Originally Posted by FlyingwithZ

What's up guys!

I started flight training in November( NC )and try to fly 2 or 3 times a week but weather has been so crazy lately. I have just reach double digits on my log book. The training is going great. I love it and can't wait until my next lesson. working towards my solo. I actually just took 2 weeks off work and flying for vacation and to study for my written.

My CFI has notice I have develop some bad habits and has gave me tips on how to fix them, he says a lot of it just comes with experience but I wanted to come here to see if anyone else has some extra tips

First problem
I can't hold altitude. He will instruct me to go to a certain altitude, I have no problem getting there once I'm there, I will start to focus on something else he is saying and before I know it i'm above altitude. This is common for new pilots. You need to develop a "scan". You may or may not be familiar with what a scan is. Basically, you are checking different flight instruments and cross referencing them against each other as you fly. You can get away with having poor "scan" habits when flying VFR but for instrument flying you must have a good scan. I too struggled during private with holding altitude. When I started my instrument training I became MUCH better at holding altitudes. My advice is below:

Get the aircraft trimmed properly. You will still need to make small adjustments every now and then, but you need to learn how to properly trim out an aircraft. Poor trim habits will always give you altitude holding problems.

Make sure you are checking your instruments often. For sure be checking your altimeter often. How often? When I am doing my instrument flying and want to plug in a new airport in the GPS, I may look at the GPS and enter one letter of the airport code at a time(I.E. KSGR.... look at GPS, turn knob for K...... look back at instruments, then look back at GPS, turn knob for S.... etc.) Depending on conditions and how well the aircraft is trimmed, sometimes you only have that long to look away without coming off a heading or altitude. I am not saying you have to look at it every 3 seconds for your VFR flying, but don't go an entire minute without checking the altimeter.

My skills have improved a lot from where I was at my PPL checkride. You will keep getting better but it will take time. Sometimes you will feel like you are stagnate or even regressing. Just try not to get discouraged and enjoy the process.

next

When taking off and landing it's very difficult to keep wings leveled and maybe this is just wrist strength but I tend to start moving my wrist in one direction or the other. he says I also do this when I shift my focus, I will start to just make a turn.
I don't really know what to say about this one. I know one of the aircraft's I currently fly (C172R) it has a tendency to bank to the right in level flight. So in straight and level flight, the aircraft is trying to bank slightly to the right. I have to use left aileron and maybe a touch of rudder to keep wings level.

You may be holding the yoke a certain way where your resting position has the yoke banking plane left or right. I like to have the bottom of my left forearm sitting on the door arm rest. This help to act as a base for my arm and allow me to make inputs in a more controlled manner. However, I don't think I have my arm on the arm rest during take off or landing.

Generally speaking when driving a car and even more so when riding a motorcycle, you go where you look. So if you are turning your head to look to the right or left, perhaps you are subconsciously banking the aircraft in that direction.

Reality is at this point you are so new and are developing. It will take time for you to get proficient at a lot of the flying stuff. Even seeing my abilities from when I did my PPL checkride to now (about halfway through instrument) it is a huge difference in my abilities. (At least to me). Just keep flying and practicing.


any tips for a first pager ?