Tag: Private Pilot License

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Flight Training My Journey

Shut Up and Let Me Learn

Flying at 2000ft, a few hundred feet below fluffy, dark grey clouds, my flight instructor asked me to perform a medium level turn to the left. A medium level turn is a turn of up to 30° angle of bank, at a constant altitude.

At first, my instructor talked me through the basic manoeuvre. It was clear I understood the theory but my body seemed to be lagging. I was all over the place. The more that he corrected me, the less thinking i was able to do. However, just a few minutes later, he asked me to do something that made a huge difference.

Cockpit of Cessna 152

You Is All You Get

Have you ever thought about the fact that whatever you’re going to achieve in life, your body, mind and being – which you possess right now – are the tools with which you must achieve it?

As such, it seems that one of the most important things you can do is learn to maximise these tools – to study yourself as much as possible and to place yourself in conditions that are most conducive to your success.

What do you like? What do you hate? What works for you? What doesn’t work for you? Why?

I’ve been convinced for years and nothing so far has happened to shake me from the idea that I should be my number 1 student. The more you learn how you function and put yourself in places that maximise you, the better the results you will get.

A Shift In Responsibility

The thing that made the difference was that my instructor asked me to talk through the manoeuvre. He sat back and listened, as he observed.

Somehow, talking through the manoeuvre allowed an increase in my  mind-body connection. My turns weren’t perfect, but they were waaay better. Where I made errors, I self-corrected relatively efficiently.

Thankfully my instructor was humble and aware enough to notice. He suggested that perhaps he should shut up and let me talk through the manoeuvres (more often). After watching the footage and thinking about it, I fully agree!

More Of That Please

As long as it is safe to do so, that seems to be what works for me. I now have the choice of ignoring that or taking advantage of that. Considering that cost of flight training, I think I’ll go for the latter. I’ve got to have a chat with my instructor and make it happen.

👉🏾Go Fund Me Campaign 👈🏾

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Flight Training My Journey

Solo Flight, Here I Come!

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt over the last year is that when you set off on a journey, to achieving an important goal, you will likely have problems you didn’t foresee.

However, even more importantly, there are incredibly useful solutions that will reveal themselves, but only once you have embarked on and committed yourself to the journey. At least, that seems to be the case for me.

At the end of the 2020, I had a chat with one of my accountability partners and told him that my big goal was to solo for my birthday. I had no clue how it would happen, except that I’d try to make it happen.

A few months later, after one of my flying lessons, my car broke down as I pulled away, in slow-moving traffic. Thankfully, this didn’t happen when I was doing 80mph *cough* *cough* I mean 70mph on the M11 motorway (highway).

The mechanics listened to the clanging and banging in the engine and said it wouldn’t be worth fixing. They gave me a quote for a replacement engine, £1,800. I was devasted. I knew this would have a huge impact on my flying.

I was really tempted to put flight training on hold, to pay for my car’s heart transplant. After all, I rely on it for so much more than just transport (particularly when out of lockdowns). As soon as I decided to put flight training on hold, I recognised in myself the same ‘impulse to pause’ that had crippled many people’s path to progress.

A fear grew within. I realised that if I gave myself an excuse to pause flight training, I might always find an excuse to pause it, which means I may never achieve my dream-goal. There was no way I would allow myself to go down that path.

In the end, I decided to take the car off the road for a few months while I saved up and continued with my monthly flying lessons. With my financial priorities split, having my first solo flight before my 30th Birthday seemed impossible.

Here’s what’s crazy though. Out of curiosity, I asked my flying instructor how far I was my first solo flight. He said, he estimated that I would need another 10 hours. 10 hours? That works out to be £1,800 exactly. Remember that figure from anywhere?  Coincidence?

I remember a while back, one of my friends advised me to start a crowdfunding campaign. Now seemed as good a time as any, so I launched a Go Fund Me campaign, #SoloBy30.

I’ve been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity that I’ve been shown, through financial gifts, as well as words of encouragement. I know that each and every penny gifted to me was hard-earned, and there are many, and arguably better ways that money might have been spent, but those people chose to support me on my journey. I’m humbled and very grateful. Thank you.

