Without the bad days, flying wouldn’t be a challenge. The challenge of learning to fly is the best part. So without those bad days, you couldn’t have any good days.

When I began my flight training, I founded this site and began writing. Every major step in my initial flight training coupled with the tips and advice I learned along the way can be found here in chronological order. I hope this page serves as a sort of guide to you, so you can know what to expect along the way in your own flight training.

As always, please feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions. (Check out the “Contact” tab at the top of this page)

Private Pilot Training:

  1. First Flight Lesson (Tecnam Sierra) 
  2. First Cessna 172 Lesson
  3. Pre-Solo (5th) Flight Lesson
  4. Planning My First Solo
  5. First Solo Flight + Video
  6. Second Solo + Time-lapse Video
  7. Flight Training Isn’t All “Smooth Landings”
  8. First Dual Cross Country Flight
  9. First Instrument Flight Lesson/Training
  10. When You Can’t Fly And Want To
  11. First Flight into a Towered Airport (Class D Airspace)
  12. My Plane Shipped Away to Florida
  13. Solo Cross Country Flight Training
  14. First “Off-Airport” Solo Flight
  15. Weather Delay – Postponing My First Solo Cross-Country Flight
  16. First Solo Cross Country Flight (Hanover OFP to Farmville FVX)
  17. First Piper PA-28 Warrior Flight (Over Gulf Shores, AL)
  18. First Piper PA-32 Flight (Jack Edwards Airport JKA, Alabama)
  19. First Flight into Class C Airspace/Airport (Richmond KRIC)
  20. Departing Class C Airspace / How to Depart a Class C Airport
  21. First Cessna 150 Flight – into First Flight Airport, Kitty Hawk
  22. Maintaining Pilot Currency
  23. So What’s Next? … Over Halfway to Private Pilot!
  24. First Night Training Flight
  25. Passing the FAA PPL Written Exam
  26. Last Night Training Flight 
  27. What Is LSA Flight Training Like?  
  28. Flying Over A Snowy Richmond, VA
  29. My Long Solo Cross Country Flight (OFP-CHO-FVX-OFP)
  30. Flight Training Completed! – PPL Checkride Preparation

Private Pilot Checkride:

  1. Youngest Pilot In The United States
  2. PPL Checkride (Part 1): The Oral Exam
  3. PPL Checkride (Part 2): The Flight Test

And most importantly… HAVE FUN

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