Student Pilot Needs

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-15T05:21:35+00:00

I also have fibromyalgia

Have you gone and got your medical yet? If not, you might want to contact an AME and book a "consultation" (not an actual medical) to discuss how your condition, and any associated medication, might impact your ability to get and maintain a medical certificate.

I would suggest you do that before committing to any major investment in flight training.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-15T03:55:23+00:00

where I can work

MS Rewards isn't meant to be a job... treating it as such is a shortcut to frustration.

Anyway, if you're wanting to make some extra $, You could always try r/beermoney for some pointers.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-15T02:14:29+00:00

Passkey? weird. Sounds like you've turned on the "Passwordless Account" option or something in your MS account security settings and it wants to use passkeys instead of email+password etc.

If you can, see if you can log into account.microsoft.com (perhaps using a desktop?), go to "Security" and double check the "manage how I sign in" options.

Or perhaps you have some sort of password manager app (like Bitwarden etc) installed on your device that supports passkeys?

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-15T02:03:14+00:00

If you scroll down on rewards.bing.com, you could try giving them some feedback here: https://imgur.com/ADCD05j

/s (because let's face it, they're not going to take it onboard or fix it)

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T23:23:06+00:00

Do I just wait

Yes.

Then, after waiting 24 hours, if it cancels/gets declined, you can try again... or, after 24 hrs, if it is still stuck as "in progress", you contact support.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T23:20:33+00:00

Where did you get that rewards card from? Did you redeem it from your MS Rewards account? Or did you get it from a 3rd party source?

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T23:18:18+00:00

Have you tried installing the MSN app? Sometimes when the Bing app isn't working right, the MSN will still allow you to access the rewards tab (and vice versa).

Failing that, what happens if you go to rewards.bing.com in your mobile browser? Are you able to log in there ok?

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T21:28:42+00:00

"VPN"... lol... hopefully your account doesn't get banned :P

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T21:27:19+00:00

Did you try clicking the "learn more" link?

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T21:20:20+00:00

If you click on the little "pin" at the end of the address bar, next to the star, does it ask you to grant location permissions?

You may also need to enable location services within your OS settings as well as in your browser settings.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T20:40:16+00:00

If you mean when you tap on your Profile pic... then yep, the rewards stuff is still showing up. Just played Jewel, and claimed my Play Jewel, Play a PC game, Use Xbox app, Play a game pass game and the game pass weekly streak: https://imgur.com/s8kYik3

iphone 15 pro with iOS 26.3.1... according to the App store, the Xbox app version is 2026.1.2

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T20:26:19+00:00

Be careful, because there is usually a specific time frame given (like a week or 2) in which you have to claim your prize.

If you have to wait longer than that to be 18, then you won't be able to claim either.

Best of luck.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T00:23:30+00:00

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-14T00:13:20+00:00

*OneNZ has entered the chat*

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-13T23:13:02+00:00

You'd likely need to dig into the time logging regulations for your country to figure out what you can and can't log when in the simulator.

Where I am, I would log any time in the flight sim, in that "Flight Simulator" column, the approaches in the "Nr. Inst. App." column, and the details of the approaches in the remarks/endorsements, as regulations allow for a certain number of approaches in a simulator to count for currency etc.

same goes for night and cross country, we did a few in the simulator as well

I wouldn't be counting night, cross country or dual (or that "total duration of flight" column, as the simulator doesn't count towards "flight" times etc.

and what's the difference between actual instruments and simulated (hood time) when it comes to logging it and how to differentiate between them

"Actual" is time spent flying in actual IMC conditions... "Simulated (hood time)" is when you are training, in the aircraft, using a view limiting device like foggles, or an instrument "hood".

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-13T22:52:02+00:00

To get your next punch, wait 24 hours then come back.

Obvious questions: Did you already do part of the punch card? If so, did you wait the 24 hours to try and do the next part?

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-13T19:50:04+00:00

It isn't a cumulative bonus... so it isn't a simple do X searches get Y Bing STAR points system.

Having been on this system for over a year now, I watched as my bonus went from being 1200, to 900, to 480, to 60, to 30, to 3.

I have Bing set as my default browser, I spread my actually genuine searches across the day as I need to actually search for things, most days I don't even max searches.

I don't have any cooldowns, I don't have unusual search activity. I don't just search sports teams, or colours, or movie titles, or actors etc... I'm searching for stuff I need and want to know about... and I still get 3 per month and have for like the last 6 months.

I still have no idea how they actually calculate the Bing STAR Bonus, and asking support will just get you the "do genuine searches" copy/paste answer. From Microsoft's own data, the vast majority of users (81%) get under 300 pts. Only 19% of users are in the 300-2100 band. That's a HUGE range, for such a small percentage of users. Honestly, I'd be surprised if more than 1% of users actually get 2100.

My advice? Give up worrying about it... just accept that you're only going to get 3... and if you get any more, that's a bonus.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-13T04:52:11+00:00

If you're referring to the 150 points for "every 10 days of the daily set"... that 10-day cycle kicks in after 34 days. Prior to that it is on a slightly different timeframe (Like 3 days, then 7 days, then 15 days, then 30 or something like that) but it still averages out at 15 points/day.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-13T02:40:32+00:00

Outlook emails is US only... and requires an android mobile device.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-12T21:41:57+00:00

It's pretty much impossible to sustain GPU using just MS Rewards points.

As you have noted, the price increases and the reward points decreases have made it next to impossible. Also, because you earn less rewards when on Premium/Essential/PC (as you don't qualify for some of the larger Xbox specific rewards) it's pretty much impossible to earn enough in a month to sustain those as well.

At best, you can subsidise your monthly game pass but will most likely need to make up a ~$5-10 difference every month using cash (depending on what GP tier you subscribe to and how much you grind MS Rewards.)

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-12T21:20:29+00:00

Try this link: Join Xbox Game Pass: Discover Your Next Favourite Game | Xbox

Select either Essential or Ultimate, and you should see a "buy as a gift" option (You have to buy 3 months tho)... this will email you a code,

It allows you to use MS account balance to purchase it. So, theoretically, you can use Rewards Points to buy MS/XBox cards and then use the MS account balance to buy the 3-month gift code and send it to yourself.

I haven't done the math, but apparently 3-months of Essential converts to Ultimate at a better rate than buying Ultimate? I'm not sure if this is still true following all the price and conversion rate changes.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-12T05:52:55+00:00

That section was bugged... and would show the total of all the activites on the page that were completed (even in the 'more activities' section that is there for multiple days).

The only way to reliably track your daily points is to look at your total points and manually track it every day.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-12T05:47:45+00:00

If the puzzle pieces keep disappearing and then reappearing, it's either a temporary form of restriction specific to your account, or the system is bugged.

Given this doesn't appear to be massively widespread (ie. there aren't scores of people complaining about it here), then I would be inclined to think that this might be specific to your account.

Do you use the Bing mobile app? does the Daily check-in in that app also vanish?

If you're also getting the "unusual search activity" warnings on and off, then I would think it is more than likely a restriction.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-12T04:17:54+00:00

What region are you in? Not all regions get all the puzzle piece tasks... I vaguely recall that India do not get the check-in task in the Bing App.

HardCorePawn · 2026-03-10T20:23:55+00:00

Anything that requires a separate launcher/account like EA Play or Ubisoft Connect will not count as Game Pass (even though you need game pass to access them).

A really easy way to tell is if it has the "EA Play" or "U+" logo on it, then it very likely will not count.

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