If, this time last year, you told me that I’d be preparing for my first solo flight for my 30th Birthday, I’d have bitten you arm off. And yet, here I am, but I’m not sure exactly how it’s all happened. Of course, I’m still a long way from my Private Pilot’s License, but it’s progress, and that’s all one can hope for.

With just over 4 weeks to go, everything seems to be coming together so well. I passed my Air Law exam last year. I’m in the process of sorting out my medical certificate and all the financial gifts I have received have given me a much needed boost to make it all happen.

Solo flight, here I come!

👉🏾Go Fund Me Campaign 👈🏾

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Go Fund Me: Future Pilot #SoloBy30

I can’t believe I’ll be turning 30 soon! I’m nearly a dinosaur, but I feel young (when I’m not tearing my quads from playing football without warming up). As they say, “you are as old as you feel”… Am I being a bit over-dramatic? Likely!

After debating it for sometime, I have decided to launch a ‘Go Fund Me’ campaign, in celebration of my 3 decades on the planet. I look forward to sharing more updates with you over the coming weeks.

IN BRIEF

Last year, I made the bold and probably crazy idea to start living in my car to put the extra cash towards achieving my childhood dream of becoming a pilot. Despite all the concerns, I knew this was the only way to truly kickstart my journey towards my dream.

The commitment and sacrifice I have made since last year has allowed me to make amazing progress towards my dream.  However, with only a teaching assistant’s salary and an hourly training cost of £180 (travel and equipment not included), progress has been slower than ideal.

This year, it is my goal to have my first solo flight by my 30th birthday, on 8th June 2021. This means, my instructor will allow me to fly the airplane alone, while he supervises from the ground. It’s one the most exciting phases of training – like a child taking its first steps!

I am only 10 Flying hours away from my first solo. Your financial gift will help make my dream come true, on one of the most significant years of my life.

THE BREAKDOWN
10 Flying Hours : £1,800
Class 2 Medical :  £200
Total                            £2,000

DEADLINE: 1st June 2021

I’ve been sharing my journey on YouTube, so you will be able to share in this exciting experience with me, seeing first-hand the life-changing impact of your financial gift of any amount.

Seriously, every little helps. If you can’t give, please do share my campaign with someone who might. Thank you in advance!

👉🏾Go Fund Me Campaign 👈🏾

👉🏾YouTube👈🏾

👉🏾instagram 👈🏾

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MY PROGRESS SO FAR

The last year brought many milestones. I had my first official flying lesson, I performed my first take off and landing as well as achieving a first time pass in 3 exams. I have 6 left to complete, before qualifying for a Private Pilot’s License. This, in itself, is waaay more progress than all the previous years put together!

In addition to that, I got myself a new laptop and basic flight simulator equipment. This would allow me to practice and maintain my skill in between lessons (useful during lockdowns!). Using the flight sim also means that I spend less time being bamboozled in the cockpit and more time refining what I already practised.

My GoPro and action cameras, bought over the last year, have allowed me to review and milk each flying lesson. In turn, this allows to make the most amount of progress possible. It also means that I can post on instagram and YouTube, where you can follow my adventure. 

What’s Next?

After my first solo flight, I will have around 30 more hours to complete before becoming eligible for a Private Pilot’s License.

Eventually, I hope to become a commercial pilot and work as a flying instructor, combining my passion for aviation wit my passion for teaching. For now that’s a long ways off. I would settle for a solo flight by the 8th of June. That’s what I will be preparing for.

In the distant (but not too distant) future, once I have my licenses, I hope to do outreach work to young people who may find themselves in disadvantaged positions. I hope that my story will encourage and inspire them to go after their dreams, early on, despite how impossible it might seem.

A statement in the book, ‘Key Person of Influence’, has stuck with me since the day I read. The author said, “Choose a game you are willing to play, win or lose”. Flying training, this is the game I have decided to play, win or lose. I hope that you will help me win. 

Your financial gift, of any amount, will go a long way in helping me realise my dream. I hope that you will support me on my journey. I look forward to giving you updates each step of the journey. 

Seriously, every little helps. If you can’t give, please do share my campaign with someone who might. Thank you in advance!

DEADLINE: 1st June 2021

👉🏾Go Fund Me Campaign 👈🏾

👉🏾YouTube👈🏾

👉🏾instagram 👈🏾