Aviation Megathread 10-9: The Kids Are All Rote

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Aviation Megathread 10-9: The Kids Are All Rote

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

Hello thread, I'm going to start my PPL training. What guidance do you have for picking a CFI out of a bunch of options?

# ¿ Jan 25, 2024 20:35

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 01:32

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

I'm deciding on online ground schools right now for ppl. Apparently Kings is extremely cringe, and still VHS quality.

Sporty's is updated with modern graphics, and available on a bunch of platforms including Roku???

Gleim is another contender, but I'm not finding much independent info on it.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2024 08:07

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

captainOrbital posted:

I like Sportys although it seems like many flight schools are more familiar with Kings and can track your progress more easily?

Sportys has new stuff like interactive (basic Flash-style) scenario things, and each of their lessons has accompanying notes, quizzes, and transcripts. They also have mock tests, and all of the extra downloadable stuff right on their site, like VFR Flight Plan sheets, FAA books (also available on the FAA website for free), and maybe POHs?

Their knowledge test app is extra, but it's like 5 bucks, and the apps on IOS, Android, PC, and Roku have all worked perfectly for me, plus they never bitch about how often I'm logging in or from how many different devices. I rarely have to re-login. Pretty easy to navigate too, and the lessons are clear and well filmed, and I've never had issues loading or streaming.

How would you say Sporty's interactive lessons compare to Gold Seal? I enjoyed the interactive aspect of the GS demo lesson: https://groundschool.com/assets/sample-lessons/private-sample/story

# ¿ Feb 12, 2024 08:53

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

captainOrbital posted:

Both better and worse?

HOPE THAT HELPED!

The Sportys interactives are more like basic supplements to existing video lessons. So, like after the airport signs and markings video, it would show you a blank sign next to a taxiway and have you drag the correct one over from a list of six. Or drag the proper hold short lines to an intersection. It's a tiny bit more interactive than the GS one, but less integrated into the actual lesson and more like a quiz.

I really liked that forward slip video, actually. I don't know if Sportys ever mentioned why you bank left/yaw right, and I like that you can click on the ACS sections to read.

That does help yeah!

# ¿ Feb 13, 2024 08:06

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

Kwolok posted:

Hey all, my PPL journey continues. Have done a lot of slow flight, take off and lands, touch n go's, and even recently did my first landing at a different airport. Its so but regular progress.

However weather keep cancelling my training days. And because I fly out of a relatively impacted airport, its hard to just reschedule immediately (instead I have to reschedule out some weeks from the cancelled date).

So my question is, as I am constantly chomping at the bit for more experiecne, is microsoft flight simulator at all a decent way to scratch that itch/build familiarity? I understand, of course, its no where near a replacement, but I guess my main question would be, is it actively a bad idea that could encourage or have me learn bad practices to jump into flight simulator (which afaict has my plane model and airport) and fly around a bit?

I think that it can be useful as an extension of chair flying if you already have a yoke/stick and rudders, but it's not so beneficial that you should go out and spend hundreds of dollars on sim gear. If you don't have that equipment already, spend the money on cockpit diagrams and do good old analog chair flying to practice your flows.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2024 02:37

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

Anyone have recommendations for digital/ebook editions of the Airplane Flying Handbook and Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge? I have the free PDFs from FAA.gov, and I have also purchased the AFM from the Kindle store before realizing it's effectively just the PDF.

I'm looking for ebook versions that support text scaling and resizing - the text from the PDFs is absolutely miniscule on an iPad Mini.

# ¿ Mar 20, 2024 01:51

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

... Are you telling me you aren't supposed to fly with your heels on the floor and it's just something my CFI told me to not accidentally brake on takeoff?

# ¿ Mar 29, 2024 01:21

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

Kwolok posted:

So I got four more landings in today and this time after I had the runway made and started to round out my landing I looked to the end of the runway and sure enough I had four really smooth landings!

Hell yeah!

Arson Daily posted:

oh hey one other trick is to set your seat exactly the same way so that your sight picture doesnt change. anything you can do to reduce the number of variables is helpful

After 2 of the smoothest landings I've made so far, I have to credit cranking the seat adjuster 3 full turns up from bottom rather than the previous 2.5 turns with changing the sight picture just enough that I'm keeping the nose up and not pancaking that poo poo in flat.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2024 08:10

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

Walrusmaster posted:

Now I feel short, I set the C172 seat 7 turns from the top

I'm also in a C172 - I'm over 6 foot and a lot of it is torso. I didn't truly appreciate the John Glenn quote about the Mercury capsule, "You don't ride in it, you put it on," until I first tried to clamber into the C172.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2024 18:07

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 01:32

Wombot: Sep 11, 2001

Hell yeah!

# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 00:58

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Aviation Megathread 10-9: The Kids Are All Rote