If you had told me 365 days ago that I would be a pilot by EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019, I’d have thought you were crazy. But there I was, walking into Oshkosh 2019 with my private pilot certificate (and tailwheel endorsement) in hand after the first attempt. I couldn’t believe it, even while I was being congratulated often during the week for this huge achievement. I still can’t believe it.
One year ago, I was afraid to take the controls of an airplane. I thought I might cause the airplane to come crashing to the ground. Yes, I had a complete and irrational fear of flying, which now seems comical. But after a super fun flight in Utah with someone who told me I needed to take control of the airplane we were in to learn how easy it was, and was extremely patient while teaching me, I realized I could do this.
Learning to fly was by far the most incredible thing I’ve ever done. It was also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but I’ve never been prouder of myself. I kept my checkride date to myself because up until that day, I was still unsure if I could actually do the one thing I never thought I could do. If I failed, then I didn’t have to face that failure to everyone at AirVenture. But I experienced the complete opposite, because I took command in the pilot’s seat, and my instructor knew I would.
I knew the journey to becoming a pilot would be challenging and unclear, but I did not expect it to test me in all the ways it did. I don’t know how many times the cards felt stacked against me in this process, and it made me understand why so many people don’t make it to the end. What I now know is most everyone can make it to the end if they follow a few critical rules.
Keep showing up. And when you absolutely think you have to give up, make yourself show up. I had days where I completely dreaded getting into the airplane, because I didn’t think I could do this. But I told myself this was way too important to avoid, and to just get to the hangar and then decide. Every single time I went to the hangar and looked at the airplane, I couldn’t cancel my lesson. I had to at least try again.
Accept your failures. It’s going to happen in your training. You will feel some level of failure as you learn how to fly. You may struggle studying for your written exam. You may do 180 landings before the round-out and flare makes sense. You may completely mess up your pattern after doing it perfectly 10 times before. It’s humbling, but it’s necessary. It will help you become a better pilot in the end, and if you don’t give up, you will overcome your failures and experience success like you never have before.
Allow this process to challenge who you are. You will experience personal pain and likely question your strength to endure. This is the part of training that reveals who you truly are and who you can be, and it helps you grow into a stronger, kinder, and more resilient person. I shed many tears throughout training due to heartbreak, stress, failure, and fear. I decided the only option was to let the feelings sit overnight and then wipe my tears, get up out of bed, and keep going. I also gained the ability to see when someone else needs a hand to pull them up out of the emotional trench, and I’m committed to helping anyone I can through this process if they need it.
Find your aviation support system. My aviation network is why I was able to become a pilot. I simply could not have had lift under my wings without the continuous support from so many people out there. I know I am fortunate. I have more connections and support here than most do learning to fly. Find even one person where you are training, at the local airport or in your local EAA chapter, to help you through this process. Each one of us knows how special and difficult it is to become a private pilot, so we all band together to help a fellow aviator through the process. This community is unlike any other, and it will show you exactly why you need to be a part of it. They all told me how my flight training would develop, and it was so hard to believe, but they were all right. Trust your community. Thank you to every single one of you who commented on my posts throughout my journey, who texted or called me to give me words of encouragement, and even to the ones who thought I’d fail. It all fueled the fire that helped me get to the finish line.
Use all of your resources. There are never-ending resources out there to help you with the ground school portion and flying part of learning to fly. I found a combination of printed materials, YouTube tutorials, full online ground schools, and discussions with other pilots was critical for me because of the different ways I learn.
Take the private pilot written exam as early as you can. Before you solo or even start actual flight training if possible. It made the actual flying portion of training less stressful because I didn’t have to think about a written test in front of me as well. Read tips about how I passed my written exam with a 98 percent before I even soloed. And don’t start buying everything like I did, because I barely used some of it. See what you can borrow from other pilots you know or find for free online.
Then, don’t stop studying, reading, and practicing concepts, especially cross-country planning. A must-have for the checkride oral exam was the Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide, Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards, and the FAR/AIM. Also, learn how to use the E-6B! Once I figured it out, I absolutely loved using that in the cockpit versus the flight computer because it was so much quicker and fun to use.
Find the best fit. Your relationship with your instructor is probably the most important piece to your flight training success. If you don’t click, can’t communicate, or do not agree with the direction, you need to address it or find someone else who you connect with better. Your future as a pilot and your financial investment depend on it. Take control of your lessons right away — you are pilot in command of your flight training. This took me a long time to understand and do. If you need something out of the lesson, tell your instructor. If you don’t understand something and need ground school to work through it, tell your instructor. If you want to take a different approach with learning concepts, tell your instructor. You’ll thank yourself at the end of this journey.
Bottom line in all of this is don’t give up. When you feel like it is too hard to accomplish your dream, and you see people who are achieving theirs, remember that they went through the same things you are going through. So, don’t give up. Don’t let that voice in your head telling you that this is too hard control you. At one point in my training, I said, “I need to stop putting so many expectations, timelines, and pressures on this. I’m currently so stressed out about my flight training, it’s not much fun and it’s pushing me away from it.” I had to change my perception of the journey if I was ever going to finish, and so I did, and then I started having fun again. The only thing that was preventing me from becoming a pilot was me. When I let that go, I was unstoppable. And I finally found myself and my strength through aviation. I am 41 years old, and I’m proof you can start at any age.
Three weeks after my checkride I still can’t believe I can just get into our Cessna 172 and go wherever I want without permission, and take whomever I want. I already can sense that I need to keep finding purpose in flying so I get in the air regularly and become more proficient. I’ve been left feeling a bit like “what’s next?” I achieved what at one time felt impossible, so where do I go now? I’m almost a bit lost. I don’t know what is next in my flying journey, but I do know that I’m definitely not done!
Read about Beth Stanton’s transformation from student to pilot.