Real Answers from Real Pilots

Got my PPL License (Update1: Now Istrument Rating) (Update 2: Now Commercial License)

Student Experiences
#1

Passed my checkride 2 days ago and got my license. I got it in exactly 3 months. Started the program July 6th, 2020; passed the checkride on October 6th, 2020.

Amazing to think I knew absolutely nothing about flying 3 months ago, and now I’ve learned a lot (and will continue to learn every single day).

Now starting my instrument add on. According to my calculations, I should obtain it in ~1.5 months if I am attending 6 days a week (which I am currently doing). It seems like a lot of information to know, but I’ll try to get through it as best as I could.

I’ll use this thread to update my personal progress in the program

Cheers :+1::ok_hand:

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#2

well done Moe, keep us posted on the rest of your training :slight_smile:

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#3

Moe,

Congratulations! What a fantastic accomplishment.

Thank you for the update as well. Keep up the good work and please keep checking in.

Chris

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#4

Please do, Moe! We love hearing about everyone’s successes. Truly. It helps prospective students as well.

Congrats on the PASS! Looking back, can you give us any feedback about what worked for you?

Tory

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#5

Kudos Moe! Major hurdle in the bag! You just earned your license to learn :wink:

Adam

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#6

Oral: ASA blue book (if you know even like 50% of this book, you will pass the oral) I read it 3 complete times and knew every single question/answer there

Practical: knowing what to expect before the checkride based off the DPE’s SES. The flying portion is really all on you and what your CFI taught you. I would chair fly maneuvers everyday as well (slow flight, power on/off stall, emergency decent, steep turns). My location also has a g1000 simulator which certainly helps to get flows down into muscle memory, especially steep turns.

Thanks guys, appreciated!

#7

Also, if anyone has any questions/needs help about the PPL stage of ATP and oral/checkride, I am here to help

#8

Hello my name is Christe Dushime

I’m 18 and an in college for engineering but lost interest it, but I always had a dream of being a pilot. At the moment I don’t know anything on the process of becoming a pilot, if I should start at private or commercial, or even a location near me to start

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#9

Christe,

If you check out our FAQ section and ATP’s “Become a Pilot” section on their website, you will find a ton of great information. https://atpflightschool.com/become-a-pilot/

You will need to start with a private, it is where everybody starts. Here is a list of ATP’s locations: https://atpflightschool.com/flight_schools/

Take a look at those links and let us know how else we can help you.

Chris

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#10

Small update: Just passed my Instrument checkride just now.

I really enjoy instrument flying and the views you get of the clouds. It was a very fun phase.

I feel like a lot of weight has been lifted off my shoulder now that I passed, for two reasons.

  1. I had to know all the flying rules/regs/etc in only about a very condensed ~month since I got my PPL. I’d sit after hours in the sim practicing/studying at the ATP FBO-office for hours on end

  2. Airlines care about checkride failures, but they REALLY care about the instrument one, so I’m glad I got that past me

Now off to crew!

3 Likes
#11

Go get em, Moe! Have fun. Be safe out there. Thanks for the update!

Tory

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#12

Moe,

Nice job! The IR can be tough. Many consider it the hardest.

Adam

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#13

Moe,

Excellent work, congratulations! Make sure to take time to enjoy crew. It is by far the most enjoyable part of the program and darn near feels like flying for an airline.

Chris

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#14

Thanks guys, really appreciate it!

#15

Moe,

Congratulations on the big IR add-on! Just wait until you’re popping out of the clouds shortly again.

Keep me posted where you end up for crew, if you’re eastern based, you may be down here at LZU to swap planes etc., keep me posted - I may see you since I am down here for CFI. Best advice I can give for crew, talk to everyone, make friends, you’ll never know when you see them next (I saw some from another base when I traveled at my location during commercial phase training).

Blue skies,

Brady

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#16

Hey guys, a small update since my post about getting my Instrument Rating.

Went on crew, it was a fun experience. The furthest I’ve been from my home airport (KISP) was Daytona Beach. I got to see the Daytona Race track which was cool. I got paired with 3 partners, and it was a great experience flying with them. Since I lived most of my life in nyc, I am used to the skyscraper view and New York accent. It was interesting to see the environment and accents of the ATC’s and approaches change as I went further south. The controllers sounded very southern (especially around N/S Carolina) and the environment was very forest-like and rural.

I really felt like I was a Captain/first officer in the airlines while on crew, with the switching roles of pf/pm.

Came back from crew and started commercial. It was extremely hard going back to VFR flying after not flying VFR for a little over 2 months. But towards the ending of my training, it came back. The maneuvers seemed complicated in the beginning, but with a lot of chair flying, g1000 sim at my home airport, and learning your mistakes, it comes naturally.

Took my checkride 2 days ago, passed, and am now a Commercial Pilot. The most difficult maneuver was the power-off 180, since you had to make exactly your point and 200ft beyond, no more no less, and no expectations period. Thankfully I landed EXACTLY on the stated point!

Tomorrow is the first day of my CFI orientation through zoom. If anyone has any tips for CFI here and there to throw at me, I’d appreciate.

Till my next update, cheers.

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#17

Congrats on going Pro Moe!

Huge step and glad you enjoyed crewing (don’t know how you couldn’t?).

Keep up the good work!

Adam

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#18

Moe,

Congratulations and welcome to being a professional pilot! The crew cross country phases are meant to feel like airline flying, I am glad that you got to go pretty far south.

Thank you for the update, please keep them coming.

Chris

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#19

Nice man. I remember the transition. I couldn’t tell you how many times my instructor said, “look outside.” Keep killin it!

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#20

The Power-Off 180…that maneuver always sparks some heated discussion about the touchdown point tolerance. Bravo Moe!

Tory

1 Like