Student Pilot Cast

In this episode, just three days after my last solo covered in episode 44, I was back in the cockpit with my instructor, Lary, and along for the ride on this one was my oldest Son who was around 10 at the time. We would stay in the pattern for practicing short and soft field landings and takeoffs, as well as an engine out drill in the pattern. It was a great flight, and I was getting close to my check ride, and I was getting excited and nervous. It was getting close.

This was a morning flight, thank goodness. I’d be flying in N9126M. Enjoy the episode.

Today I’d be flying in 2148Y on a solo flight to practice ground reference maneuvers as well as practicing some short and soft field landings. In fact, according to my part 141 training curriculum, this would just be my second to last solo flight before my check ride. We will see what actually happens, but I knew that my primary training was coming to an end. In fact, this was passed the middle of July and I was trying to pass my oral and my check ride before I would go to Oshkosh for Airventure 2008; my first trip there. And I would be going as one of the handful of aviation podcasters at the time. I would be leaving on a commercial flight Monday, July 28th in the evening, and this solo flight was 10 days prior to that…so I would need to finish up my training pretty quick, make sure I was ready, and pass my checkride to make it by the time I left. So these flights were important to me because I needed the practice to get where I wanted to be to make my check ride date, which was scheduled for 6 days away, on the 24th. After this flight my curriculum had me taking 5 more flights over those six days, so it would be a whirlwind. In fact, I would be taking the next Tuesday off of work to do a dual flight, a solo flight, and a stage check all in one day to make sure I would make it, but we’ll get to that in future episodes.

Dropping episode 43 today, where I take you a long on a dual flight with Lary, my instructor, but I have two small visitors today as well. This episode is a bit nostalgic for me as I had my two youngest kids with me; ages 8 and 6. Of course, they’re adults now as this was way back in 2008 when I was doing my primary training. I’m such a washout with this episodes.

I hope you enjoy this one…at least a little better than my poor boys did near the end. It was a very hot afternoon flight and we were doing ground reference maneuvers down low. Well, you can imagine, I’m sure. Don’t worry, they still love flying. And so do I, it turns out. Enjoy episode 43.

Wow…what is this? Another episode of the Student Pilot Cast?!?! After all this time? Well, yes…let’s at least get through my primary training before another hiatus, shall we? Actually, I’ve got some plans even after that, so let’s see how it goes.

In this episode I’ll take you along on a solo flight where I practiced Short and Soft Field Landings, Minimum Controllable Airspeed, Power off and power on Stalls (with turns), and a few more things.

I started to notice some of the little things; things in the back of my head that stood out because they weren’t right even if I wasn’t paying that much attention to them. I started to notice that my situational awareness was getting more keen and I was just getting more used to what I expected to happen; I was anticipating more and more, and feeling much more comfortable. And I was still exhilarated by solo flights being the sole pilot responsible for the flight. This was a fun one, some come along with me as I get closer and closer to becoming a pilot.

Hello, everyone. This is episode 40 of the Student Pilot Cast, The Anonymous CFI. This is a bit more brief than most episodes because I never got permission from the CFI I flew with this day to publish the content, so I’m sorry to say that any cockpit audio with the CFIs voice or instruction is not included in the episode…and of course I don’t say who it is. It’s the anonymous CFI episode, of course. Not to worry, though…this is the only time I flew with this particular instructor, so should be the only time this happens. In the future, for any future training I do, I will try to get permission. Apologies.

That said, in this episode I get to do some practice maneuvers, including shorts and softs, steep turns, hood work, minimum controllable airspeed, and both power on and off stalls. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot. I’ve said before that I liked flying with different instructors because it kept me on my toes, as well as always taught me something since everyone has a different style.

I hope you enjoy this one. As always, don’t hesitate to contact me and let me know what you’re doing in aviation.

Look! Less than a week and another episode!  This is my return flight on my long solo cross country flight from Prescott (KPRC) to Chandler (KCHD) via Wickenburg (E25).  I transition a bit of the southern portion of the PHX Class B airspace as well.

This was a great flight.  I made a few mistakes that were good learning experiences, but most of all I was happy to be back in the cockpit alone to enjoy some real flying.  I got to fly in both busy airspace as well as pretty remote, uncrowded airspace.

For the first leg of this flight, see Episode #39 of the podcast.

Thanks for listening.  Don’t forget to let me know what you’re doing in aviation, what you’re learning, and of course give me feedback on the podcast.  You can send me email, use the contact link on the website (https://studentpilotcast.com/contact/), or find me on Twitter at @billwil.  Thanks for listening, everyone. I hope to hear from you, and I hope you’re enjoying the podcast.

This is the corrected link to the media file (the original publication had the wrong media file linked).

Close up of the route (TAC)

Overall route on this leg.

I’m back releasing podcast after my much too long hiatus.  Sorry for the delay, everyone.

This is the first part of my long solo cross country flight which followed my stage III check.  I fly from Chandler (KCHD) west and north through the PHX class B airspace, and then on to the busy Prescott (KPRC) airport, which is home of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Remember, you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/billwil. I hope you enjoy the episode.  Please send feedback.

Welcome back, SPC listeners.  I’m glad to be back with you for another experience on my road to becoming a private pilot.  Today you’ll be coming along as I complete my 3rd stage check out of four.  As you know from my previous few episodes, I’d been preparing for this.  As I also have mentioned before, I had spent the previous 4 days training for this stage check, including a makeup solo the morning of this check which you can hear all about in episode 37.  So finally here we are, ready to get passed off to one of the chief pilots to make sure I’m ready to enter the fourth and final stage of my training.

This is episode 37 of the Student Pilot Cast. Join me as I take a solo makup flight in some windy conditions the morning of my Stage III Check. In this flight I stay in the pattern and practice performance landings and takeoffs. As the flight went on, the wind kept getting worse and worse to the point that I ended up landing in a crosswind that was close to the max demonstrated crosswind component of the aircraft. Fun stuff. 

Don’t forget to check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide. Air Freddy is a very experienced CFI who has writtend a great guide to getting started in the flight training game. I’ve read the book and wished that I would have known about it before I started…so I’m passing it along to you if you’re interested. By using the link I’m providing here the Student Pilot Cast will get the referral credit, so please do use this link.  

Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy this episode.