Above All Aviation
Getting your pilots license from a students perspective.
Have you ever wondered what is was like to fly above the clouds in a single engine airplane all by yourself? Some of the first exciting memories I have as a kid were riding motorcycles and going flying with my dad. Flying had always been interesting to me and on my radar, but I never was a huge advocate until recently. When I decided to commit to getting my pilots license I had the assumption that it was going to come naturally to me. In some ways it did but in other ways it didn’t. There is a lot to it that one might not expect when getting started. The dedication it takes it well worth it when you look outside our window and realize you are flying over beautiful Santa Barbara and you are the one in control.
Being an avid action sports advicate all of my life, I knew that flying an airplane was on the bucket list and it was just a matter of when. The opportunity presented itself and for the last few months, and I have been taking full advantage. Soloing after only the first 5 weeks of flying was quit an accomplishment and thrill at the same time. When everything is looking good and you are coming in for landing with a little but of crosswind its all about staying calm and putting the plane down right on the center line. When a landing is done to perfection it is one of the most gratifying experiences because it is not easy, but with practice I plan to make them perfect every time.
Its hard to wipe the smile off your face the you grease in a perfect landing.
There are all types of different pilots licenses one can obtain, but the most common one that most usually start out getting is you private pilot’s certificate. This allows one to fly friends and family not for hire. Then after that you can get your instrument rating, multi engine rating, commercial, and so on. Becoming a pilot is serious business and even being semi familiar with airplanes I still felt blind going into it. I am much more comfortable with the actual hands on flying part than I am with all the book work and studying that is needed. That is where I am paying most all of my attention because you can’t fly good unless you know everything there is to know about every possible situation that could occur. You have to be ready for anything because my passengers and my life could be at risk if i’m not aware of certain technicalities of flying.
Flying above Lake Lopez on a cross country flight.
When getting started you have to be willing to commit some serious time and money but it will be well worth it in the end. In order to get your license you must have a minimum of 40 flight hours with an instructor, solo for 5 of those hours, crosscountry solo, take a written test, and complete a checkride. These are some of the main steps that need to be taken in order to get your license.
If flying has been an interest of yours but you haven’t pulled the trigger yet ABOVE ALL AVIATION in santa barbara, ca has a great pay as you go program. You can fly as much or as little as you would like to build up those flight time hours. One can get their certificate for pleasure to go on family vacations or you can make a career out of it. Either way the friendly staff will make sure that you can safely perform every maneuver needed in order to achieve this goal.
