Posted by Nathan @ 02:16 AM, December 04    
Thanks for the radio cheat sheet. I am currently pursuing my sport pilot license too in Renton, WA. I am scheduled for my 6th flight this Saturday and will be practicing more landings too. I was curious what kind of video setup you are using in the cockpit? It would be awesome to have something similar to help me review my flights. So much happens and goes by so fast, it's hard to take notes while flying!

Posted by Paul Aseltine @ 10:40 AM, December 04    
Hi Brady, I'm glad you were able to get another flight in . You are doing great! I haven't landed in a controlled field by myself since my long cross country required ride. Thanks for the radio check list. I remember the first time I flew after a snow dump, everything looked like a reverse image (lakes looked like fields ect...) my instructor told me to get back to the airport only using visual references. I was totally lost & asked him to help me. He responded that he was a passenger and could not help me. He was sort of laughing and told me to think and use what resources were available. I got the map out and called Grand Rapids Tower and told them I was a student pilot and needed to be vectored to where I needed to go. They helped me. That was the best thing that could have happened to me. I leaned situational awareness. I'm so happy you are sharing your learning experience.

Posted by Kelly @ 12:15 PM, December 04    
EXCELLENT job on the radio work - I definitely noticed the improvement and am happy to hear you're feeling more comfortable! :)

Posted by Allen Silver @ 07:42 PM, December 04    
You have a great instructor and even though I have over 1600 hours and am instrument rated I really enjoy seeing you progress on each flight. Both of you keep up the good work.

Have a Happy Holiday Season

Posted by Bruce @ 08:38 PM, December 04    
Great job on the blog Brady. Question about the emergency landing - wouldn't it make sense to try and pick a road instead of a field? Something like one of the less busy backroads. At least you know its hard and paved! I'd be worried about a field, especially snow covered, because you never know what's under all that snow.

Posted by Jason Blair @ 08:12 AM, December 05    
The above question about choosing a road instead of a field for an emergency landing is a great question...thanks for asking it! Typically, in training we work to choose the "best landing option". In some cases this may be a road, but roads do come with their own set of perils that fields many times to not have. In many cases roads will have power or telephone wires along side or crossing them in close proximity. They also very often have obstructions such as signs, mailboxes, etc that line them. Additionally, they really aren't that wide (a two lane road) in comparison with what we are normally used to landing on. In most cases they are 20 feet wide or less, and we are normally landing on runways that are 75 feet wide. This difference leaves us with enough for our wheels to fit, but our wings would (for most aircraft) be hanging off the sides of the road if we used it for landing. For these reasons, if an appropriate field is available, we usually opt to head to a wider, more open field for an emergency landing situation.

This does not mean that a road is never a good option though. It is very much situation dependant based on what options are avialble to the pilot at that time. In urban environments, there may not be a good open space to land on in an emergency. This would leave you with the option of a road as being a potentially best option. I can say from personal experience that when over an urban environment with a failed engine, a nice wide highway works well, as long as traffic merges with you.

The main point is to choose the "best option available". This takes some disgression and decision making from the pilot. In an area full of fields, a road may not be the best option for some of the above reasons. If a nice field is not available, such as being over an urban environment or over a wooded area, a good clear road may be the best option. Think about where you fly and what options are available to you as a pilot before an emergency happens.

Posted by Ken L @ 10:31 AM, December 05    
Brady I'm jealous. I have been wanting to start flying for years now... still saving funds for it. The in-cockpit video is awesome and gives me a feeling of being there myself. Thanks.

Posted by Catherine @ 12:02 PM, December 05    
Good video. Importance of engine and airspeed controls.

Posted by Peter Pike @ 12:55 PM, December 05    
Although I am a 10 year / 500 hour private pilot, I love this blog and am learning so much from it!

Some of the learning is "refresher training", reminding me of certain things, or bringing back memories from my own flight training experiences.

But some of my learning is brand new. I'd never come across the "ABC" mnemonic for an engine out situation, but it's perfect - - easy to recall in a stressful situation.

Keep up the good progress, I will be with you for the entire journey!

Posted by Dan Johnson @ 01:49 PM, December 05    
Hi Brady… way to go putting your script together. And thanks for sharing it with us, too. Looks like the start of many more to come. If you want to save time though, there’s a book of communication scripts already available. ASA has one called Aviation Radio Communications Made Easy by Hugh C Ward, Jr. It even includes 5 copies of each script so you can fill in the blanks for different flights. You can find it online or probably at your pilot shop. Let all of us blog readers know what Jason thinks of books like this. **Dan

Posted by Joel Fruit @ 06:49 PM, December 05    
Thanks for this blog, it really helps me to learn what it would really be like taking lessons!

