Mistakes Every New Private Pilot Should Avoid

Mistakes Every New Private Pilot Should AvoidMistakes Every New Private Pilot Should AvoidSo youve earned your private pilot certificate, and you feel like you can take on the world? Ready to get out and fly to all of those places youve dreamed about? Go for it- but watch out for these common mistakes that new pilots make. Pushing the Limits Most new pilots are hesitant at first to get out and push the limits, but after you get your license and accrue a few hours of uneventful flying, youll be more likely to press the boundaries. Most general aviation accidents occur with private pilots at the stick, and the largest number of those pilots have less than 500 hours. This is a good time to be extra careful, notlage to exceed your personal limitations. If you feel like expanding your horizons or getting more practice with crosswind landings or at soft fields, enlist the help of an instructor. Remember, its a license to learn Not Considering Your Passengers If youre a new private pilot, youre probably excited to take your friends and family flying. But be cautious- they may not be as excited as you are, and theyre definitely not as familiar. So make sure to give them a thorough briefing, explain everything that youre doing, and dont forget to bring a sick beutel And take them up on a nice calm day. I often see new private pilots taking mom or dad up when its gusting to 15 knots and bumpy. You want them to enjoy the flight, and you certainly dont want to scare them or make them sick Botching ATC Communications New pilots dont often have a lot of experience with ATC communications or within airspace other than at their home airport. Take the time to prepare ahead of time for any flights you make that require contact with ATC. You cant fall back on your instructor to correct you anymore, and you cant lean on the idea that youll just tell them youre a student pilot and theyll go easy on you. ATC is not to be feared, but take the time to listen to LiveATC.co m or to practice the radio calls so that you can practice the right way. Not Getting Out to Explore Okay, so if youve made it through the first three suggestions, that means youre brave enough to get out and explore. When flights are accomplished within your personal margin of safety, youll gain valuable experience and the confidence to get out and explore more often. But many pilots, once theyve completed the private pilot certificate, are burnt out, out of cash and out of energy, and they dont want to go out and explore, at least not immediately. Burnout certainly warrants a break from airplanes, but dont take a break for too long Get out and use your skills or else theyll deteriorate. And the longer you go without flying, the less confident youll feel. So go fly somewhere Comparing Yourself to Other Pilots Dont ever compare yourself to the pilots around you. Were all different, and we all have different personal limitations and different ways of doing things. Just becaus e you see two other pilots heading out on a windy day does not mean that you should. If youre not comfortable, stand your ground and pay attention to your personal minimums. Dont change your minimums just because you see other pilots with higher minimums. And dont give in to the temptation to be as good as another pilot, or to show them up. Its never worth it, and its way more embarrassing to crash an airplane than to cancel a flight and go home. Remember- there are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.