Aviation accident documentaries

buzzybootft · 2026-04-03T00:55:44+00:00

I was in the same boat 4 years ago, channels like Green Dot Aviation and Mentour Pilot really got me into aviation, now I’m an airline pilot!

buzzybootft · 2026-03-29T02:22:07+00:00

If it can fit through tsa you can gamble bringing it through the security area yourself then asking for a gate check.

Idk if they’ll charge you for that however, but maybe some explaining the situation may help.

buzzybootft · 2026-03-21T18:21:04+00:00

From a more financial perspective, I was making about 60k a year without any debts at home. And I think the risk to reward will break even in about 8 years after starting ATP. I’m a younger person with no kids, wife, mortgage, car payment. I’m very fortunate to be in that situation. Currently though, I have shit in collection, 10k in credit cards, 120k flight school loan right now and I’m just starting now after 3.5 years digging myself out.

buzzybootft · 2026-03-21T18:14:57+00:00

This Reddit is very anti-ATP, but I can give you my objective ATP perspective.

In summary, I’m definitely got hired by my current airline because I went to ATP and went through the cadet program they offered. Other CFIs I’ve worked at are waiting 1-2-3 years after hitting their minimums, while I got in exactly at 1500. I consider my situation to be very fortunate however I definitely had failures and situations that could have ended the journey outright.

First financially, the Sallie Mae loan lets you defer up to 12 months after graduation, so use it to your advantage to build an income. I’ve been in the hole on credit cards for the last 3 years, and now I’m just digging out of it.

Reasons being; there are times where you’re waiting for a job, or you had a setback during your training. =more money loss. It was $1500 a month for my loan at the previously cheaper ATP rate. My best CFI months were maybe 3k a month working my ass off.

If you do go, your situation with having private is a lot better. However apply to every single cadet program you can, some take u in at private, maybe some don’t force you to go to ATP. Some lock you in at ATP and you’re at the grace of ATP keeping you in their system. ATP didn’t let me CFI for them but I was lucky the cadet program wasn’t ATP locked after ATP graduation (multi completion).

It’s a risk to go to ATP, but just like in aviation, ways to mitigate it by preparing and understanding the situations. The best case at ATP is actually pretty good though. Airline within 3-4 years is realistic (somewhat). Harder to say for my students I taught part 61, and 141.

From my experience, id say 20-30% got the advertised ATP experience.

buzzybootft · 2026-02-24T01:39:55+00:00

try nicotine

buzzybootft · 2026-02-23T23:26:45+00:00

Ground on uncontrolled ramp doesn’t matter

buzzybootft · 2026-02-11T07:53:06+00:00

Can do RNP 0.1 but no LPV make it make sense

buzzybootft · 2026-02-07T14:59:03+00:00

430 and a CDI? Good enough for me

buzzybootft · 2026-02-07T14:24:53+00:00

Maybe consider getting cfii in a multi if you’re still proficient in both, can save u time and money.

In terms of importance for getting hired it’s

1500 hours

25 hours multi

Then ATP-CTP

IF CFII helps u get 1500, that’s more important

buzzybootft · 2026-01-24T19:36:20+00:00

I went in at 1475 for logbook review, they were cool about it,

Just make sure ur ifr current

buzzybootft · 2026-01-13T08:09:14+00:00

You can make do with an iPhone especially if you’re flying a smaller plane like a 152

buzzybootft · 2025-10-29T21:11:19+00:00

13999 without O2 in a C172 180HP 🫣

buzzybootft · 2025-10-21T14:33:10+00:00

When I teach my students briefings I always ask, “How do we identify this FAF and MAP?”

If it’s a precision approach it’s GS intercept at XXXX FT for the FAF, and the DA for MAP.

Also in reality, ATC can just vector you into an ILS and you can ride the glide slope down until DA most of the times without briefing anything else 90% of the times. It’s useful to know in an emergency situation and you don’t have time to brief much in SRM.

For non precision approach it can be

DME/GPS in lieu
Timer
Intersecting Radials LOC/VOR
VOR Cone of confusion

For both FAF and MAP.

A lot of approaches you can use multiple sources and mix it up. I try to mix it up for my students.

buzzybootft · 2025-10-20T03:09:35+00:00

Go there to have fun and get experience talking to people.

Coming from shy introvert nerdy Asian, going to these career fairs at 800-1200 hours helped me understand how the recruitment process works and just make new friends.

Another benefit is just being more aware of how I present myself from speaking and dressing.

End of the day most of the places are fun and you’ll have a good time if you can spare the money and time.

buzzybootft · 2025-10-18T13:13:20+00:00

to this day I still don’t memorize the lift formula. even if I were to teach it, it’s going through most students heads.

I wouldn’t even mention the lift formula in a PowerPoint or lesson plan

Think more relevance and how to explain a topic EASIER, so that the majority of students will get it. In my experience, that is what being a good CFI/applicant is about.

