No Filter Needed! A Pilots Life.

I have been flying for many years but it wasn’t till the last few years that I have been financially able to spend more time up in the air than I was. This photo shows some of the beauty that I am able to enjoy at 5k feet.

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Things I Have Learned From Flight School

I began my flight training many years ago with an intro flight out of Canton, GA. I remember it being very cold and I knew minutes into the flight that this was something that I had to do. It was a whole different world at 2500 feet and I wanted to live there.

There were a few things that I did not realize when I signed up for regular flight training that should have been obvious but weren’t. First of all, was the cost. I was not a well-to-do business owner and didn’t come from money. Every dollar that was handed over to the school was small and took a lot to earn. Honestly, I wasn’t in the financial class of life to make it affordable and not put a major strain on my home. Therefore, I had to bail out of flight training more than once over my course of training putting me way behind and, at times, having several years of gap. The love of aviation, however, never left my heart.

Another vital part of flight training was the frequency that I went to train (When I was able to go). When I did have a little disposable income I was only going about 1 time a week. It was never drilled into my head just why it was so important to come multiple times a week. When there is a significant gap in your training days you lose part of what you learned the last time. You will spend a portion of the next day relearning what you had learned last time.

Another key component was the amount of my home study time. I was already short on my time juggling work, family, and flight training, I didn’t have a lot of time to spend studying at home. A key requirement to a successful training session with your instructor is the preflight homework, being ready to learn.

If I had to begin again there are a few things that I would do a lot different to better utilize my time and take as much advantage as I could. Oh well, it’s all hindsight now but maybe I can get the next young pilot thinking before he or she steps into the cockpit for the first time.

Tommy Eldridge

Private Pilot Insider

TommyEldridge.com

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A cleanup and maintenance

I really like having a hanger to keep the airplane in, It has been a long time since I’ve had this luxury. It’s still kind of warm here in north Georgia but, it beats being out in the direct sunlight. Before you ask, NO, we did not do anything to her that requires an A&P license to do so.

This COVID virus thing has nearly put a stop to our flying. Although Rich and I are flying together again now, we had stopped for some time just for safety. I was also doing some training with an instructor but have not restarted that yet. Soon, very soon.

So much of life has got in the way. The company that I worked for in television broadcasting up and closed down (because of the effects of the virus) with just about every other local company in the area in mid-March so that kinda put a damper on things. Then, my wife and I put one of our homes up for sale and that took not only all of my extra time but also my hobby money as well.

Rich and I got to go out and do some flying the other day and we took turns doing landing so we could get recurrent again. Had a great time but, man was it hot. Even at altitude, there was warm air blowing in. Looking forward to a little cooler weather and getting this house sold so at least somethings can get back to normal.

#cessna172 #pilotslife #flying

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Finding The Right Mount For Your IPad

ELECTRONICS ARE THE WAY OF THE FUTURE

As the advancement of electronics has entered the cockpit there have been many different types of devices used. Companies like Garmin and IFly have done wonderful jobs of developing personal aviation navigation devices but, now the Apple IPad has finally made its way on board. With all the different downloadable programs available now, if you get lost flying then, well, maybe you just don’t need to be flying. The biggest problem a lot of pilots who fly smaller aircraft find, however, is space to mount a device of this size without covering either the panel or their outside view. Finding room for even the IPad mini in a Cessna 172 or a Piper Cherokee is challenging in its self but, what about a full size 10 inch IPad, like I own?   

THE RIGHT MOUNT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM

Fellow pilot and Facebook friend  Edward Galvis posted his problem-solving solution on a Cessna 172 pilots page on Facebook and it caught my attention. Here is what he wrote. 

“After lots of trial and error, I think I found a way to mount my 10.5 inch iPad in the cockpit that meets the following requirements:”

1) doesn’t block my view
2) keeps it off my knee, less head down time
3) easy to reach and use
4) mostly out of the sun
5) not on the yoke
6) doesn’t block any instruments

AMAZON IS YOUR ONE STOP SHOP

Edward purchased all of the on Amazon, here is the list:

Ram Mount Double 1-Inch Ball Adapter
Ram Mount Composite Double Socket Arm for 1-Inch Ball Bases
RAM Twist-Lock Suction Cup Base with 1 inch Ball
Ram Mount Long Double Socket Arm for 1-Inch Ball Bases
Ram Mount X-Grip III Universal Clamping Cradle for 10-Inch Large Tablets (RAMHOLUN9U

 

All of the separate pieces were purchased for totaling of $121.52. 

I would like to see your set-up. Comment to this post or email me at tommy@privatepilotsindier.com 

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You Better Know Before You Go!

Better know before you go. It is so very important to do not only a proper preflight on your aircraft but also on your intended planned flight. If you are like me, you may live close to two major stadiums that often have flight restrictions during games. With today’s electronics, it makes it much easier to check while in flight but, It is a good practice to do a little groundwork to lighten up the air work.

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