Becoming a Pilot: 3 Hardest and 3 Easiest Parts

Becoming a pilot is no small feat. There are a lot of hard aspects of it, and there are also easier parts. Before conquering any large goal it's good to look ahead and try to anticipate the obstacles you will encounter so you can pre-commit to persevering before you get there. In this video I share what I thought were the hardest and easiest parts about becoming a pilot. Hope it helps!

Videos referenced:

[willfox]

Finally got my license a little over a month ago at 17. Almost 2 years after my first lesson, 100+ hours, and 1 checkride failure later, it’s my greatest accomplishment and the best thing I’ve ever done. No regrets.

[johnbolin]

I flew with my dad in his C172 during my early teens. Fast forward, 40 years. I decided to start flight training. I studied for months and spent countless hours on my flight sim. On the morning of my third flight, my CFI greeted me with a clipboard containing checklists and the keys to the airplane ( 2003 Cessna 172sp ). I stood there in surprise. He said, " You got this. Go preflight the airplane on the flight line and I will meet you there in 30 minutes ". I didn't know he had already pre-flighted the airplane before I arrived. He had me believe it was ALL on me. His plan was to watch me perform a pre-flight from his office window. This gave me a sense of confidence. Once he met me at the airplane, he said " let's get in and fly ". He requested me to executed the entire start-up process, clearance, taxi, flight ( with multiple precise maneuvers ), land, park and shutdown. I remember feeling overwhelmed and exhilarated at the same time. At shutdown I was emotionally and physically EXHAUSTED. Though it was a mentally draining experience, that flight pushed me to a higher level from that day forth.

[davidcole]

I took my first lesson in 1986 ($26/hr for the C152, instructor fee $10/hr) and got my PPL in 2005 (C172 $129/hr, instructor fee $35/hr.) So yeah, finishing is huge and life does happen along the way.

[rep.clayingram]

One of the best flying channels I’ve found so far. Thank you, Charlie!

[grandolph]

Everything you said is spot on, especially part about staying committed and focused. If you can commit to training once or more a week you will get it done in less than the 90hr average and save significant $$ in the process. Recommend you don’t start training until you have the resources in place and available time (no newborns/ new job, etc.) to see it through.

[syramento]

As a former LaGuardia Tower controller, I didn't have any trouble talking to air traffic control while getting my license... :)

[mrobert]

I'm currently nursing student and I've always been a fan of aviation which is why I want to specialize as a flight nurse; not easy and quite competitive. After that, then I'll go back into getting my private pilot's license which has been on my list for years.

[mooseknuckle_]

Just started PPL lessons last week. Just discovered your channel last night. Excellent content. Liked, subscribed and looking forward to more man.

[gracelandone]

Your enthusiasm shines through, Charlie. Thanks for sharing the joy you have found in aviation.

[philconey]

"Finishing" is what I needed to hear today. I'm a PPL in the pipeline for ATP. I was ready to quit last week when I failed my instrument end of course twice.

[mla]

Still working on my ppl. Been at it over a year. At 50 yrs old "life" does and has gotten in the way.
That has been my biggest hurdle.
I love flying and look forward to finishing.
Thank you for the time you spend making these videos. I very much enjoy them.

[nickhart]

Really appreciate this video! As a newer student pilot that has done a fair share of ground schooling and have got my medical and some hours in the aircraft. Just really nice hearing the inspiration! It is a fun process for sure! 😎✈️

[realediciocco]

Excellent video. Learning to fly is an awesome journey. I think the most important thing for me was the desire to learn and succeed. I was able to fly three times a week and completed the course in seven months. As for speaking to ATC I bought a scanner and listened to the tower at my airport and picked up the lingo in no time. Really enjoy your videos. Great job.

[jerrysmith]

Agreed, the book learning is not only voluminous, but you also have to stay current on it to pass your Biannual every two years, even if you only fly VFR and never use air traffic control.
As far as controllers, there ARE some poor annunciators that are hard to understand. Don't be intimidated into guessing at what was said...ask for a repeat until you have clarity.

[Apex_Slide]

I've just started actually going at it (2 lessons per week), and I'm loving it. We're flying a Sling LSA, and my lesson today was turning @ 30 - 60 degrees. It's amazing.
I'm hoping that my financial position doesn't change so I can get through this before Christmas. I'd love to take a few people flying before then.

[thomasmixson]

...moving from Louisiana to Dallas, besides the need to move up to a 182, a VISIT to the TOWER at DFW proved invaluable....besides, from there, I watched Branniff's Concord rip off the runway and blast upward

[charlesbogart]

I was doing preflight on N474SP while I watched you filming this episode. Love the channel!

[roberteaster]

Finishing Tip (short version) - Be prepared with knowledge and $$$, then get in the plane and know it out.

Finishing Tip - Get a copy of the paper materials: a sectional for your area, the FAR/AIM, and FAA Handbooks (Aviation Weather and Airplane Flying Handbook) (This is maybe $30 in materials). Then start saving $$$. Put $150/week back, while you start reading, watching youtube videos, doing mock flight plans on skyvector.com, hanging out at the airport and talking with pilots about flying and learning to fly. Look at a flight training syllabus (which you can obtain with an easy google search) and tailor your reading to it. (This gives direction and context, to your studies.)

An extra tip - Get a written test training app for your phone. It just hits you with a random sampling of the questions, from the actual written test. Every time you're on the shitter or waiting around for something, whip that thing out. Once you're nailing those questions, 90% of your written test is in the bag.

[bradrad]

Doing my into flight tomorrow to start to my license. Thank you for this video.

[sxf]

Charlie, thank you for the inspiration and great content. I've been working on my private for 3 yrs (had to stop multiple times), and finally prepping for my check ride. Love the local sights too - I started training in Addison and am now in Mckinney.