Good and Bad Habits during Flying Training
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hmm, be careful about saying everything out loud, ive known some ATO's to go "oh, is that right, so tell me, what happens if...." suddenly you dont know the answer, your stressing, trying to remember what the hell the answer is, and then suddenly you realise you flew through your altitude or are 20 dergees of heading 
test over! 
The message:
Keep flying the aeroplane!
test over! The message:
Keep flying the aeroplane!
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I have to agree. You need to be careful that you don't say too much.
Personally, I wouldn't bother explaining that in a climb, you're holding a particular attitude and speed, and are increasing MP's throughout the climb for 3 particular reasons that you then go into detail with.....theory for the CPL comes before the actual flight when you do your KDR's.
The only thing I would verbalise is "we are currently at ___ on the map, the next town coming up is ___, our groundspeed is approximately ___, and our estimate for our destination is ____". And verbalise your checks such as CLEAROFF, BUMPFISH, PUFF etc. Otherwise, I like to have a good chat with the ATO
Personally, I wouldn't bother explaining that in a climb, you're holding a particular attitude and speed, and are increasing MP's throughout the climb for 3 particular reasons that you then go into detail with.....theory for the CPL comes before the actual flight when you do your KDR's.
The only thing I would verbalise is "we are currently at ___ on the map, the next town coming up is ___, our groundspeed is approximately ___, and our estimate for our destination is ____". And verbalise your checks such as CLEAROFF, BUMPFISH, PUFF etc. Otherwise, I like to have a good chat with the ATO
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Yeah I agree with tmpffisch 100%!
Make sure you do your CLEAROFF checks atleast every 5 minutes or so, or whenever you feel you need to.
Having a good LAP(Lookout - Attitude - Performance) cycle will definitely give you a good scan outside and inside the cockpit.
A very usefull check i always love to use is the WANDER check. This check is great for an unexpected inflight diversion:
W-Wind/Weather (Most importantly, where's the wind coming from?)
A-Airspace (do you need a clearance to transit?)
N-NOTAMs
D-Daylight (when is the EOD?)
E-Endurance (Have you got enough fuel for the diversion?)
R-Radio (Do i need a clearance OR amend a flight plan OR amend a SARTIME? etc.)
Just a little something.
In Out.
Make sure you do your CLEAROFF checks atleast every 5 minutes or so, or whenever you feel you need to.
Having a good LAP(Lookout - Attitude - Performance) cycle will definitely give you a good scan outside and inside the cockpit.
A very usefull check i always love to use is the WANDER check. This check is great for an unexpected inflight diversion:
W-Wind/Weather (Most importantly, where's the wind coming from?)
A-Airspace (do you need a clearance to transit?)
N-NOTAMs
D-Daylight (when is the EOD?)
E-Endurance (Have you got enough fuel for the diversion?)
R-Radio (Do i need a clearance OR amend a flight plan OR amend a SARTIME? etc.)
Just a little something.
In Out.
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Wow some great advice here.
8 things Im big on:
1.If you think its going to take you 1.5 hours to plan & pre flight, get out there 3 hours before. Take your time and relax. Over prepare!
2.. Be accurate with heights/headings and PLEASE fly the dam thing in balance. The rudder aint a foot rest!
3. De-brief yourself before the instructor does. What can you do better?
4.Enjoy yourself! Remember why you are doing it!
5.When you stuff up (and you will) move on and forget about it.
6. Professionalism! Shave, Ironed shirt, loose the piercings & the pink hair, Dont call the ATO "mate" or by their first name.
7. Big personal one... I plead with my students DO not EVER use the words "about" "sort of" "maybe" "thats about right" when your flying. A mid Flight exit has been threatened...
8. Best thing i ever did.. Get an experienced instructor and get out there in marginal conditions. See what its like so the first time your in it by yourself you have confidence in your decision making abilities.
8 things Im big on:
1.If you think its going to take you 1.5 hours to plan & pre flight, get out there 3 hours before. Take your time and relax. Over prepare!
2.. Be accurate with heights/headings and PLEASE fly the dam thing in balance. The rudder aint a foot rest!
3. De-brief yourself before the instructor does. What can you do better?
4.Enjoy yourself! Remember why you are doing it!
5.When you stuff up (and you will) move on and forget about it.
6. Professionalism! Shave, Ironed shirt, loose the piercings & the pink hair, Dont call the ATO "mate" or by their first name.
7. Big personal one... I plead with my students DO not EVER use the words "about" "sort of" "maybe" "thats about right" when your flying. A mid Flight exit has been threatened...
