The Student Pilot Cast

In this episode we’ll cover a quick flight to get the additional .3 hours I needed to be ready for my check ride. The previous day I had 3 flights (see episodes 46, 47, and 48 for those). Today I would do this one flight, and be studying like crazy for my oral and check ride the next morning. I also was going to try to get to bed early so I would be ready the next day. But today, I needed some hoo...

For this episode we’ll be doing a dual flight with Lary, getting some of that hood time I needed, and practicing a takeoff under the hood. We’d be flying in N81658. Keep in mind this is now my 3rd training flight of the day and the fourth in the past two days. To recap, I had a solo flight in the morning (see episode 46) where I practiced the stuff I had gone over the day before with my instructor...

In this episode I’ll be taking you along for my fourth and final stage check with one of the chief pilots. This stage check, if successfully completed, would mark the end of my primary training and I would then be ready for my check ride with an examiner.  Of course, as I’ve already mentioned, I would have a couple more flights after this just to get my hood time in and also to do some last-m...

Welcome back SPC listeners…this flight was the day after my dual flight with Lary from the last episode, episode 45, and I would be doing some solo practice on the same things, short and soft takeoffs and landings.  I’d be staying in the pattern for this solo.  Hope you enjoy Episode 46 – The Last Solo.

In this episode, just three days after my last solo covered in episode 44, I was back in the cockpit with my instructor, Lary, and along for the ride on this one was my oldest Son who was around 10 at the time. We would stay in the pattern for practicing short and soft field landings and takeoffs, as well as an engine out drill in the pattern. It was a great flight, and I was getting close to my c...

Today I’d be flying in 2148Y on a solo flight to practice ground reference maneuvers as well as practicing some short and soft field landings. In fact, according to my part 141 training curriculum, this would just be my second to last solo flight before my check ride. We will see what actually happens, but I knew that my primary training was coming to an end. In fact, this was passed the middle of...

Dropping episode 43 today, where I take you a long on a dual flight with Lary, my instructor, but I have two small visitors today as well. This episode is a bit nostalgic for me as I had my two youngest kids with me; ages 8 and 6. Of course, they’re adults now as this was way back in 2008 when I was doing my primary training. I’m such a washout with these episodes. I hope you enjoy this one…at lea...

Wow…what is this? Another episode of the Student Pilot Cast?!?! After all this time? Well, yes…let’s at least get through my primary training before another hiatus, shall we? Actually, I’ve got some plans even after that, so let’s see how it goes. In this episode I’ll take you along on a solo flight where I practiced Short and Soft Field Landings, Minimum Controllable Airspeed, Power off and power...

Hello, everyone. This is episode 40 of the Student Pilot Cast, The Anonymous CFI. This is a bit more brief than most episodes because I never got permission from the CFI I flew with this day to publish the content, so I’m sorry to say that any cockpit audio with the CFIs voice or instruction is not included in the episode…and of course I don’t say who it is. It’s the anonymous CFI episode, of cour...

Look! Less than a week and another episode!  This is my return flight on my long solo cross country flight from Prescott (KPRC) to Chandler (KCHD) via Wickenburg (E25).  I transition a bit of the southern portion of the PHX Class B airspace as well. This was a great flight.  I made a few mistakes that were good learning experiences, but most of all I was happy to be back in the cock...

I’m back releasing podcast after my much too long hiatus.  Sorry for the delay, everyone. This is the first part of my long solo cross country flight which followed my stage III check.  I fly from Chandler (KCHD) west and north through the PHX class B airspace, and then on to the busy Prescott (KPRC) airport, which is home of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University . Remember, you can follo...

Welcome back, SPC listeners.  I’m glad to be back with you for another experience on my road to becoming a private pilot.  Today you’ll be coming along as I complete my 3rd stage check out of four.  As you know from my previous few episodes, I’d been preparing for this.  As I also have mentioned before, I had spent the previous 4 days training for this stage check, including a...