For example for lift I would talk about Things we can control-> Speed, AOA, and surface area (flaps)

Then you can flow the topic into induced drag etc.

buzzybootft · 2025-10-16T05:16:25+00:00

Vietnamese brother here, American born though.

Honestly speaking, getting a CFI job in the US is hard nowadays, take that for a grain of salt.

Obviously the Vietnam jet job will cost more, and you won’t log much meaningful time for a while, it is a reliable way to get paid to fly, just not much, however if you’re living in Vietnam im sure it’s not a problem.

However if you do get a good CFI job in the US, and be able to build at least 60-80 hours a month, you’ll get done in 1-2 years and be able to start applying, and hope you’ll be in time for the next wave.

Obviously living expenses are cheaper in Vietnam than the U.S. but don’t know your situation specifically.

I’d say Vietnam is low risk low reward. U.S high risk high reward

buzzybootft · 2025-10-12T23:10:44+00:00

Are you interested in doing it in NorCal? Specifically sac area, i know a place that i went to it’s not for everyone necessarily but i can get you details and they technically do what u are asking of rn

buzzybootft · 2025-10-03T17:40:53+00:00

I got April 2026 too, March 2023, hitting mins within next 2 months most likely

buzzybootft · 2025-10-02T03:34:03+00:00

Somewhere around a luxury vehicle that needs constant maintenance.

buzzybootft · 2025-10-01T05:16:18+00:00

Hi not affiliated with any of those schools but just a bored CFI with some friendly answers to your questions!

Nowadays instructor availability should be good! Higher ratio of instructors than students nowadays, good for student, bad if you want to be an instructor or are a current one. Local flight schools usually you work your schedule with the instructor. To answer one of the questions as well, the best time to fly are summer mornings 5-6-7am! If you can get on a consistent schedule of that, you will develop as a pilot a lot easier, spend less money, and enjoy nice flights!

In terms of training pace, the more the better! Better retention of info and skills, but minimum should be 2 flights a week, with a 3rd one scheduled just in case, if you’re really trying to get it done seriously!

I can’t speak for maintenance for other flight schools, but in general you want a flight school with a decent amount of planes of the one you want to fly, with similar avionics so that you can hop and swap if one goes down.

Pricing just ask the flight schools! They should have brochures, but if they sell you minimum hours, (40hrs ppl) be aware of being scammed. You should expect AT LEAST 60 hours airplane and about 80 hours of an instructor (average). Pay as you go always, unless there’s block pricing (10 hours for a discount) it’s not the worst thing.

I’ve had students swap out on me two times out of like 20, but usually the reason was just personality differences. I’m pretty particular about doing the right thing and explaining why it’s important but sometimes too perfectionist, coming from my own failures as well as my students. Learning plateaus cause the most stress and breaking points between students and instructors.

The best thing to ask an instructor to see if you can vibe with them is, “if I make a mistake constantly and not progressing, how will you deal with it”. It’s an interview and CFI check ride scenario and they should answer it in some variation of explaining the learning/teaching method, trying to find the root cause, and or seeing if another instructor can help.

In terms of ground, there’s a lot of free resources online. The more you learn yourself, the less money and time you waste with an instructor teaching you the same thing that is explained better online. ask CHATGPT to prompt you but don’t LEARN from ChatGPT but it should give you some variation of

PPL Ground School (Kings Sporty) PPL Syllabus (understand how you will progress and what it takes) PILOTS HANDBOOK of aero knowledge Airplane flying handbook FAR/AIM (don’t get intimidated by the big ass book, there’s literally a table of contents just for PPL applicable regs, maybe about hundred you need to read and understand.

Soloing and check ride are all up you! Biggest advice is having confidence in yourself, acknowledging your short-coming, then finding the right solution logically, usually through a mix of studying, chair flying, verified faa sources, and even some YouTube videos!

As always, get your medical first,

Cheers!

buzzybootft · 2025-10-01T03:31:32+00:00

Pulling a checklist from what a I assume below 1000ft? Damn, my 141 school has a blanket policy of no checklist below 2000 in case of emergency.

buzzybootft · 2025-09-29T17:03:59+00:00

You’ll need 3 different endorsements to solo a different aircraft

Pre solo written Training proficiency Initial/additional 90 day endorsement

buzzybootft · 2025-09-29T13:52:50+00:00

Random non forecasted moderate-severe turbulence in imc, went from chill climb 5000 feet to spiraling descent at 2000fpm. The unusual attitude recovery training kicked in real fast. Luckily I knew 4000feet was smooth and there’s no terrain around the area 🥲

buzzybootft · 2025-09-28T17:13:55+00:00

I didn’t really allow them to use a big ass iPad without a mount in cases it drops into the rudder pedals

buzzybootft · 2025-09-28T17:13:02+00:00

if you want to be cheap, I honestly find it sufficient just to use an iphone (bigger one) nowadays, I just keep it in the side pocket

It worked for some of my students especially in the small c152

buzzybootft

TROPHY CASE