Confessions of a recreational Pilot

Well, not really confessions, and the term 'recreational' will need some explanation.

So in this part I would like to describe what it is to be a pilot, flying for the sheer enjoyment of being able to do so, and try to explain (even to myself) why it is worth spending both time and money to pursue this – lots of time and lots of money, I might add. attitude

Some Background

I am a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, flying single engine land, i.e. the airplanes I fly have to have wheels and be landed on solid surfaces like asphalt, grass, etc. My total flying time at the moment (September 2008) is 610 hours. My flying career started relatively late. Although I had always been fascinated by airplanes and flying, I was 42 years old before I even contemplated the idea of becoming a pilot (this is sort of a confession). Anything aviation related, or rocket related for that matter, would stop me dead in my tracks. I would always ask for window seating when flying commercial (and still do), and didn't mind spending time at airports. Strange behavior for most people, especially since I've had to do quite a bit of commercial flying in my normal job as an astrophysicist. Over the years I made a few flights in small General Aviation airplanes with friends, but never seriously consiered the possibility of getting my own pilot license. The excuses were time and money, for the most part in combination.

Then one day my wife give me the Microsoft Flight Simulator program as a birthday gift. Why she would give such a present to a grown up and serious (I guess) person is still beyond me, but tinkering with that program quickly led me to contact a local flight club in Sweden (where I was living at the time). Before I even know what was happening I was signed up to take the ground school for a Privat Pilot license, to be followed by practical flying lessons. I was ecstatic. This was in January 2001. By early May I had passed the written exam and started my flying lessons. The real flying was done at Varberg Flygklubb, a flying club in southern Sweden. Flying out of a 600m (1950 feet) long grass strip, using Piper Cherokees (Warrior and Archer), I finally earned my JAR Privat Pilot license on June 28 2002. The JAR designation means that the license is 'sanctioned' by the European Union. However, as fate would have it, I moved to Baltimore in the US less than 2 months after having passed the chek-ride. This meant a new environment, new and slightly different rules and, of course, a new language to communicate with.

Most of my flying has been in the US. When I arrived in Baltimore I had amassed a total of 75 hours of flying time, most of it under dual command (that is, with a certified flight instructor). At the time of writing (September 2008), I have more than 620 hours as Pilot in Command (PIC) and an FAA Privat and Commercial license with instrument priviligies (all will be explained further down).

Learning to Fly

The old saying is that a pilot license is a 'ticket to learn'. Well, it's true and the learning process kneeboard starts the moment you walk into a flight school and it never stops. At least is shouldn't stop. I have some experience in learning to fly. I got my first Privat Pilot license in Sweden. There, as in most of Europe, most of the flight training is done by non-profit Flying Clubs. This makes it cheaper than if it is done under a commercial school. When I moved to the US I could fly using my Swedish license, acquiring a waiver from FAA. However, it soon became evident that I'd be better of with a 'pure' US license. So I took the written and practical tests for a FAA Privat Pilot license (PPL). In fact, I did my check flight for PPL the same day as my check ride for my instrument rating (more about that further down).

Learning to fly is not too difficult, although it will take both time and dedication, and money. Apart from take-off and landing, there are only four ways of flying an airplane: straight and level, climb, descend, and turn. Some of these maneuvers can be combined (you better not try to combine straight & level with climbing or descending fligth – your flight instructor will not be happy).

Visual Flight Rules

This is something every pilot flies in/

Instrument Flight Rules

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Stuff Pilots Need

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Rules to Fly By

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