User talk:Ppragman

Please add as much as you can to this. It is a work in progress.

Come introduce yourself at the new users page. If you have any questions, you can ask there or contact me personally.

I'm not quite sure if you were trying to start a new page in the Sandbox, but see the help about creating new pages above. Anyway, here is the text that you added, just in case you need it: (Donovan|Geocachernemesis|Interact) 09:34, 31 July 2005 (UTC)

You may want to refer to the discussion at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Talk:Becoming_a_Private_Pilot for information on this topic that is already freely available on the Web.

= Getting Your Private Pilot License =

About
This wiki is put together in order to aid all of those out there who may be interested in the aviation field. More will come, but at the moment I am more concerned with putting the very basics out there to get people interested in aviation. Sections about aerodynamics, flight maneuvers, and other resources will follow. The idea is to eventually create a free resource for training that may reduce the great burden that falls on the shoulders of every emerging student pilot.

What, Why?
The two greatest questions that may dissuade or entice people into flying are the questions "what?" and "why?".

What
A Private Pilot Licence (or, in the United States, a certificate) permits the holder to operate an [] under [flight rules]. In most countries, a private pilot possessing an [rating] may also conduct flights under [flight rules]. Passengers may be carried and [] in furtherance of a business is permitted; however, a private pilot may not be compensated in any way for services as a pilot and must pay at least the pro rata share of a []'s expenses. Neither passengers nor cargo may be carried for hire.

For more information see: []

Why?
People become pilots for many reasons. You may do it to have a goal to work at. You may do it because you need a way to commute to work faster. You may do it because it is your life long dream. Whatever the reason, aviation will become a way of life for you if you do. You will not regret a single penny of the money you spend, or a single second of the time you labor. It is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world to know you are a pilot. I recomend it to anyone.

Getting Started
It's not just as easy as jumping into the cockpit and fire-walling the throttle, there is some work for you to do first.

What You'll Need To Do
According to the FARs (Federal Aviation Regulations) there are some things you'll need to do to become a pilot.

1. First you will need to be at least 17 years old at the time of certification. If you are younger this does not disqualify you, it simply means that you will have to wait to get your license proper.

2. You must be able to read, speak, and write in English. It makes it hard to read all of those books on flying you'll need to read (we'll get to that later).

3. Pass two knowledge tests. One of them is written (on which you must score at least 70%), the other is practical.

What to Start With
Before you even try to spend your money on flying, try to get an introductory lesson at a lower price, or a ride in an airplane from a neighbor. You want to know from the beginning if this is something you want to do. After that, get all the information in written form you can. The ASA FAR/AIM book is an excellent resource for all the regs, though Jeppesen's Private Pilot Manual, is a more readable form. Buy both of these books, and read as much of them as you can. Go in to the whole situation with as much knowledge as you can, and use that knowledge to supplement the practical training you will receive as a student.

Choosing a Flight School
In aviation, there are two types of schools: the larger more corporate flight schools like Sportys or Big Bend Community College, and the smaller, part 61 (a reference to the regulations) flight schools, that typically are nothing much more that an instructor that calls his flight school his home business as well. For your Private Pilot Certificate, a part 61 school will suffice, but if you want to work your way all the way up to the big airlines, you might as well start at a part 141 school (the larger one). A part 61 school may be more hands on, and more personal than a part 141 school, but often times, you will find a welcome atmosphere at both. The choice is yours. Talk to graduates from your local schools, and see who they'd recommend. Remember, pilots want safe pilots flying with them, and if they don't think a certain instructor trains competant pilots, heed their warnings, you want to be the very safest pilot in the air.

Follow Through
Remember during your training this one thing: "I CAN DO IT." Regardless of how tough it may seem along the way, you will always regret it if you decide half-way through that you did not have what it takes. Your own drive is probably the greatest of your allies.

Cost
Flight school can cost alot. From what I've seen, the average flight training costs about $5,000 dollars, though I know people who have gotten it for less than $4000. Again, the quality of the training, and your own commitment are going to play a roll in this. If you cannot afford to fly every day for a month, your price is going to increase due to the extra time it will take you to get back in the habit every week when you do fly. The best and cheapest way to get your certificate is to do it all at once. That way, you can feel your progress, and have a more intuitive grasp on how the plane flies. This is crucial to the training of a successful pilot.

=Background=

Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is the study of fluids in motion. To be a competant pilot, you will need to know and understand aerodynamics intuitively, and also scientifically.

Maneuvering
=Standard Day=

Clouds
=Systems and Aircraft Componants= In this segment I will cover the systems for a 1967 Cessna 150. I choose this aircraft because it is a fairly common training aircraft, and it has fairly simple systems. More complex aircraft will require more study when it comes to systems.

Flight Control Surfaces
=In The Cockpit Basics= The basic thing to remember in the cockpit is this: "THINK!" Being impulsive will get you nowhere-in fact, it will get you killed - know what and how to do what ever needs to be done. If you don't, ask someone. They will be certain to help.

=Take Off= The basic point behind take off is simple. Get the airplane in the air without crashing into anything! There are a couple of standard ways to do this:

Standard
The standard way to take off is fairly simple. Advance the throttle to full, and start off down the runway. Once your speed has sufficiently built (this should be your Vy speed) you pull back slightly on the stick, and raise the nose gear off of the runway. The airplane should, at this point, fly itself off the runway and into the air. Keep the airspeed at that Vy speed until you have finished climbing.

Soft Field
=Landings=

Go - Arrounds
=Steep Turns=

=Slow Flight=

Lost Procedures
=Disclaimer= I take no responsibility for any of the data posted on this Wiki. This information may be a helpful training aide, but it cannot take the place of logged instructional time with an instructor. Thanks, and happy landings.