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I decided against the dog and got the rest.
You have a pilot license?
learning to fly is temporary
Good point. If I commit enough time to it, I could be done in a few months, I guess.
Unless you want to make that your career, of course.
For now, no. Will consider again when I actually have my license. I don't know yet if I'm actually going to be a good pilot haha
You have a pilot license?
Yep. PPL SEA(L).
If I commit enough time to it, I could be done in a few months, I guess.
Definitely doable. I completed mine in 6 months despite having several weeks of bad weather where flying wasn't possible.
I was lucky in the sense that my school had enough planes and instructors so I could lean on a couple of them when my primary instructor was unavailable due to completing his own training and ratings.
For now, no. Will consider again when I actually have my license. I don't know yet if I'm actually going to be a good pilot haha
Good way to approach it.
Don't worry too much about being good. It's a learning curve with different bumps for everyone.
Some things you'll get immediately, and other things you'll need to practice, practice, practice until you get it.
Yep. PPL SEA(L).
That's a separate license from a PPL(A)? Flying seaplanes isn't a type rating?
Definitely doable. I completed mine in 6 months despite having several weeks of bad weather where flying wasn't possible.
During flight school, this question came up: which season is best for flying? Naively, I expected it to be summer because of the "good weather." But what's good weather for humans isn't necessarily good weather for planes. Summers are hot and have lower air density, so aircraft performance is worse, although visibility is usually better. In winter, you get higher air density and lower temperatures.
What's your experience with flying seasons? Would you recommend summer or winter? Or does it not really matter?
Good way to approach it.
Don't worry too much about being good. It's a learning curve with different bumps for everyone.
Some things you'll get immediately, and other things you'll need to practice, practice, practice until you get it.
🙏
I started messing around in MSFS a while ago. My first surprises were that I struggled to land the plane centered on the runway, and that it's hard to maintain altitude, speed, and attitude, especially when you want to change one of them.
Btw, @plebpoet recommended The Rehearsal: Season 2 to me, and it was really good. You'll probably like it too if you haven't already watched it:
That's a separate license from a PPL(A)?
It's just different naming. SEA(L) is a class rating: single-engine aeroplane (land). That class rating is implied in PPL(A).
Flying seaplanes isn't a type rating?
Similar to land rating, the one for sea planes is also a class rating.
Type ratings tend to be more narrow, like getting rated for a single, complex airplane. Think A320, B737 and similar.
A class rating encompasses a class of very similar to fly planes which don't require a separate check ride for each.
What's your experience with flying seasons? Would you recommend summer or winter? Or does it not really matter?
It depends a lot on location. Whichever season has less rain and better visibility.
The school will have suitable planes for the corresponding temperatures.
Where I learned, it rains a lot during winter. Summer has a lot of windy days, but otherwise usually decent conditions. Spring and autumn conditions are awesome there.
My first surprises were that I struggled to land the plane centered on the runway
Haven't played MSFS in decades, but I suspect that is actually easier when you can feel the plane moving under you.
As you keep your eyes on the far end of the runway and avoid the temptation of doing too many corrections whenever you feel a gust, it becomes surprisingly easy.
it's hard to maintain altitude, speed, and attitude, especially when you want to change one of them.
Yep, they all affect each other.
The key is to allow the plane to settle somewhat after any change and then trim, trim, trim.
The key factor is to internalize what sounds backwards the first time you hear it: adjust attitude for speed, throttle for altitude.
Give it a try in MSFS: Get in a stable plane to some altitude and trim it out. Like a Cessna 172, Piper Warrior.
Increase the throttle slightly. Do not use your elevators, do not change trim, only use ailerons to maintain your heading.
Wait and observe how it settles.
Next, change your attitude ever so slightly with the trim. Don't change anything else. Again, ailerons only. Again, you will see what changes as your plane settles.
first world quadrilemmas really suck
Summary of my first world problems from my journal: