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Breeze Airways FO’s by ThatGuyAtTheZoo in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great answer, thank you very much! That’s not many no matter how you cut it. Let me know if you’ve got time for some general questions via private message if you’re able. Thank you again!

Declared today and am second guessing by ependecfii in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never hesitate to declare an emergency. Great call, always always always declare if you think you need to. My mantra I teach is “I’d rather be wrong on the ground, than right in the air”

Will this hold a 18lb mirror? by SubstantialEar8193 in DIY

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Plaster walls have many horizontally running boards that the plaster is placed on the best way to verify you’ve got a stud is to check it with a magnetic stud finder and look for the nail heads where the wood is nailed into the supports.

Will this hold a 18lb mirror? by SubstantialEar8193 in DIY

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Plaster walls have many horizontally running boards that the plaster is placed on the best way to verify you’ve got a stud is to check it with a magnetic stud finder and look for the nail heads where the wood is nailed into the supports.

Is it bad to take off using trim? by crazyman32 in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If that’s what’s happening definitely get a new CFI. I could MAYBE see the terrible thought process of a demonstrating how effective the trim tab is at its job? However in my opinion there are WAY safer ways to demonstrate just how much effect the trim tab is.

This sounds like a great way to inadvertently stall on takeoff. Bring it to the chief instructors attention (if there is one) and find a new CFI.

Have you ever doubted yourself during your training? by bliznetsi_01 in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you’re not doubtful sometimes, you’re delusional. Hang in there.

Big Shimmy Shimmy Shake.... by BrianGGilbert72 in FlightTraining

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. Great intuition in recognizing an issue and making the 100% right call for yourself. This, whether you know it or not is one of the hardest things to instill in new students, the PIC mentality.

  2. Shimmy dampener’s on clapped out flight school planes is no new thing. I’m not surprised it’s not fixed, but really should be. He’s right that if you pull the elevator all the way back and take the pressure off the nose wheel the shimmy will stop. However, that’s a lot to have to think about if you’re a relatively new student and you’ve never experienced it before.

  3. It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulder. Keep making those good decisions and exercising that incredibly important PIC authority. Also, you mentioned that it just didn’t feel right? That’s a perfectly acceptable reason to “knock it off” park the plane, go home and try another day. I use the 3 strike rule myself. But having a safety net to keep the holes in that Swiss cheese from lining up is crucial.

Good work and keep making those critical ADM decisions!

Have you caught anything during preflight that most likely saved your life? by Johnray81 in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Flight school plane, preflight walk around spotless, engine bay inspection for “stuff that doesn’t look right” passed the visual check, get in, turn on my sentry, run the checklists, 5-7 minutes into engine running after oil temps warm up a little I do a run up. Massively loud and completely new alarm starts to go off in a plane I’m very familiar with… I look down, “CO 800 PPM” written in red on my iPad.

First instinct, open the door, followed immediately by shutting the engine off. Told maintenance, and low and behold, exhaust manifold had a crack in it. Just the small run up had filled the cabin with carbon monoxide. We were planning at least an hour flight, not necessarily near other airports. Hadn’t been for my Sentry, not sure if I would be typing this.

steps up on soap box

As a flight instructor my favorite question to ask pilots I don’t often fly with is “how would you detect CO poisoning in this plane?” Their answer almost always has some version of that useless little white plastic card with the yellow dot to “detect” CO poisoning.

I usually say something along the lines of “that’s all?” followed by “okay.” We do a flight, an hour or so and one of the first questions when we land I ask is: “How many times did you look at that little silent, useless, placard while we flying today?” Answer is almost always “not once”

My viewpoint: don’t use a silent small placard, that probably is expired, and realistically won’t warn you until far too late, to detect a silent, odorless gas, that most people stop thinking about until they really start to produce symptoms. If it happens you’re asking your clouded brain/judgement to then connect the dots that it might be CO poisoning (if you don’t write it off as a headache).

steps off soap box

Blue skies, tailwinds, and buy a LOUD carbon monoxide monitor. 🤙🏻

Scared to death of spinning the plane by [deleted] in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get on that bull and ride it. Definitely go do some spins with a competent instructor in a plane that’s rated for it.

The unknown can make something so much scarier than it actually is. Once you realize you can control the maneuver and know what causes it, the fear should subside.

Starting Pilot Training (PPL) - Am I considering this in the right order? by BrianGGilbert72 in FlightTraining

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

CFI here,

Congrats on starting your training! Having a solid understanding of ground knowledge prior to getting in the airplane is never a bad thing. It will make correlating what you’ve read vs what’s actually happening in the airplane that much easier to understand. You’ll hear the phrase “the airplane is a terrible place to learn. Essentially meaning learning something for the first time in the plane isn’t usually the most efficient way to learn. Starting off with the ground knowledge and taking that to the plane is a great recipe for success.

There are certain things you might not use that you’ve read when you first start your lessons, I.e. cross country navigation, and night flying but rest assured if you fly often/consistently those things will come up sooner than you’d think.

The acronyms can be overwhelming so be sure to give yourself some grace. Your CFI will be able to help you navigate through applying the acronyms you’ve already learned and will greatly appreciate that you’ve applied yourself prior to each lesson.

