coincidence Although it isn't even close to the real thing, I've been flying Carenado's C152 non-stop and can honestly say that I'm in love with it  8-)

-Jake
[quote]Well Done!... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]...!

..and you are

[FSX_Dude]

I got 2 years before I want to get my PPL!

[Jake Bourdon]

I got 2 years before I want to get my PPL!

Very nice Hope those 2 years come as fast as you want them to

-Jake

[machineman9]

Money was, and partly still is, the only reason why I've not gone for my PPL. I'm currently waiting to go to university before I can look at getting flying lessons (which, all going well, will be with the RAF as part of their opportunities for students and budding service-people)


It says on your profile that you're 16 years old - Which is ideal and yet dreadful. It's good that you should hopefully have a moderate work load at school/college/whatever you're doing, but it's also a pretty bad age for getting a job. I was fortunate to get my first job at age 17!

Flying is seriously expensive. Look towards getting part time employment to help pay for the training - Remember, your lessons don't stop when you become qualified... You must fly regularly enough to remain proficient and to become a constantly better pilot. Work may exist in your local area as a waiter (great fun!) or in other catering areas. Paper rounds, etc, are also a good source of income.


The more money you have, the better things will be. Plus, women dig a rich pilot 

[Fozzer]

[quote]

......The more money you have, the better things will be. Plus, women dig a rich pilot

[Fozzer]

I've been spending an enjoyable couple of days sim flying around your location in New Hampshire, and feeling quite at-
home amongst all the many English-sounding towns and airfields in my little Cessna 150 Aerobat!
An interesting area, with lots of inland water, including Float-plane landing strips.
I'm suddenly feeling quite at-home!


http://www.airnav.com/airport/kash




Paul...G-BPLF... 8-)...!

[beaky]

Tips/advice? OK...
1) Have fun.
2)Don't expect your flight sim skills to transfer directly to the real thing, and be patient with yourself if the reality of this frustrates you (as it most certainly will).
3) Remember always that your instructor and flight school are working for YOU. Make sure you're getting what you're paying for; know what the minimum requirements are for the PPASEL check ride; question (respectfully) any "extra" dual or review work, etc. And if for some reason the school or CFI "disses" you, don't be afraid to change schools mid-stream. DO NOT PAY FOR LARGE CHUNKS OF INSTRUCTION AHEAD OF TIME, FOR THIS VERY REASON. Screw the discount...more than one young student has shown up for a lesson after plunking down thousands of $$, only to find that the school has closed down. And good luck getting your money back. In general, these deposits are not refundable, even if you decide to leave the school for some other reason. Pay as you go, and make good use of the time you're paying for... it's a better way to go.
4) As a personal favor to this old pre-GPS pilot, make sure your instructor teaches you how to navigate primarily with compass, clock and chart, and make sure he or she knows the difference between ground speed and airspeed (many do not).
5) you may, in ground school, hear some stuff about Bernoulli, Coanda, or Newton. The FAA likes to have you memorize this nonsense, but rest assured, it's all lies. the thing that keeps a wing in the air is money! 
6) HAVE FUN!!!

[beaky]

An addendum... where I will specifically cite the mistakes I made training for my PPASEL.

-If you show up for a lesson only to find it's been scratched out of the book so another CFI could take the plane, and nobody noticed or bothered to call you, cry foul. Loudly. If it happens twice, or if your lesson is cancelled with no heads-up more than once, find a different school (and explain why: THEY WORK FOR YOU)

-If the school tells you that you have to do your official supervised solo again because they "lost the paperwork", tell them to make a copy of the flight entry and instructor's endorsement found in your logbook. If that is not good enough for them, tell them you will do the solo again on their dime, or you will go to another school (and explain why: THEY WORK FOR YOU).

-If CFI turnover is so rapid at your school that you find yourself on your 3rd instructor in less than a year, before you fly with the new CFI, ask them what the outgoing CFI has told them about your progress, to minimize and make best use of any review dual they will want to do with you. If they shrug and say "he didn't tell me anything", find a different school (and explain why: THEY WORK FOR YOU).

If you find a tool or rag inside or on top of the cowling during your preflight more than once, find another school (and explain why: THEY WORK FOR YOU).

They want your money. Some of them might also want to teach you to be a safe and competent pilot, but one thing all instructors and schools want is your money. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you are getting what you're paying for.

[Jake Bourdon]

Fortunately I do have a job, although it's at a super market it's good enough. I earn a decent amount(enough to pay for lessons). Also, both my father and I have met with the instructor plenty of times and thank god he seems like a great guy. He's a retired ATP(like most are) & gives pretty good bargains(total, the lessons are $130 a piece, he charges $40 and the plane is $90) I've also been spending a lot of time talking with Private Pilots who took the courses with him and they extremely highly recommend him, as they say he's a low-cost extraordinaire. Although there could be some "catches" I'm pretty sure my parents and I have made a good choice

-Jake

[SaultFresh]

How could we be anything less than supportive? :0) Aviation is a wonderful thing, I wish more people would try it.
As far as Beaky goes, I think he's nailed it on the head. Always pay as you go, and remember that the instructor is working for you. You can always request a new Instructor if the one you're with just isn't working for you, I know as an Instructor, I would not want to be the reason my student failed, haha.
Aside from that, your sim experience probably isn't going to translate into actual flying ability, although it will give you a good working knowledge of what things are.