8. Best thing i ever did.. Get an experienced instructor and get out there in marginal conditions. See what its like so the first time your in it by yourself you have confidence in your decision making abilities.
There are a lot of people here making it harder than it has to be.
Flight starts when I get out of bed? Hell, which time? If I hit the snooze button is that split duty? What do you call the ATO then? Your holiness? Oh great knowledge-able one? Please don't say sir, although it would set you up well for QF. And Verbalising everything? C'mon guys.
PB,
There are so very many differing opinions about what to do and you cannot possibly follow them all as quite a lot tend to be contradictory as you can see. A mistake that can happen early on is over-confidence . It is best in the early stages of flying to try and keep your mouth shut and ears open, unless asking questions. I try and follow my own advice as much as possible, helps prevent foot in mouth syndrome or removing all doubt as it were. I have seen quite a few young hot-shots humbled very quickly by their big mouths. If you approach your flying with an open mind and undying determination, you will succeed, but no-one is mistake free.
Good Luck
j3
Flight starts when I get out of bed? Hell, which time? If I hit the snooze button is that split duty? What do you call the ATO then? Your holiness? Oh great knowledge-able one? Please don't say sir, although it would set you up well for QF. And Verbalising everything? C'mon guys.
PB,
There are so very many differing opinions about what to do and you cannot possibly follow them all as quite a lot tend to be contradictory as you can see. A mistake that can happen early on is over-confidence . It is best in the early stages of flying to try and keep your mouth shut and ears open, unless asking questions. I try and follow my own advice as much as possible, helps prevent foot in mouth syndrome or removing all doubt as it were. I have seen quite a few young hot-shots humbled very quickly by their big mouths. If you approach your flying with an open mind and undying determination, you will succeed, but no-one is mistake free.
Good Luck
j3
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There are a lot of people here making it harder than it has to be.
I think my main habits are:
1. I assume that any other pilot I come into contact with in the air has no idea what they are doing (no offence meant to anyone). This may sound a bit egotistical but it has helped me in a lot of situations.
2. There is always something to do, even if you are sitting there bored (as I am most of the time) I run through "What Ifs"... What if I lose an engine, What if I have to divert, what if I have to get on the ground ASAP.
3. Always have a couple of options available for different situations.
But I think the main thing is (as has been said a few times) enjoy yourself, if you don't you will have a very short career.
P.s. sorry about the spelling and gramar, its stupid o'clock in the morning
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I apologise if I reiterate anything anyone has already said, but I've found a few out during my short aviation career (550tt, 430com):
Work out and nail your rotate, climb, approach and landing speeds. It will result in much smoother takeoffs, landings and improved performance on climb.
Don't be a throttle-basher. Very smooth application and reduction of power, in anticipation of flying something bigger with a less forgiving engine(s) later on.
Footwork - it may not be second nature right now, but I've noticed passengers appreciate it very much when you can keep the ball close to the middle at all times.
Paperwork - part of your job is to fill out copious amounts of paperwork. Make sure you do so in blue or black pen, write neatly and make notes to clear up any ambiguities. Sounds silly but there's nothing more frustrating than a pax manifest filled out in pencil for example - it's inadmissible as a legal document should CASA come knocking.
Presentation - yourself and your aircraft. Always have your uniform (or whatever you wear flying) clean, ironed and not smelling rank. Same goes for you - make sure to shower and deodorise. Always, always, always clean your aircraft before and after each flight: windscreen polished, oil stains wiped off cowling, bugs cleaned off wherever possible, seatbelts dressed etc.
Always be willing to learn from the mistakes and experience of others. This does not mean to say that just because X has 1300 hours they are always right and you should take everything they say as gospel - but never be afraid to admit you were wrong or ignorant and take the time to look it up and learn from the experience. Just do make sure before you start doing anything on the recommendation of others you look up the documents to determine its legality and safety then if it works for you, go for it.
Some people are saying verbalise all your checks, others say no. I say do it. Not forever, but until they are that well internalised that you can run through the checklist accurately from memory then check off against the hardcopy in your kit. I verbalise about once a week to jog my memory and make sure I'm not missing anything, the rest of the time it's done in my head.
And one last thing I learnt the hard way - don't be vulnerable to getting riled up. Stuff happens that will mess up your day, be it ATC giving you a ****ty clearance, weather screwing up your day by forcing you down low or passengers throwing up everywhere (yeah, it happens!). The thing you need to remember is that you can't really control any of this and remain cool, calm and professional. I don't know you to know your temperament, but it's a lesson I learnt anyway.
These habits are certainly more applicable in a charter environment, but I think if you start to think about and implement some or all of these on both your dual and solo nav exes it will serve you well in future. However, I am not by any means the most knowledgeable expert.
