Did anyone ever tell you, “Be careful what you ask for…”.
I am once again working as a corporate pilot flying Challengers CL-605 and for the past month I’ve been traveling like crazy! I finally have a few days off ahead of me and wanted to share a video I found on YouTube with all of you.
I love this video…I couldn’t have explained why becoming a pilot is so worth it better than this. Check it out!
I had a student once who had to face a mortal fear of flying in order to get his Private Pilot License. In his own words, he described that experience in an earlier post (Click Here to read it). Now, his story is inspiring others to do the same thing:
Private Pilot Bill
Here is a comment left by one such person, Lucas, who is currently undergoing the same process. Lucas says,
_________________
Hi Bill,
I cannot get over how this story is the life I am currently living down to a tee always expecting the statistical near impossible. Currently on my 5th our of flying lessons hopefully I can get through it with some courage.
Great read.
___________________
Although, most pilots do not look at flying as “dangerous”, we are all aware that things could go wrong. By gaining confidence (through training and practice) that we can handle most emergencies, we can feel more free to enjoy flying without “FEAR”. But for some people, this is obviously easier said than done. I really admire and commend those who conquer their fears by facing them head on.
Bill has graciously taken the time to answer Lucas and expand on his experience. Bill says,
___________________
Hello Lucas:
I notice you mention COURAGE… So, let me offer this follow-up to my original story above:
Let’s call it like it is shall we; all this flying stuff comes down to facing DEATH (in big capital letters). A death that we (you and I) would have no control over. A flying death would “not” be of natural causes and as you aptly put it, it has a “statistical probability”. Problem is, FEAR tends to skew the statistics, doesn’t it? Crashing suddenly becomes a 1 in 10 probability even though much closer to one in a million.
During my training, I wondered why it seemed to come down to relying on machinery that other people service and maintain (yikes), and why I worried so deeply about their unknown, unobserved efforts. I even wondered about metallurgy (metal molecules) construction; you know, all the tiny nuts and bolts, wires and cords. Surely one would snap while I was up in the air, well maybe my 1 in 10 wouldn’t happen this particular day (I hoped). Flying seems like an inescapable flip of the coin of fate, a roll of the dice. That’s the inescapable paradigm of flying, and it cannot be changed, only just accepted with some invisible aplomb. Odd nutty people like my CFI, Ruth Morlas would casually repeat: ” If your time is up, it’s up” … Hmmm, well, sorry but I can’t dangle over a pool of alligators by a thread with the thread on fire and wonder if my time is up in that way, nope… not me…
But, alas… You will come to realize when considering quitting that you really have no choice, not really. Because if you haven’t already, you will soon realize that you must persevere and conquer this fear since the alternative is somehow even worse than this flying fear. Yes, it will all come down to a FEAR of FAILURE vs. the FEAR of FLYING, at least it did for me. The former must and will eventually trump the latter. My fear of failure: fueled, shoved, pushed and tugged me headlong into the oncoming traffic of fate, where I would either end up dead or end up as a pilot. In the final analysis, there are only these two forks in the road, fail or fly.
Let me briefly define what the potential FAILURE meant to me, and therefore why this FEAR superseded even the mortal fear of flying: If I were to fail again to conquer my flying fear, I would never fly commercial, hence never see the world, and hardly ever see my far away family. Those fears simply became larger than even the fear of potential death in an airplane.
I was shocked to find that in this internal BATTLE with both FAILURE and with FLYING, the lesser of two giant evils was the FLYING one. FAILURE was suddenly no longer an option when it always was up until now. Somehow, I came to this fork in the road and the choice was clear, I simply cannot allow myself to FAIL at this any longer, period. Luckily this odd NEW ingredient within my cowardice grew, it was my COURAGE (that you mentioned, Lucas). I didn’t even know I had COURAGE until it was tested and revealed on this odd field of battle just as you are realizing. My courage made me proud of myself and I liked feeling proud of me (are you like me.!!). Yes, this internal war will teach you all about you. In essence, you are grabbing the yoke of you.
How could I quit and just stay home, a failure again, no way, time’s up on that stuff. ”Fear of Failure” is somehow greater somewhere along everybody’s road even than the “fear of flying”. I think instinctively, you realize you are at this same crossroads. I won this battle and so shall you. It will yield a sense of great accomplishment and it develops first in steps, then in stages. Yes, I still do have some fear when off the ground floating with only the hand of fate holding me up. But somehow it is manageable. I am a warrior on a battlefield of FEAR and I am a conqueror; who would have ever known. I defeated both Fear of FAILURE and Fear of FLYING in one kamikaze swoop as they are inextricably intertwined. You are my twin brother in arms, Lucas who will also conquer. I hope you smile at these words.