This is episode 37 of the Student Pilot Cast. Join me as I take a solo makup flight in some windy conditions the morning of my Stage III Check. In this flight I stay in the pattern and practice performance landings and takeoffs. As the flight went on, the wind kept getting worse and worse to the point that I ended up landing in a crosswind that was close to the max demonstrated crosswind comp...

It’s that time again…now that we’re home from Oshkosh, it’s time to share this year’s edition of Podapalooza.  This was recorded live on EAA Radio on Friday, July 30th, 2010.  Enjoy.

Welcome to episode 35, finally, of the Student Pilot Cast, “Stage III Check Prep, Hijacked”.  I’m Bill Williams, and I’m learning to fly in front of the world. Come join me as I prepare for my Stage III Check with a different instructor.  This has been updated to point to the proper media file.

Hello again SPC listeners.  Today’s episode takes us on a solo training flight on a very busy day to practice performance landings and takeoffs (shorts and softs).  We have everything from FOD to go-arounds in this episode, so enjoy. I was nearing the end of stage III in my training, so I was almost in the home stretch.  I also explain in this episode the cramming of flights I had t...

This is part II of my night dual cross country flight.  This part takes us from Marana Airport in the far northern part of Tucson back to Chandler. [KAVQ-KCHD] I mentioned the Remos GX LSA flight from Oshkosh in this episode.  Here is the link to the Airspeed episode that covered this.  My flight video from this will be coming in the future. Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter f...

This is part II of Podapalooza 2009, the part of the show that was not broadcast live on EAA Radio.  This took place at Oshkosh, July 31st, 2009. If you are thinking about learning to fly, check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide , an e-book that will answer many of your questions beforehand, and do it in an entertaining way.  Enjoy the episode.

Hello, everyone! Here is the first part of the audio from Podapalooza 2009 from Airventure in Oshkosh, July 31st, 2009.  This part contains the audio from the show that was broadcast live on EAA Radio.  After the radio station had to cut away, we continued Podapalooza and I will bring you that audio in the next episode.  By then, I’m hoping to have my Remos flight video completed, a...

We continue my coverage of EAA Airventure with episode 30.  Today I present an interview with David Fetherston of Nexair Avionics about their new airplane, the Saratoga NX .  The NX is a rebuild from spinner to tail of Piper’s Saratoga, but with all new avionics, speed mods, etc.  It’s a very interesting value in a travelling six-seater mini-van. Along with the interview, I want to...

Airventure 2009 is over, but I’ve got a bit of good material from Oshkosh that I’ll be publishing.  This is the first of it.  In this episode, I confirm why everyone loves Oshkosh so much with a quick discussion with John and Christine Halbrook around the campsite one evening. Obviously, this is a small break from the normal episodes of my training, but I think you’ll find these quick po...

Hello SPC listeners! Today we will follow my outbound leg of my dual night cross country.  I had to take a couple of weeks off because of extensive travel, including some family vacations.  I’m back now, though, but headed to Oshkosh this week.  This means lots of content coming up hopefully.  For most of it, follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/billwil , and I’ll keep yo...

This episode chronicles my return flight to Chandler from Tucson international, and is the second part of my first solo cross-country flight during my training.  There’s some interesting things that happen, and another bonehead move on my part with the radio.  Please enjoy this flight as I learn to fly in front of the world. The route home was only slightly different than when I went to...

Today’s episode is a very special one as we’ll cover my first solo cross country.  It was a simple flight from Chandler to Tucson International, but a giant step for me in my training.  Join me as a learn to fly in front of the world in podcast episode 26 of the Student Pilot Cast, Out of the Nest, Part I. I’ve included a couple of pictures.  First is the route I took on this leg fr...

This episode is the conclusion of my long dual cross-country training flight, or the last two legs.  We went from Prescott (KPRC) to Sedona (KSEZ) and shut it down to go have a late breakfast at the excellent restaurant.  Then it was on home to Chandler (KCHD). I hope you enjoy the episode.  As usual, take a few minutes and let me know what you think.  Also, remember to check o...