Best of luck with the rest of your training!
Work out and nail your rotate, climb, approach and landing speeds. It will result in much smoother takeoffs, landings and improved performance on climb.
Don't be a throttle-basher. Very smooth application and reduction of power, in anticipation of flying something bigger with a less forgiving engine(s) later on.
Footwork - it may not be second nature right now, but I've noticed passengers appreciate it very much when you can keep the ball close to the middle at all times.
Paperwork - part of your job is to fill out copious amounts of paperwork. Make sure you do so in blue or black pen, write neatly and make notes to clear up any ambiguities. Sounds silly but there's nothing more frustrating than a pax manifest filled out in pencil for example - it's inadmissible as a legal document should CASA come knocking.
Presentation - yourself and your aircraft. Always have your uniform (or whatever you wear flying) clean, ironed and not smelling rank. Same goes for you - make sure to shower and deodorise. Always, always, always clean your aircraft before and after each flight: windscreen polished, oil stains wiped off cowling, bugs cleaned off wherever possible, seatbelts dressed etc.
Always be willing to learn from the mistakes and experience of others. This does not mean to say that just because X has 1300 hours they are always right and you should take everything they say as gospel - but never be afraid to admit you were wrong or ignorant and take the time to look it up and learn from the experience. Just do make sure before you start doing anything on the recommendation of others you look up the documents to determine its legality and safety then if it works for you, go for it.
Some people are saying verbalise all your checks, others say no. I say do it. Not forever, but until they are that well internalised that you can run through the checklist accurately from memory then check off against the hardcopy in your kit. I verbalise about once a week to jog my memory and make sure I'm not missing anything, the rest of the time it's done in my head.
And one last thing I learnt the hard way - don't be vulnerable to getting riled up. Stuff happens that will mess up your day, be it ATC giving you a ****ty clearance, weather screwing up your day by forcing you down low or passengers throwing up everywhere (yeah, it happens!). The thing you need to remember is that you can't really control any of this and remain cool, calm and professional. I don't know you to know your temperament, but it's a lesson I learnt anyway.
These habits are certainly more applicable in a charter environment, but I think if you start to think about and implement some or all of these on both your dual and solo nav exes it will serve you well in future. However, I am not by any means the most knowledgeable expert.
Best of luck with the rest of your training!
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Some good points here....
Don't know if they still do it, however the USAF used to talk all the time in a multicrew environment. Cant be all bad?
Airmanship
Is everything from cleaning the a/c when you have finished with it, inside and out - a rag over the cowl goes a long way, cross the seat belts, use the chocks and the control lock/s and always look behind when starting and/or doing a run-up. Set the instruments/radios for the next flight if you know where it is going. Lift the wing in a highwing a/c before turning in that direction etc etc.... and a thousand and one more! Treat others and the system as you would like to be treated. And of course double check all entries before you hit the Enter button!
Verbalising everything?
Airmanship
Is everything from cleaning the a/c when you have finished with it, inside and out - a rag over the cowl goes a long way, cross the seat belts, use the chocks and the control lock/s and always look behind when starting and/or doing a run-up. Set the instruments/radios for the next flight if you know where it is going. Lift the wing in a highwing a/c before turning in that direction etc etc.... and a thousand and one more! Treat others and the system as you would like to be treated. And of course double check all entries before you hit the Enter button!
Don't know if they still do it, however the USAF used to talk all the time in a multicrew environment. Cant be all bad?
Do not become dependent on your checklist. It's a 'check' list, not a 'to do' list.
Seriously, I've come across people approaching the CPL flight test that couldn't even start the engine, let alone fly the damn thing, if they lost their checklist - in a Cessna single!
(Not their fault, but the instructor's)
Seriously, I've come across people approaching the CPL flight test that couldn't even start the engine, let alone fly the damn thing, if they lost their checklist - in a Cessna single!
(Not their fault, but the instructor's)
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Very good advice on here!
Although the CPL altitude tolerance is 100ft aim for perfection
nail airspeeds- near enough is not good enough
if you're over that threshold at the correct airspeed you should be able to know the exact timing of your touchdown- "round out to fly level, hold off hold off hold off"
Keep in balance-Right Rudder!
Situational Awareness- Make contact with nearby aircraft and no where they are at all times!
Clear your nose every 500ft on climb to clear blind spots
Make sure your checking Full rpm, airspeed increasing and temp green on T/O and check Flaps up, Oil temps/Press green and maintaining centreline 300ft AGL
Always park and turn into wind to avoid stone damage to your prop and full back elevator on dirt strips to raise nose and again avoid stone chips to the prop
Hope thats helpful.......oh and always be aware of where your wingtips are when taxying or pushing aircraft ,common mistake to damage wings on other a/c -hanger doors-trees ect.