Kindest regards,
BILL BROWER
_______________
Thanks to Bill and Lucas for sharing their stories!
When I decided I wanted to fly for a living, I had no idea what I needed to do. I knew there was a flight school out there called Embry-Riddle that supposedly trained pilots. So, after applying and getting accepted, I traveled down to Daytona Beach to get my wings.
I figured, a few more years of college and I would have my flying job. Little did I know…that is simply not the way it works. There’s a lot more you need before landing that dream job of airline pilot, corporate pilot, or some other pilot job flying those beautiful twin jets.
Find out exactly what you need to become a pilot by watching this video.
Click Here for more information about the FAA Medical Certificate
Click Here to learn How To Choose A Flight School
Click Here to learn How To Choose A Flight Instructor
Click Here for examples of How To Build More Flight Time
If you like this post…please share with your friends!
Hey Everyone!
I’ve created a campaign to fund a $3,000 Scholarship for someone to solo for the first time.
Visit my campaign to either donate or share with your friends: Click Here to Help
Fill out the Online Application
Once the winner is chosen, follow the winner’s progress as he/she embarks on a their exciting flying adventure. Just check back here on my BLOG for monthly updates!
Hi there! So, are you thinking of taking flight lessons? Well, I promise, it will be an experience of a lifetime! However, make sure this experience is a good one, rather than a bad one. One thing that will almost guarantee it be an awesome experience, is choosing the right CFI – Certified Flight Instructor.
This is one of the most important decisions you will make as a student pilot. Although some schools will assign you a flight instructor, if you don’t feel comfortable with him/her, you can certainly ask for another one. In fact, that’s exactly what you must do.
What do I mean by “comfortable”?
Knowing whether a certain instructor is right for you takes more than just asking questions – it takes intuition. You have to use that feeling that you get inside you.
Have you ever been driving along and suddenly felt that you were going the wrong way? There were no signs that said, “THIS IS THE WRONG WAY TO YOUR DESTINATION”, yet, you felt like you were off track. Before you see a road sign to confirm that you were going the wrong way, your intuition was already telling you this. This is what I mean by comfortable. It’s that warm and fuzzy feeling you get once you turn around and know that you’re back on the right road.
When interviewing a potential flight instructor, pay attention to your intuition. Try not to judge someone based on how professional they look (although, if they’re completely sloppy, you might want to be weary), or how tall they are, or whether they’re young or old, male or female. Instead, listen to what they say and see if you feel “expansive” or “restricted”.
What do I mean by expansive and restricted?
Here’s what I mean:
Think about something that you enjoy doing with a passion. Perhaps it’s dancing, playing video games, riding your motorcycle, or even flying. Now, think about talking to someone about this activity - you are being expansive if you get excited from talking about it, you feel more energy, your eyes are wide, you move towards the person as you talk. If, however, you feel restricted when you talk about something that you don’t like, you slump down, you feel insecure, unsure, and perhaps a bit afraid.
When interviewing flight instructors, ask them a few questions and see how their answers make you feel. Here are some questions you can ask. Remember to pay attention to what they’re saying, but also to your own body language and intuition.
Why did you become a Flight Instructor?
This will tell you if he/she is there to build up flight time (at your expense) because they can’t get another job in aviation at the time, or if they have a genuine interest in giving someone the gift of flight. This does not mean that someone who is trying to build up flight time in order to move up in their flying career won’t be a good instructor, but you should be able to determine their affinity for teaching. Some instructors are not happy to have to fly with students in order to build up flight time. These types may give answers, such as, “Because I had to” or “Because that’s how you build up flight time”.
If someone became an instructor to build up flight time AND they also have an interest in teaching you, they will answer more along the lines of, “Because I wanted to continue to learn, and students have a lot to teach too” or “Because the look on someone’s face when they first solo is priceless”.
How long have you been Flight Instructing?
No matter how well-intentioned an instructor is, the first couple of students are the guinea pigs while he/she develops his/her teaching style. If you’re someone’s first student, but you feel this instructor is for you, just make sure you ask a lot of questions and keep very good track of your progress using your syllabus. Make sure you talk to other students and ask them what kind of reading their doing, what books they’re using, what type of homework they’re getting. You should ALWAYS have some type of “homework” assignment at the end of each lesson.
Describe your Teaching Style? Is it very structured or tailored to the student?