Posted by Randy @ 10:39 AM, December 06    
Good radio cheat sheet - however being fixed on it can create bad habits. Your "wake-up" calls may be acceptable at slower traffic airports like Oshkosh, but they are not acceptable in high traffic areas where everyone is trying to talk at the same time. Two questions for both of you - 1) are "wake-up" calls a recommended procedure in the AIMS manual?, and 2) are "wake-up" calls recommended at non-towered airports that use UNICOM?

Posted by Jason Blair @ 02:52 PM, December 09    
Thanks for your questions about radio calls. In most high traffic radio areas the "wake up call" is used to get your aircraft and call sign out there and then to let the control have the time to get back to you without having to listen to your full request or report for an intial call up. This is appropriate at towered airports or when using controlled airspace. The intent is to allow for a short call that doesn't potentially become long enough to block other traffic calls from aircraft that the controlles is already working with. The controller will then call back, identifying you by aircraft and call sign, when their workload allows. It is entirely possible, that even if the radio frequency is quiet, the controller may be busy doing things such as recording the new ATIS broadcast, speaking with a neighboring controlling agency via land line, or inputting flight data. By keeping your "wake up call" short, it gets your aircraft and all sign into their mind without the possibility of them losing the rest of the data that you are providing in case they are otherwise occupied.

In the case of non-towered airports, the "wake up call" is not used since your traffice calls are advisory in nature. These calls can contain full information and are made "in the blind" to any local traffic that may be listening, not necessarily to any specific aircraft or controller.

Hope this is helpful and thanks much for your questions and input!

Posted by mach @ 10:55 AM, January 05    
I just discovered this blog, it's the best presentation of a students training that I've come across. It's particularly cool for me as I'm pretty much exactly where you are in the process, 10hrs in my logbook and a few good landings away from solo. The video is awesome and very helpful. Good luck with your training and I hope to post my solo story in the next few months

Posted by Jim Robinson @ 08:03 PM, June 15    
I can't overstate the importance your video blog to my decision and efforts to learn to fly. I am 63 and partially disabled and was wondering if this was really a doable dream (it has long been an item in my "bucket list").
I took a discovery flight a couple of weeks ago and was overwhelmed by all there is to do/be in control of. I'm really impressed with your progress. Another viewer asked about the video setup, I
'd like to ask also, it was a great idea for your own learning, but posting it for all to see is a real blessing to those of us with the aspiration to get to where you have gone. And the radio checklist was a brilliant idea by one of your readers, thanks for providing a copy. I've already printed yours and will edit it as soon as I find an appropriate flight school/plane/airport/radio frequencies.
Can you share your video setup with us? It would provide those of us who wish to so so with a great review tool for us pilot wannabes, and if I could find a way to edit the footage as you did, I'd try to post it to the web also. Was there any problem with the flight instructor (who is really great by the way) or plane owner with the video setup or the content? I completely agree with the others who commented that this is the best insight into flight instruction, and in the making of a knowlegable pilot I have seen. Thank you for lettin us ride along with you, I have learned a great d3eal from you and your experiences!
Regards,
Jim Robinson

Posted by Brady Lane @ 08:43 AM, June 16    
Jim: Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad this blog has helped encourage you to pursue your dream. I know exactly the feeling you described on that first flight. It does feel overwhelming with all there is to do. You'll be amazed though how quickly you learn to do it all. In fact, after just a couple lessons, it's fun to take a step back and realize how much you have already mastered.

I'm glad to hear you're interested in recording your flights and highly recommend it. It's a wonderful tool for you to use as a review and it is great fun to share with others. Some of the best tips and advice have come from people who've watched a video then shared some advice with me.

There are a couple video systems out there I recommend right now. The first is from www.datatoys.com . If you contact them, ask for Roy (414-294-8017). He's been extremely helpful getting me set up. They make complete video systems for aircraft that include monitors, audio inputs and everything you need to get going.

Another company worth checking out is Light Sport Group's Contour HD A/V-ator. http://www.lightsportgroup.com/contour.html Their unit is HD and they have modified it to also include an audio input. Audio input is important so you can hear the intercom and radio communication.

My flight instructor was actually excited about recording video of the flights because he knew if would help me learn and he knew it had the potential to help show others how much fun it can be. The mounts I use are easy to install and do not leave any evidence they were ever there, so the aircraft owners didn't mind either. In fact, they love seeing video of their plane as well.

Keep us posted on your progress and let me know if there is anything else I can do to help. Enjoy the sky Jim!