Although the CPL altitude tolerance is 100ft aim for perfection
nail airspeeds- near enough is not good enough
if you're over that threshold at the correct airspeed you should be able to know the exact timing of your touchdown- "round out to fly level, hold off hold off hold off"
Keep in balance-Right Rudder!
Situational Awareness- Make contact with nearby aircraft and no where they are at all times!
Clear your nose every 500ft on climb to clear blind spots
Make sure your checking Full rpm, airspeed increasing and temp green on T/O and check Flaps up, Oil temps/Press green and maintaining centreline 300ft AGL
Always park and turn into wind to avoid stone damage to your prop and full back elevator on dirt strips to raise nose and again avoid stone chips to the prop
Hope thats helpful.......oh and always be aware of where your wingtips are when taxying or pushing aircraft ,common mistake to damage wings on other a/c -hanger doors-trees ect.
Never forget to cancel your sartime. I learned that the hard way once 
But like all things; learning the hard way usually sticks. I like to set an alarm in my phone 30mins prior so whether I'm in the plane I'll feel it vibrating or on the ground I'll be reminded... just incase
But like all things; learning the hard way usually sticks. I like to set an alarm in my phone 30mins prior so whether I'm in the plane I'll feel it vibrating or on the ground I'll be reminded... just incase
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Some good advice here.
Some things you should keep in the back of your head.
Remember, if you find yourself under stress in the cockpit,
AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE in that order, always.
Be mindful of 'gethereitis', it is a very real syndrome. Dont push the weather. Always remember you are much better off being down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here!
The only time you can have too much fuel is when you are on fire!
'WATCH THIS' are the two most dangerous words in aviation.
I wish you the best of luck with it.
Some things you should keep in the back of your head.
Remember, if you find yourself under stress in the cockpit,
AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE in that order, always.
Be mindful of 'gethereitis', it is a very real syndrome. Dont push the weather. Always remember you are much better off being down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here!
The only time you can have too much fuel is when you are on fire!
'WATCH THIS' are the two most dangerous words in aviation.
I wish you the best of luck with it.
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The only time you can have too much fuel is when you are on fire!
"Pelican's Perch" Index
Pelican's Perch #7:<br>Run That Fuel Tank Dry!
There's some excellent excellent stuff in there. There are a few things that go against what most people would have been taught, but his reasoning is always very good. If I was ever in a position of overseeing an operation (CP, CFI etc) I'd have a careful read through his works for useful pieces of goodness.
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One of the worst student habits I see late in their training (CPL and CIR) is poor attitude flying. Remember lessons 1 and 2?
POWER + ATTITUDE = PERFORMANCE!!!!
Don't just turn/descend/climb the aeroplane without looking outside at the nose attitude you've just selected. Same applies to flying on instruments - the AI (or AH to some) is your friend - don't change flightpath by scanning the performance instruments only - DI, altimeter etc. Learn and set the correct attitude first, then check, adjust, retrim. Practice this basic skill while building your 10 hours instrument flying leading up to the CPL.
A poor bit of advice is 'you should always be doing something on a nav'. Sorry, but that's bull****. If you're ahead of the aeroplane, completed the CLEAROF checks etc just fly the damn plane. Guess what? You'll fly more accurately and you'll see more ahead and around the aeroplane. Your passengers will thank you for the accurate flying later on.
POWER + ATTITUDE = PERFORMANCE!!!!
Don't just turn/descend/climb the aeroplane without looking outside at the nose attitude you've just selected. Same applies to flying on instruments - the AI (or AH to some) is your friend - don't change flightpath by scanning the performance instruments only - DI, altimeter etc. Learn and set the correct attitude first, then check, adjust, retrim. Practice this basic skill while building your 10 hours instrument flying leading up to the CPL.
A poor bit of advice is 'you should always be doing something on a nav'. Sorry, but that's bull****. If you're ahead of the aeroplane, completed the CLEAROF checks etc just fly the damn plane. Guess what? You'll fly more accurately and you'll see more ahead and around the aeroplane. Your passengers will thank you for the accurate flying later on.
A poor bit of advice is 'you should always be doing something on a nav'. Sorry, but that's bull****.
There is also a danger in trying to be too far ahead of the aeroplane. During my initial sim training on a turboprop, my buddy and I were so intent on being ahead of the aircraft that we were dicking around getting an ATIS for the destination when we should've been doing climbing transition checks
.
