New Year's Goals

As we begin our new year, and I continue to build my experience as a flight instructor and reaching the mid-900 mark, I have come to realize how quickly I am approaching the end of this transitional period in my life from general aviation to commercial operations at an airline. I expect by fall of this year, I will have surpassed the 1,500 hour minimum, marking my eligibility for ATP.

Now by all means I do not expect to go from 1,499 and then to 1,500 and expect to have a CJO (conditional job offer) in my hand. However, surpassing the 1,500 mark represents something more than just "getting my hours". Instead, it serves as a milestone that causes reflection on the kind of pilot, and professional, I am becoming. As a student pilot, or even just a pilot working my way through my ratings, that 1,500 seemed like far away number; so far it felt like it could've been in outer space. But now, by just working as a flight instructor for 6 months, I have gone from mid 200's to over 900. I did not realize that in this short time period, I would first, fly the hours I did in such a short amount of time, but second, gain more knowledge about aviation and confidence in my flying or teaching skills than I ever imagined.

I remember one of my first flight lessons and being overwhelmed by the noisy Cessna 172, all the different instruments which I struggled to remember the names of, and the task of flying the aircraft. Now, as a flight instructor, each flight is as smooth as a walk in the park, but only due to my training and preparation for each flight, which stems from my training, beginning as a student pilot. As I approach my ATP mins, or even just another major milestone ahead, the 1,000 hour mark, I am continually reminded that there is still that spirit of a student pilot lives inside me. I consistently see myself in my students, especially my student pilots: in their mistakes, triumphs (such as first solo), their lightbulb moments, and beyond. And that is the basis of alot of my teaching: placing myself in the shoes of a student pilot, and the thoughts or questions I wish I had answered when I was in their position. How can I relate this concept in the most effective way? What methods helped me remember this topic?

So as we go into this new year, and set new goals (of hopefully becoming better, smarter, and safer pilots), some habits that I wish to instill in my students, and curious readers, are as follows:

1. Prepare for each flight, not just your solos. Don't just throw your flight bag in the car when it's time to go. Check NOTAMs, bring questions, review checklists, and chairfly! Chairfly even if it is just a routine flight of practicing those "basic" manuevers.

2. Once per day, read a little out of one of the many great FAA resources for flying, such as the PHAK (Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge). All of these FAA resources are free, and a quick search on the internet will bring it up. It covers anything and everything: systems, weather, airspace, human factors, etc. (All things to be covered on your checkride!). If reading from a book isn't your thing, there are so many other fantastic mediums: YouTube videos, short articles, magazines, diagrams, audiobooks, or just a good ole ground lesson with a CFI.

3. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy. Flight training happens at different stages of life, different time spans, or in different amounts of hours. Each person's training is unique and tailored to them, the plane, airspace, etc. Your mortal enemy soloing in less hours than you is not the end of the world, and does certainly not mean you are a worse pilot than someone. Everyone moves at their own pace and when you feel as though you are progressing backwards in your training, it's hard not to compare yourself. Realize that every. single. pilot. has gone through one hiccup or another in their training. If you aren't making these mistakes early on, then you are going to have a harder time figuring them out later when you do not have an instructor by your side.

4. And finally, for those that haven't learned the hard way yet, check the weather before you leave the house. Please.