Hey guys,
I am a soon to be student pilot. I have wanted to get my license for a while now but never had the time. I just signed up to do my whole private course in an Sr-20. If things start off well I am going to order a new plane too. I was just hoping for some tips or any general advice you could offer for a new pilot starting out in the Cirrus.
Thanks,
Chris
The best advice is become a COPA member. The stuff on the member side is a treasure trove to a new or seasoned pilot.
Congratulations and we hope we can welcome you to the pilot fraternity in a few short hours. Agree that joining COPA is an excellent idea. My only serious advice is that you stick with it thru to your private and beyond. I recently heard a statistic about pilot starts vs completions - i.e. pilots that start but don’t complete their training. While I don’t recall the exact statistics, I do recall that it is a small percentage that start and see it through to their private license. So if you can do this, you will join an elite group. More so if you go on to get your IFR and Commercial. So stay the course and fly consistantly - two to three times a week if you can - and don’t take your eye off the prize!!! And what better aircraft to learn in than a Cirrus! - count yourself very fortunate!!!
And Good Luck!!
Welcome!
You will be at a real advanage to learn in a Cirrus, compared to coming up through Cessnas, Pipers, Champs, etc. Having done those planes one almost has to learn to fly over again, but starting in a Cirrus you’ll be way ahead. Be sure your instructor is well experienced in the Cirrus, preferably Cirrus trained instructor. Read, study, and read and study some more. For every hour in the air you need ten on the ground. Of course learn all the regs and basic private pilot information, but memorize the pilots operating handbook for the Cirrus, and get the Garmin trainer (download free from Garmin. com) and use it going through the Garmin manual.
Also, Join AOPA and red the “Pilot” cover to cover each month. Same with “Flying”. Have fun!
Having trained numerous pilots, the one biggest piece of advise that I can give you is to fly three to four times a week and don’t get discouraged when you hit a training plateau. Everyone experiences a plateau somewhere along in their training, and this is where most student pilots loose focus and give up on training. If you have a good instructor he will be able to identify the plateau and be able to help you progress through this phase of your training. In addition, have fun because flying is fun, and absorb as much of the information that you can while with your instructor. Also, remember you can’t remember everything, and it is okay to ask a lot of questions.
From what I have noticed, is that it takes more money and time if you only fly once or twice a week, because you spend more time reviewing maneuvers than learning new ones and progressing through the training. This of course is not true of everyone.
I’m a fairly new pilot also with one year in now and 160 hours I trained in a Cessna 172 that was 30 years old and Thank god it still could take a beating. Once you get beyound around 250 landings Things should move up from there, There is so much to learn in so little time. You must fly aleast 2 to 3 times a week to get in the grove and get the Jeppsen workbook for the FAA test read and do every question and you will learn alot and pass the test with no problems. In short read read read and read some more and fly fly fly and fly alot. You can and should spend about 20 to 30 hours a week on aviation and you should be able to get your prvt. Lisc. in 4 to 6 months. Good luck and safe flying. By the way Landings do get to be very fun.
Thanks everyone who replied. I got some good ideas and I am going to join COPA right away. I will let you know how the training goes and I am sure I will be back with more questions.
Chris