University Of North Dakota Cessna 172 Flight (Aviation Introduction) Swayne Martin December 10, 2014 Fun Flying, Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Training, Trips, Video 2 Comments It's only October 4th and the temperature outside is 33 degrees with a 20 degree wind chill. The wind gusts across airport at 15-20 knots as I enter the front door - That's North Dakota for you. To read...
A Visit To The University Of North Dakota Swayne Martin November 21, 2014 Advice, Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Training, Trips It's Senior Year. College decisions are coming and applications are piling up. As a student interested in pursuing professional flight, I've been looking into major aviation universities all over the...
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...
Newest Pilot in the United States – Passed My PPL Checkride! Swayne Martin February 21, 2014 Private Pilot, Student Pilot, Training 8 Comments It's the end of the beginning portion of my aviation journey, as the title of this blog reads, "From Private to Professional Pilot." Fittingly, getting my Private Pilot's License is a major milestone, but just...
Checkride Schedule Update Swayne Martin February 13, 2014 Student Pilot, Training 1 Comment It's my 17th Birthday, which makes me eligible for my Pilot's License! As I expected, winter storm Pax messed up my plan for having the checkride today. With snow, rain, hail, icing, turbulence, lightning, and...
Flight Training Completed! – PPL Checkride Preparation Swayne Martin February 7, 2014 Student Pilot, Training 8 Comments 1 Year, 1 Week, and 2 Days later, my flight training has officially been completed for my Private Pilot's License. On December 28th, 2012, I was getting ready for my first flight training experience, a little...
My Long Solo Cross Country Flight Swayne Martin February 2, 2014 Student Pilot, Training, Video 3 Comments One of the largest, most important, and most fun requirements for your Private Pilot's License is a Long Solo Cross Country Flight that: is over 150nm in length, has one leg over 50nm, and includes three total...
Flying Over a Snowy Richmond, Virginia Swayne Martin January 27, 2014 Fun Flying, Student Pilot, Training, Video 2 Comments It's been a pretty relaxing week for students in Richmond. We were out of school for Martin Luther King Day on Monday, had a snow day on Tuesday, had a snow day on Wednesday, and had a one hour delay on...
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...
Last Night Training Flight – Night XC Flight to Dinwiddie KPTB Swayne Martin January 18, 2014 Student Pilot, Training, Video In preparation for my PPL checkride in a few weeks, I've been taking advantage of the recently good weather to finish up my remaining requirements towards the license. My plan is to take the checkride on my...