The Days After Your Get Your Pilot License

The Days After Your Get Your Pilot License By Jeffrey Synk Jeffrey Synk Level: Basic PLUS Jeffrey Synk is a father, pilot, and blogger, in that order. He flies for a regional airline based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is ... ...

There is a singular thrill that surges through you the day you get your Private Pilot certificate. You have just been through a couple grueling hours of an oral exam and then you flew an airplane and demonstrated your flying skills to an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). You are exhausted, but in a good way. You feel like you can do anything now and you know that you are now part of something bigger. You are part of a cadre of people that are known as "pilots" and you will have accomplished something that less than 10% of the American population ever do. You are a pilot!

What Do You Do Now?

Well, your Private Pilot certificate says that you now have the right, knowledge and the skills to go down to the airport, rent an a airplane and fly you, and others, above the rest of mankind.

When I was a new pilot, the day after I got my Private Pilot certificate I was back at the airport with a friend renting an airplane. Most new pilots have just the same desire and want to get out there and share their new skill. But one of the things you should have learned in flight school is to take your time and be cautious about every decision you make when it is you taking the controls of an airplane.

Naturally you will want to gather your friends and family around and they will want you to take them on a flight to put your new pilot's certificate to use. And it's natural for you to be proud of your accomplishment and to want to show them that you are capable of flying an airplane just like you always said you would.

Prepare, Be Safe and Enjoy

But before you go streaking off for the horizon, maintain a certain amount of fear and humility and remind yourself of everything you have learned. When you get in the pilot's seat of that airplane and you have passengers, this is not the same as having that flight instructor sitting in the right seat ready to step in and correct you.

It's not pleasant to remind ourselves of this one fact but it's good for you to keep in mind that planes can crash and crashing a plane can be disastrous. This is not paranoia, it is healthy awareness about what you are doing. Moreover, it would be tragic if you had a mishap on one of those first flights out after you got your pilot's certificate. The specter of danger, which is a part of what makes flying exciting, should help you approach these early flights with the greatest of caution and to make very conservative choices as to the when and where you take your "joy ride" to show off your talents.

They say that when you see a juggler juggle five balls in the air during a performance, he can probably juggle seven or nine in practice. But they only do what they know they can do when it comes to involving other people. You should adopt your first flights with that same caution.

Schedule your first few flights on the best possible visual flight rule (VFR) days. Pick days where there is a light breeze, the skies are blue and when you feel great. Make sure the airplane's inspections have been completed and that every possible precaution has been taken. On this flight, do your best pre-flight planning and be very serious and professional. Fly in simple, easy to execute patterns and don't go far before you return to the airport and then land safely. When you get out of the airplane at the airport, your guests will be totally impressed and awed. And everyone can breath a sigh of relief that you "pulled it off."

Your Next Hundred Hours

It is said that your "license to fly (an airplane), is a license to learn" because you will keep learning more and more every time you fly. Things that may have been hazy, will soon become clear. Your planning and insight and your ability to see what you have to do next will become effortless and you will begin to enjoy your flying experiences more and more every time.

It is important too that now you have your pilot certificate that you fly often. Flying is a skill, and like any skill, you have to practice it in order to stay "proficient." If you ever feel uncomfortable about something, don't hesitate to ask for assistance. Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) will be more than understanding. Also, occasionally, go up with your flight instructor for some refresher training if you need it or just want to stay sharp.

From this point on, you have opened many new doors to flying. Next you may want to learn to fly gliders, get a sea plane rating, get an instrument rating or explore other, more high-performance aircraft. Each of them will be another skill to add to your growing logbook entries. And each one will be exciting. So getting your pilot's certificate is not the end of your training, it is the beginning of lots of flying memories. It is the first step to a vast world of aviation that you will have a lifetime to explore and will enhance your worldly experiences. So get out there and fly...and don't forget to take a camera!

To Your Flying Success...