If you remember from early August, I won a scholarship with Girls With Wings, written about here.
It was amazing and gave me an amazing confident boost, I think partly the reason I soloed so quickly afterwards. Well, as part of winning, I have to write two different essays for their blog updating them on my experience thus far. I know I describe in detail what has been happening, so if you want it in an abbreviated form check out my post for their blog: here.
Today, I’m still grounded due to them fixing the attitude indicator (I posted my last blog a bit late) so this is my second lesson postponed. I’m hoping tomorrow looks good for soloing to the north! I’m focusing on my written again today. I plan to take 3-4 practice tests and get my scores up. I’ve been taking a bunch but getting in the mid-80s each time. I’ll be studying between my tests my weak points and see what the outcome is at the end of the day.
It was a perfect day to study because I have the entire day off and Jake would most likely be gone on a trip. Nope, he had to ruin it and is on his way home from a trip. Now, I love having him home since he’s not home every night. But when I don’t plan around him being home, it’s a bit frustrating to have it change. I can’t wait for him to be off reserve so we know his schedule better. Being on reserve means you’re low seniority and when you’re on call (Jake’s this month is 3am-6pm) they are able to call you anytime in that period and you have to be at the airport in 2 hours. They are technically hiring pilots until the end of the year, but not always able to fill the classes. Pilot shortage here? Maybe? Hopefully?
Caitlin: Have you tried mywrittenexam.com? There are a lot of sites which can provide FAA Knowledge Exam practice tests and questions but by far, I’ve found that site to be the best. Along with giving you the timed test, it also gives you an email of each question you got wrong (with the correct answer). Makes it simple to go back and study what you missed. I drilled on there until I was regularly in the 90’s and then took my test. Laughed a few times during the actual exam when some of the same questions popped up.
I’ve been using my Gleim book which I believe has all the questions from the most recent release of the bank of questions from the FAA. I’ve also been using Sporty’s Study Buddy which has all the questions from the entire bank from the FAA, it times you as well. So I’m expecting to see, hopefully, a lot of the questions. I’ll check out that site, I was using also exams4pilots.org as well but my boyfriend wanted to make sure I was using good sites that made sure I was well prepared. What I’ve been doing is seeing what questions I get wrong and then go to my American Flyers PP Learning Guide and Textbook to study over that section. I’m really enjoying that book because it’s so easy to read, had great graphics, and explains things in a great way that I haven’t seen in other books. I’m also shooting in getting regularly in the 90s before taking the test.
I keep hearing about pilot shortages projected in the next 5-10 years. I know only a few years ago there was a surplus of ex military pilots taking all the good jobs, but you don’t hear that so much anymore. Anytime I’ve talked to other pilots about whether I’m likely to have trouble finding a job once I’m trained, they laugh and say no, I won’t have any trouble. Seems like the right time to be learning to fly 🙂
Well, my boyfriend’s company is struggling to fill new hire classes now. Hopefully, all the retirements will open up hiring for the majors which is what really matters here at least. Also, if the pilot shortage comes (they’ve been saying it for years, so it may not actually come) the most important thing is the pilots getting paid well. Regional airlines pay total crap here. The fact that it takes years of training and first year pay they take home less than $20,000 is just ridiculous. That’s the major thing that needs to be changed if the pilot shortage ever comes.
Yeah, they need to make flying more financially attractive. The training is expensive enough, people can’t afford to be pilots if they can’t pay off the loans they get stuck with when they’re done training.
Hi Caitlin! I stumbled on your blog today and thought that 152 looked familiar… I’m a student also, I fly the 172 parked right next to you! Looks like your training is going well, congrats on your solo flights and aviation scholarship! Hopefully I’ll see you around FRG soon!
That’s exciting! I hope to see you around. John is my instructor. Where are you with your training? Are you part of the 99s? Sadly, I wasn’t available for their most recent meeting. I hope to get checked out in Echo Romeo after I get my license, I already have the key to it though! Hope your training is going well!
I’m ready for my first solo, at around 30-35ish hours now. It took me awhile to figure out I needed a cushion to raise me up higher in the seat! I’m not a member of the 99s, but I’ve been trying to find the time to get more involved with the aviation community overall, so I really ought to join. Do you ever go to the weekly LIA dinners? My husband (he has his PPL, currently working on instrument), instructor and I have all been trying to figure out a week we can go along.
I soloed right around 30 hours and had the exact same problem as you! In the 152, the seats cane be raised so luckily the highest setting is perfect for me without an additional cushion. The day we raised the seat is the day I soloed. I haven’t been to one of the dinners yet but I want to go. John invited my boyfriend along as well who is an airline pilot so we’re just hoping his schedule next month he gets Wednesdays off and we can go to a dinner. They sound like fun though! I may go without him just was worried I’d be the only girl among a bunch of guys I didn’t really know.
I ended up soloing the day you did your cross country solo! Congrats to you!!! So exciting! We should go all on the same week – at least we’ll know we won’t be the only girls. 🙂
Congratulations! That’s exciting! They didn’t send an email blast out like they normally do when someone solos. Yes! I’d like that. We’ll know Jake’s schedule for October soon, so I’ll see if me and him are planning on going anytime in October. If he’s not available I’ll just go alone.