Many pilots are the “technical” types. They’re very logical and like to make decisions based on logic without relying on feelings or intuition very much. In fact, during pilot training, you will be taught NOT to trust your intuition in certain situations. If you’re more of an intuitive person or a little on the sensitive side, you may want to look for an instructor who’s not so “technical” or look for someone who has several years of experience teaching.
Some students like to figure things out as they go, they want to try out a maneuver first, while others like to be shown first, then guided through it before they try it completely on their own. Figure out what type of learner you are and look for an instructor that is willing to adapt to your learning style.
Would you say you give more compliments than critiques or the other way around?
A lot of people respond very well to positive reinforcement, while some may not like a bunch of sugar coating on bad news. The same goes in the reverse for flight instructors. Some like to point out what you’re doing wrong (not because they don’t like you, but because they’re trying to help you improve), while others get excited with you and for you whenever you do something right. What is your preference? If you know what it is, tell your flight instructor, so that they know how to teach you. They will have their own preference, but may be willing to adapt to your way of learning too.
Do you stick strictly to the syllabus? Or do you like to jump around?
Some people are more spontaneous while others are more comfortable in a routine. If you like to keep things predicable and are not too excited about things NOT going as planned, a flight instructor that likes to “wing” it with your flight lessons might not be the one for you. It’s good to maintain some structure in your flight training, and absolutely make sure you have a syllabus where you can keep track of your progress.
However, some flexibility is good too. For instance, some flight training maneuvers require you to be at an altitude of 3,000ft or above, while others require only about 1,500ft. If the clouds are at 2,500ft, but you were scheduled to practice maneuvers that require you to fly at 3,000ft, there’s no reason to cancel the flight. Instead, switch to a lesson that requires only the 1,500ft altitude, and you can still make the most out of a lesson.
Do you use a syllabus? Can I see a copy of it?
Depending on the flight school, the syllabus may be a commercial one that you can buy online or at a pilot shop, or the school could have their own. Whichever it is, make sure your CFI uses one. If he/she thinks it’s not advantageous to use one, find another instructor.
I’ve heard people talk about “stalling” an airplane. Can you tell me what that means?
Whether you do or don’t know what “stalling” an airplane means, this is a chance for you to see how the instructor teaches you something. Will they be patient with you or talk down to you? Do they talk over your head or do they use simple terminology that you can understand? Do they ask you questions to make sure you understood or do they try to brush you off with an over-simplistic answer?
Now, with all that said, keep in mind that flight instructors have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. Even after they sign you off and you get your pilot certificate, if you go and do something silly and get in trouble, or even worse, end up dead – your flight instructor is the first person the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administrator will want to talk to. He/She can even have their pilot certificates suspended or revoked.
So, just because your instructor should treat you with respect and professionalism, it doesn’t mean you are off the hook from accountability. Your role as a student is to show up prepared for each lesson, study in advance, ask questions if you don’t understand something, and take notes at the end to make sure you know what to do differently next time.
Well, I hope these tips help you find the perfect flight instructor for you! Remember, if you’re taking flight lessons and you’re not having fun and feeling like you’re growing in piloting skills AND as a person, something is not right.
Now it’s your turn to share – tell me how you found your instructor and if he/she was the right match. Or, if you have a question that you’d like me to answer, email me at or leave a comment below!
Are you ready to get started? I’ve put together a FREE Private Pilot prep kit so you can hit the “ground” running. Enjoy!
Hello fellow Flyers!
I just got back from a flight with my instrument student and I wanted to share with you a topic that came up right before the flight. The weather was kind of dicey with broken clouds and the surface temperature 10deg C above freezing. Rob (my student) debated whether to cancel the flight or take a risk in spending money on a flight in which we migh have to turn right back if we started to pick up any ice.
We ended up going for about an hour long flight, popping in and out of clouds. He learned some good lessons , but it started me thinking:
With the soaring costs of flying today, how can you plan your budget if you decide you want to become a pilot?
The short answer is: It depends.
Do you just want to get your private pilot certificate OR do you want to eventually have a career as a pilot?
If you want to become a pilot for recreational purposes, you can get your pilot’s license for anywhere from $4,000 – $10,000. This figure varies, but it mostly depends on you. Some people take 2-3 months, others take 2-3 years. Obviously the longer you take, the more it’s going to cost.
If you want a career as a pilot, however, you’re going to need to spend a tad more than that. I’m talking between $40,000 – $200,000. That’s almost a quarter of a million dollars to become a professional pilot!
“Why such a huge range”, you ask?
