TEDx Youth Speech: What If You Could Do Anything? Swayne Martin May 15, 2014 Advice, Private Pilot, Video 3 Comments As you read earlier, I recently gave a TED Talk at my school's conference. The video below has the speech in addition to the introduction video. (The speech begins at 2:40): For all of the pilots out...
Boldmethod Interview: What To Expect On A Private Pilot Checkride Swayne Martin March 2, 2014 Advice, Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Training 2 Comments Boldmethod is one of the best training tools for a student pilot. I give credit to their easy online courses for my ability to read aviation weather reports (METARs, TAFs, PIREPS, etc.) The price of $10 is...
My Private Pilot (PPL) Checkride: Part 2, The Flight Test Swayne Martin February 26, 2014 Advice, Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Training 13 Comments This article is the second of two articles, both of which go into detail about my PPL Checkride. Questions, topics, and trouble-areas from my checkride have all been included with no filter. My email is...
My Private Pilot (PPL) Checkride: Part 1, The Oral Exam Swayne Martin February 22, 2014 Advice, Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Training 19 Comments This article is the first of two articles, both of which go into detail about my PPL Checkride. Questions, topics, and trouble-areas from my checkride have all been included with no filter. My email is...
So What Exactly is a Tecnam Aircraft? – My Flight Training Experience in Tecnam Brand Aircraft Swayne Martin January 22, 2014 Advice, Student Pilot, Training 4 Comments Ever since the beginning of my flight training, the first thing I'm asked when people find out that I'm a pilot is "So what kind of plane do you fly?" I reply, "A Tecnam Eaglet or Sierra." With a look of...
Step By Step – How I Passed My FAA PPL Written Exam with a 93% Swayne Martin January 12, 2014 Advice, Student Pilot, Training 34 Comments At the beginning of my Christmas Break, I committed to myself that I'd take the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam before I got back to school, or at least that I'd be 100% ready to do so. Being a Junior in...
College Decisions for a Student Pilot – To Go or not To Go, Should You Go to an Aviation University? (Pros and Cons) Swayne Martin October 28, 2013 Advice, Student Pilot, Training 33 Comments As a Junior in High School, it's about the time I really need to start thinking about college decisions, set some goals, and think about where I'd like to see myself in 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years. All of...
Maintaining My Pilot Currency Swayne Martin September 29, 2013 Advice, Student Pilot, Training 9 Comments Sometimes it's hard to find the time to get out to the airport! Until early this morning, when I took my first flight in over a month, this was the problem! With my Junior Year of High School starting in full...
Tips: GoPro Filming In-Flight (General Aviation Flying) Swayne Martin May 4, 2013 Advice, Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Training 49 Comments Not only is the GoPro a cool thing to have, but it can be a very helpful asset for any pilot. You can (and should) record your landings, takeoffs, maneuvers, and radio calls, so that you can review your...
Flight Training Isn’t All “Smooth Landings” Swayne Martin April 19, 2013 Advice, Student Pilot, Training 11 Comments While flying is one of my favorite things to do, there are challenges I have to be honest about in learning how to fly. Not everything goes smoothly, as you're about to find out, but that's a good thing....
Review: One Six Right – The Romance of Flying Swayne Martin April 13, 2013 Advice, Student Pilot 5 Comments After a fun and challenging flight lesson today, I decided to re-motivate myself by watching the movie "One Six Right." With heavy and gusty crosswinds , today was a pretty poor day for me landing-wise, so I...
Motivation – What if You Could Do Anything Swayne Martin February 5, 2013 Advice, Student Pilot, Video 7 Comments If you are an aspiring pilot (or an aspiring anything else), watch this video. It has become a central theme for how I want to live my life, I'm sure many of you will feel the same way: There will...
