Hello all,
I am fairly new to this forum so I want to start this out as postive as I can. To all the students out there the struggle is real. If it was this easy every single person would be a pilot. Second i have my share of failures every great pilot has had a setback one way or the other. Please do not be discouraged if you fail a checkride. Instead sit yourself down at that FBO desk a little longer and study. My experience getting my PPL was challenging I wasn’t the best at ground school. I sure as heck could fly the shoes of my CFI but ground school was a challenge. My first checkride lasted about 15 mins failing the oral. I was very defeated and took a few weeks off. I didn’t let that discourage me from living my dream. My CFI and I laid out a very intensive study plan and with weeks of hard work I was able to live my dream. For every failure there is a reason why. Maybe you aren’t good at the oral portion or the flight manuevers but as a fellow pilot I would love to help all those who are struggling to live their dreams and one day get to the ranks of a pilot. These great airline pilots have volunteered their time to give advice i would like the extand the olive branch as well and help those as well. I will leave my email down below
Thanks
Jack
Jtm75980@ucmo.edu
Thanks Jack. Well said and I’m sure everyone can learn from this. I’m an aspiring pilot myself so this is something I will remember. Kudos
I appreciate you taking the time to say this, Jack. I have not yet even started my journey (just now taking on a third job to save money for the education / student loan payments, fwoo!). I feel like I’ll be one of those who struggles with the ground school. I was never very “school oriented” and always much preferred to learn by doing. Knowing failures happen to everyone and that they weren’t a roadblock seems like a very “duh” idea, but actually hearing it is something else entirely.
Thank you!
To follow up on what Jack said… I don’t claim to have the same amount of experience. I started on my PPL and about 3/4 of the way life happened and I had to take a break. But I can offer a bit of insight as a student pilot…
Tracking posts on this forum I occasionally get an impression that the hiring situation at the airlines and the potential (just the potential, not guarantee) of making good money down the line is attracting a lot of people that see this as “a job”. It may seem that way to the outsider. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard from the uninitiated a sentiment that an airline pilot is nothing more than a glorified bus driver. That can’t be further from the truth. A good aviator, aside from critical flight planning, pilotage and navigational skills, has to understand intermediate meteorology, human factors and basic physiology, physics of flight and aircraft systems design and operation. Most of all, he or she must be able to exercise sound judgement using all of the available information in extraordinary circumstances. That being said, not everyone is cut out to be a pilot… It’s not an intelligence thing, it’s not a “perfect hand eye coordination” think (not everyone is Chuck Yeager), it’s in the ability to put it all together and if stuff hits the fan be able to apply the best of your skills to live to fight another day…
If money or “I’d love to fly for free” is your primary motivation, there are less expensive ways to get there that require fewer sacrifices along the way. If you have to keep asking others regarding whether this is the right career for you, set aside $2-3k and take flight lessons locally at least until you solo. By then you’d have a good understanding of how “into it” you are. There will be more complex stages ahead at ATP and during your airline training, but this will set the stage.
The most humbling feeling I’ve ever experienced in my training was on my very first solo…when I glanced over into the right seat and saw it empty. While for a split second it scared the bejesus out of me, it humbled me to know that another aviator deemed me fit to fly on my own. I really stuck those landings (sorry 503FC…) too.
I know this career is for me because I am willing to give up a solid current career, and live on water and crackers for the foreseeable future just to be able to put on that Captain uniform one day. Hats off to all those that have gone before me! Thanks for reaching out with a helping hand to pull us towards your ranks…
Sergey,
Thanks for adding your insight, we appreciate it.
Chris
Very encouraging post and well said!
Thank you to all who have taken the time for a few simple words of encouragement, that truly do make ALL the difference! I am just starting this journey, and the massive amount of information is quite overwhelming. It is graciously humbling hearing of the challenges encountered and how hard work, discipline and commitment have triumphed! 
WE CAN DO THIS!!!