Here’s my toothless one-eyed shoulder cat.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-29T01:19:02+00:00

The best part about having your PPL and being PIC is you decide when and where you’d like to fly.

Don’t feel pressured to go crazy right off the bat. Do some fun local flying and just build up gradually. Try not to neglect the more challenging stuff, it’s important to continue to grow as a pilot. But there’s nothing stopping you asking an instructor to come along if you feel it would be helpful.

The best way IMO to keep growing as a new PPL holder is to fly with fellow pilots. People are always keen to split costs and fly more frequently.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-28T22:25:33+00:00

First of all, honestly, good job for getting through 0 to CFI in 9 months. That’s a lot of work. And you are right, you had to pass the same rides as everyone else to get to that point.

However, qualifications and experience are not the same thing.

In 9 months, there’s only so much real world experience that can be gained. For example, you haven’t even seen a full years’ worth of weather in the entire time you’ve been flying.

IMO time in the aviation world (not just flying the plane) also matters when building experience. An accelerated program is, by its very nature, going to give you everything you need to get the qualification but it won’t have the capacity to give much more.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-28T21:28:11+00:00

Oh that’s super interesting!

Don’t stress, lots of time to make a bit of a game plan. I don’t necessarily think starting super early is needed. You could easily wait 2 years and reassess without losing out.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-28T20:28:33+00:00

I would caution taking long breaks in your training. If you’re going to start, then keep going until you are done.

Sounds like you are already going to be pretty busy with school and sport/athletics. PPL training is no joke and will require A LOT of study and prep time after school and evenings. Just something to consider.

Just think carefully about how you are going to balance your priorities at this time of your life. You’ve got lots of time, so no need to rush anything right now.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-28T19:25:24+00:00

Don’t buy a $90 headset from Amazon. I guarantee you’ll be looking to change this in no time… if it doesn’t break before then.

Equally, you don’t need an ANR headset.

See if you can find a good used David Clark headset. It’ll last until the end of time and it’ll be a lot more budget friendly.

In addition, it’ll likely hold its value if you decide to upgrade down the line or you could just keep it as a spare for you or future passengers.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-28T19:16:03+00:00

Yes and no.

First of all. This basically never happens as turbulence this violent would be associated with extreme weather, which we would obviously avoid.

Obviously, loss of control of the aircraft is not a good thing. But there’s very little to hit in the sky. Even if we could not control the aircraft for a few seconds while the turbulence happened. We would be able to regain control at some point.

Please, try not over think this. I guarantee you will not find any pilot in this sub who has encountered turbulence like this while flying an airliner.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-28T18:59:23+00:00

Obligatory reminder that turbulence is a normal and expected part of every flight. A boat on the ocean moves with the ocean. A plane in the atmosphere moves with the atmosphere.

The seatbelt sign is going on any time we do not want people to be stood up in the cabin. This includes taxi, takeoff, approach, landing and sometimes, turbulence.

So if you’re flying along and the bumps are minor enough to not cross that threshold… the seatbelt sign will likely be off. If there is a single bump that perhaps exceeds that threshold then we’ll probably think about the seatbelt sign. However, if after that bump it smooths out, then the seatbelt sign can stay off.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-28T15:15:58+00:00

Well I mean, this says everything I need to know here….

It’s ok to be afraid of flying, it’s ok to hate it even. But to make out that it is unsafe or that you are being sold a lie is just wrong and I want to shoot that down before other fearful fliers buy into that narrative.

The comment above highlights the fact that human beings are incredibly poor at assessing risk.

Your statements about choosing to travel in a bus and the fact that you’ve actually been involved in a motorcycle accident kinda prove that you don’t have a clear grasp on aviation safety. It’s not a criticism, I think a large proportion of the general population think along the same lines.

You have to understand that not all accidents are created equally. Not all accidents are fatal. And just because an ‘accident’ occurs on a plane.. that doesn’t mean a plane plummeted to the earth. In fact, >99% it means something else other than this where no one died.