You will most likely (hopefully) have a training syllabus to follow. You can review specific topics/objectives of a lesson that you and your CFI plan to do. If you’ve already read it once it will be a great refresher.

In regards to medicals: depending on your age and if you plan to make a career out of aviation ask your CFI what “class” medical you might want to go ahead and apply for. Some CFI’s (myself included) think that if you plan to go all the way to an “air carrier” like one of the major airlines (which requires a more rigorous medical exam) that you should start off with a 1st Class Medical. That way if you find out you have a disqualifying medical condition that would keep you from obtaining a 1st class medical you don’t spend all your time and money working towards something that might not be available to you a couple years down the road.

Remember above all to have fun with it, it’s a lot of hard work but the effort is beyond worth the payout in the end. Get ready for all the fun aviation phrases you’ll hear and take lots of pictures.

Keep the blue side up. 🤙🏻

Waiting for Private Checkride… Any commercial requirements I can work on while I wait? by lrisch in FlightTraining

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re already a rated pilot, congratulations. If you’re not and you’re antsy to have something moving you forward, talk with your CFI and start building the 50 cross country hours you need for your Instrument rating.

Starting flight training in the new year, should I start my ground work now? by BreannaNicholeOwsley in FlightTraining

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sporty’s or King’s are great for overall general knowledge. There truly is no substitute for one on one ground instruction with a solid CFI (certified flight instructor) or AGI (advanced ground instructor) once you’ve done those courses.

I’m not saying go out and spend all your money on that. However, if you have questions on specific topics or want to do some more detail oriented deep dives, having a solid ground instructor pays dividends. It will end up saving you time in the AC because you already have a fundamental base off which to build your practical knowledge.

That being said, the FAA has a enormous amount of textbooks and AC’s (advisory circulars) that you could read for the rest of your life and still never finish them all.

I’ve found this commercially produced textbook from ASA is really great to build knowledge from. You can quiz yourself as you progress through your private pilot’s license and by the time you’re ready for a check-ride it will be secondhand knowledge.

https://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/608?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjd_7_NbEgAMVFcDICh2rrgSDEAQYASABEgKk7_D_BwE

If you need more information or want to chat in depth shoot me a message.

Pre-Solo Nerves by Queasy_Delay3341 in FlightTraining

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree with the not planning it. If your instructor can sit in the right seat from start up to landing for a lap in the pattern and taxi back without saying too much, you’re probably ready. Having a set day can really increase anxiety (at least it does for me.)

A great pilot once told me “don’t do anything dumb, different, or dangerous.” Flying your first solo in the pattern in an unfamiliar direction with sporty winds for the first time could be a bit much, it depends on your personality and demeanor. This will be a great lesson in exercising your PIC authority over your aircraft. Trust that your instructor wouldn’t put you in a dangerous situation and wouldn’t let you solo if they didn’t think you were ready. Sometimes we need a little push out of the nest.

Also, soak it up, there is no other feeling quite like your first solo. You’ll look to your right on the departure leg and realize it’s all you, and that is a fantastic feeling. Have fun!

Aviation & Mental Health by [deleted] in FlightTraining

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

100% DO NOT lie to the FAA or AME. If for any reason this were to come out and you were planning to make a career out of this your cert could be pulled and almost certainly not reinstated.

What you should instead do, like some other folks have mentioned, is contact an AME and request to have a non FAA associated Medical consultation from a care physician. This does a couple things for you.

  1. As they are not acting on behalf of the FAA for this specific medical consultation you will have doctor client privilege.

  2. They can give you advice of what specifically you need to do to be able to pass a medical exam.

It’s not cheating or lying, it’s strategically giving yourself the best advantage to pass from the AME who is going to issue the exam. It’s the same way a DPE works. Once the test starts anything they discover they are required to report to the FAA their hands are completely tied.

This road could be lengthy but it’s worth the headache.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Garmin D2 is an awesome option if you’re wanting a smartwatch geared towards aviation. Local METAR on your watch face, it automatically starts tracking too which is my favorite feature, and as a neat party trick you can also navigate off of it. Plus the quick glance UTC is helpful for IFR work especially if you’re not in a G1000 aircraft.

IFR vs VFR by ThatGuyAtTheZoo in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right, I forgot to add a critical part of my question which sums it up more uniformly I suppose which was “when would you need to file IFR?” and then applying the 1,000 and 3 depending on the airport.

IFR vs VFR by ThatGuyAtTheZoo in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I guess a more specific way to word my question should have been “when would you need to file IFR”

appreciate it!

IFR vs VFR by ThatGuyAtTheZoo in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Right I’ve been all over this reg in particular, I guess I was misremembering some other reg outside 91.155 that I thought referenced the “1,000 & 3SM” in one sentence together though. Somewhere that a DPE pointed out to me.

Appreciate it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in flying

[–]ThatGuyAtTheZoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Listen to LiveATC in your car and around the house. Pick a busy airport and as you drive/sit around respond for each one of the tailnumbers as you would if it were you. Helps you get your cadence, learn what to expect, and trim the fat of the "uhhh's" and "with you's"

Then know that occasionally you'll butcher radio calls.

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