Three reasons:
1. Initial Cost of Flight training (~ $30K – $80K): The very, very minimum you need in order to be allowed to get paid to fly is about 250hrs of flight time. Even if you use an average cost of $120/hr, that amounts to $30,000! But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because with only 250 hours, no one is going to hire you as a pilot. Would you hire a pilot with only 250 hours of flight time to fly your loved ones around? I didn’t think so.
2. Need of a College Degree (~$20K – $80K): In today’s competative industries, no one hires without a college degree. I know of great pilot with thousands of hours of flight time, including time in Boeing 737′s, that is working as a non-pilot because no one will hire him without a college degree.
3. Time-building Phase of a pilot’s career ($0 – $50K): No one will hire you with only 250hrs of flight time, which is what you end up with after getting all your certificates that allow you to work as a pilot. To get those coveted pilot jobs (airline pilot, corporate pilot, cargo pilot), you will need THOUSANDS of hours of flight time. While you don’t have to pay for these hours if you work at entry-level pilot jobs, you will be making very close to minimum wage while you build up your flight time. These 2-10 years can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars since you will probably be taking out debt (credit cards, loans, etc.) just to make ends meet. Additionally, unless you paid for your flight training out of pocket, you will be making payments on your student loans with thousands of dollars in interest.
So, really, the only way it makes sense to pursue a pilot career is if you don’t give up until you are making enough money to have your flight training be worth the cost. This requires a lot of determination, passion, discipline, and a little bit of luck!
For more information on how to become a pilot, check back often for weekly posts and don’t forget to read some of my articles to the right.
Tell me what you think by leaving a comment below!
I want to know what type of pilot YOU want to be? What are YOUR plans for financing your flight training?
Did you know that more than 80% of people who start taking flight lessons never receive their pilot certificate?
It’s not particularly difficult to learn to fly, so why such a high drop out rate?
The reason is because most people who want to learn to fly go into it blindfolded. They don’t know all the requirements, don’t know what to expect, and fail to ask the right questions because they don’t know what questions to ask. A private pilot course is NOT like a typical class where you show up, study some material, and then get your certificate. Most classes have very structured programs to train you in whatever you want training in. Most flight schools, however, are not structured that way. It is up to your flight instructor to decide what to teach you, when to teach you, and how to teach you. Instructors with little experience in teaching, often as young as 18-20 years old, are technically qualified to teach you to fly, but, while they are excellent pilots, lack the experience of actually transferring their knowledge onto you.
The PilotTrick of the day is:
One of the first things someone should take a look at when they want to become a pilot is the Practical Test Standards. This is a document, published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), delineating everything you will be tested on during your practical test for a pilot’s certificate. Most student pilots, however, don’t even know this exists until about a week before their test. The PTS’s can be found online on the FAA website.
If you want to pursue your dream of flying, stay tuned for weekly posts and future articles on how to become a pilot. Whether you want to feel like an eagle in the sky, crave to operate the world’s most cutting-edge technology, or just want to get somewhere fast, becoming a pilot is not as difficult as it may seem.
If you’re a student pilot right now, tell me what is the most difficult thing about learning to fly for you? I would love to hear from you and perhaps you can share some of YOUR PilotTricks!
People want to learn to fly for one of three reasons (or a combination):
Some people love aircraft so much, they want to figure out a way to get paid to fly. So, they work hard and pursue life as a professional pilot. Whether it’s working for an airline, being a crop-duster pilot, flying fighter jets, or taking people on scenic flights, some of us just want to get paid to do what we love to do.
Other people are just in love with the beauty of flight and the freedom they experience up above the clouds. Maybe they never got the opportunities to pursue a career in flying, but it’s always been one of their dreams. Others are in love with the technology that makes flight possible, but consider it a hobby and don’t want to turn a hobby into a “job”. These are recreational flyers.
There is also a third group of pilots that exhibit a little of both of the above traits. They are business owners, entrepreneurs, or successful professionals with little patience of ground highway traffic. They know they’re smart enough to operate and airplane and would rather fly to a meeting or conference in a fraction of the time than it would take to drive there. These smarty pants also know that an expensive hobby, such as flying, can easily be used as a business expense if they use it for business-related purposes.
In any case, all pilots share a common trait – when we get back on the ground from a flight, it doesn’t take long for us to start thinking of the next time we’ll get to go up again.
Your PilotTrick of the day is:
If you’re thinking of becoming a pilot, it’s imperative that you know which of these three categories you fall into. Knowing this little tidbit could save you thousands of dollars because which flight school and/or flight instructor you choose depends on which of these type of pilots you want to be.
Now, I want to hear from you awesome flyers and flyer-wana-be’s out there! Please leave a comment below and tell me what type of pilot do YOU want to be?