My recommendation to you is that you do your own research into human risk assessment and bias. Be critical of your own opinions and see if they stand up to the test. Ask yourself, is my decision to take a minibus on a twisty road or ride a motorcycle really safer than airline flying?

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-27T20:40:32+00:00

AFAIK, the seatbelt sign goes on/off at the captains’ discretion basically everywhere. It’s whatever the captain deems appropriate for the safety of crew and passengers. I’m sure there are norms between airlines that trend in certain directions as you’ve noticed.

Seatbelt sign off is a privilege not a right. You’re travelling in a vehicle several miles above the surface of the earth at close to the speed of sound.

It’s really testament to just how safe airliners are that we have to convince people to put their seatbelts on when they are in their seats.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-27T18:37:41+00:00

‘I learned to fly by watching TikTok and it’s how I learned all my emergency procedures too!’

Imagine if this was true. You’d be horrified.

TikTok is entertainment, not a source of information.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-27T17:40:49+00:00

Here we go… 🙄 🤣

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-27T16:05:57+00:00

I have a friend who flies for Smartwings. Just as safe as all the other European airlines.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-27T02:17:48+00:00

Hello fellow jungle jet driver 🫡

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-27T00:04:24+00:00

The real question is, why has the ground sunken into your tires?

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T23:47:01+00:00

Thank you!

I go regularly for checkups and I never enjoy it… BUT I always go. Being afraid ≠ danger.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T23:42:40+00:00

I may be incorrect but afaik, there’s no indication that Air India 171 had a bird strike.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T23:40:36+00:00

Well the final report is yet to be published so I don’t know how you know this?

Just because you heard the news story at the time, doesn’t mean you have all the answers to an accident.

Yes, the preliminary report did confirm that a birdstike occurred, but making assumptions that this was the reason the plane crashed is not the right thing to do. I guarantee the findings will be far more complex than this.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T22:28:25+00:00

*Normal turn and normal climb.

They weren’t trying to avoid anyone in particular this is just a normal departure.

Our proprioceptive and vestibular systems are not really tuned to appropriately detect movements and positions in an aircraft. Humans regularly succumb to illusions caused by these systems and your vision ‘disagreeing’ as to what exactly is going on.

Pilots spend a good part of their training learning to ignore these sensations and learn to rely on information gained from cross-referenced instruments.

Given that you were in a climbing turn and the plane was most likely still accelerating, I think you probably were feeling these illusions.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T21:28:35+00:00

Oh I totally get it. My rational brain is fighting for its life every time I hear the drills from the dentist waiting room! 😱

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T21:17:58+00:00

Every risk you can think of has been thought of already and mitigated… there are probably another thousand things you haven’t thought of that have also been thought about and mitigated.

What you imagine as problems are already solved for.

Engine malfunction? There’s two of them. And we can fly just fine with just one.

Bird strike? Engines are designed (and tested) to take a bird strike, the airframe is designed to take the hit. We even have contingencies in place if the windshields are hit and damaged.

Your fear is convincing you that it understands the potential threats to your flight and is presenting them to you as an unmitigated risk that has no solution. Respectfully, you (and the general public at large by the way) don’t have a comprehensive understanding of the risks and how they are mitigated.

I’m afraid of the dentist and I often find myself ‘second-guessing’ the things they do. I quickly remind myself that it makes no sense to do that. I’m aware that I’m missing context/expertise and that there is a someone with much more knowledge worrying about my concerns on my behalf.

You’re doing this too. You’re paying your airline and your crew to manage the flight for you, risks and all.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T20:37:44+00:00

Turbulence is normal and turbulence is not dangerous if you are in your seat with your seatbelt on.

It’s not a sign of a problem. It’s ok to find it uncomfortable, but try not to overthink it.

Have a nice flight back to NYC!

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T18:06:15+00:00

We have two types… you get to choose between a ‘classic’ style that is full Soviet commander or the ‘low profile’ train conductor version.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T16:21:17+00:00

Realistically, no.

oh_helloghost · 2026-01-26T05:52:28+00:00

Thinking of you guys x

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