NOTAMs system went down for a few hours… no accident or incident has occurred with any causality to it. Meanwhile these scums capitalize on fear and put the DC and Phili crashes in the background for good measure. People in the comments are fully convinced of some sort of aviation apocalypse.

Now in a beautiful automated format, this is a place to ask all the questions that are either just downright silly or too small to warrant their own thread.

The ground rules:

No question is too dumb, unless:

1. it's already addressed in the FAQ (you have read that, right?), or
2. it's quickly resolved with a Google search

Remember that rule 7 is still in effect. We were all students once, and all of us are still learning. What's common sense to you may not be to the asker.

Previous MM's can be found by searching the continuing automated series

Happy Monday!

Nov 2019- Dec 2020- started taking flight lessons, got my PPL and started IFR training

Dec 2020- got my first corporate job and the 9-5pm schedule and northeast weather put a hard stop on flying for almost 3 years. Was tough managing both that and had a fiance that didn’t want me becoming a pilot and wanted me to save money instead.

Aug 2023- Present- realized flying was what I wanted. Quit my job, got rid of Fiance, got instrument rated but that took almost a year due to an instructor milking me and a bunch of students and the terrible northeast weather. Now almost Commercial rated hoping to finish CFI by summer. I fly 3-4 times on average but with northeast weather, instructors going away on vacation, examiner availablitu it’s taken longer.

My friends and family constantly thinking I’m lying when I tell them it’s going to take roughly another 2.5 years to get to airlines and that is if things look good with the industry. They think I’ve been at this for the last 5 years with no finish line in sight. They fail to realize the 3 year gap

Nov 2019- Dec 2020- started taking flight lessons, got my PPL and started IFR training

Dec 2020- got my first corporate job and the 9-5pm schedule and northeast weather put a hard stop on flying for almost 3 years

Aug 2023- Present- realized flying was what I wanted. Quit my job, got instrument rated but that took almost a year due to an instructor milking me and a bunch of students and the terrible northeast weather. Now almost Commercial rated hoping to finish CFI by summer. I fly 3-4 times on average but with northeast weather, instructors going away on vacation, examiner availablitu it’s taken longer.

My friends and family constantly thinking I’m lying when I tell them it’s going to take roughly another 2.5 years to get to airlines and that is if things look good with the industry. They think I’ve been at this for the last 5 years with no finish line in sight. They fail to realize the 3 year gap

I am flying professionally for years and recently started to think about it. I am just not sure it is worth it compare to doing my own investment.

Would getting a spot to be based in a densely contested area like NYC be difficult? What would be the pros and cons of living in a place like that for a pilot?

Hey everyone!

I just started making my CFI lesson plans a few days ago and holy hell am I overwhelmed. I heard the DPE in my area that does CFI rides is super against using any purchased lesson plans. So, I planned on doing everything from scratch, which I’m absolutely not against as it will help refresh my knowledge.

However, my first lesson plan took me days to complete and the PowerPoint ended up being ridiculous long. I am just so stressed and overwhelmed. I feel like it’s going to take me literally months to go through the whole ACS and make lesson plans for everything at the pace I’m moving at and method I’m using. I am even more stressed considering the DPE is highly against utilizing purchased lessons.

How do you guys recommend I go about my presentations? Any recent PowerPoint making advice? How long should it be taking me to make one lesson? I am open to any and all advice. TIA!

Hi

Im working on my PPL making decent progress… planning to take the knowledge test soon

I want to be a commercial pilot in the future ..

Can someone tell me what conditions I need to meet to get a FAA first class medical? Ive never had mental illness or anything.. but i am not that strong (can maybe do 10 pull-ups on a good day ) or athletic …

I have some power for my eyes but ill be fine to wear glasses … i dont have the glasses though.. how do i get the correct ones so my vision becomes 20/20?

I am interested and have been about getting my private license. I do wonder about passing a FAA exam because of mental health diagnosis. Anxiety, depression, ptsd, and adhd. I have little to no symptoms of any of these anymore and take only as needed medications for them (which is rarely). Any thoughts or comments about if I should even consider pursuing trying to get it or not? I’ve always loved aviation and wanted to fly but unfortunately was dealt a poor child hood but have since then gotten to a remarkable mental state given previous circumstance. I know flying commercially Will probably never be an option but I was unsure of private.

Everyone has probably heard at some point that the poppy seeds in Everything Bagel could cause positive results on drug tests.

Japan is one country which prohibits cannabis use, but doesn’t prohibit consumption of their seed. For example there is a traditional spice Shichimi, of which one ingredient is hemp seed. Another is a drink (no longer in production due to unrelated reasons) called CHILL OUT, which contains hemp seed extract. There’s probably more out there.

As this being literal cannabis, would there be issues with drug tests if I were to consume above items, despite their legal status? What other foods around the world (because pilots travel, right?) seem innocent but could pose a threat to your flying career?

Anyone have a good source for simulated instrument failure covers for specific PFDs like the G3X? I’ve seen some steam gauge ones as well as G1000, but I’m either looking in the wrong place or they don’t make them. Any recommendations?

Thinking about applying to JSX whenever they open up an FO portal. They'll be at the NGPA Expo so I'll try to talk to them and see what they're up to. Was curious to see how their hiring is forecasted and if their 800 hour minimum has changed if and when they post new FO jobs.

Just starting to work on my own lesson plans, I bought backseat pilot for some guidance but I want to make my own to really know it inside and out. Originally, I thought of forming my lesson plans as a sort of syllabus, covering some topics I thought were applicable for a "Lesson One", like a short introduction of Principles of Flight, into an introduction to Primary and Secondary Controls, ending with some basic ADM. However now after meeting with my instructor, I am planning on just going by the ACS, getting all the material into separate lesson plans based in the ACS order and then picking and choosing whichever one I need when I'm actually teaching. This is how Backseat Pilot makes their lesson plans also.

However, I'm having a hard time making lessons plans in this format though because I don't know how I should separate the introductory private information from the in depth commercial level information. For example, take an introductory topic like drag: when explaining it to a private student for the first time you're obviously not going to go into induced drag and parasite drag, but would I still include that information in my lesson plan and just skip it? Or just have it in a completely separate section? I'm just trying to imagine actually using these lesson plans and if it would be easier to have all the possible information about a subject in one spot or have it in a progression so you wouldn't have to pick out and separate the private level information on the fly.

I am curious to know how some of you went about this and what you found most effective, I would really appreciate any advice!

I’m going to preface this by saying I am not here to complain. I am simply looking for perspective. That being said, I am approaching the end of my commercial single training, and for a vast majority of people, the next step is CFI/II. I realize that it is by far the most common, economical, and reliable way to build time.

For me, personally, I have no intention of getting it at the moment. I am EXTREMELY fortunate to have my own aircraft to build time in and train in, and also knowing that I will have my multi paid for as well.

However, this isn’t about the financial aspect, it’s more about the experience and the journey. I personally feel that I would be a terrible instructor, and that I would not be able to develop a teaching strategy where I am able to effectively set up a student for success. Yes, I know you learn about this in FOI, but I do not understand any circumstances want to become “that” instructor, dragging my feet to 1500+ hours.

I do have potential employment opportunities down the line as I have made a few connections working as a ramp rat. I digress, though, I’m wondering why most people are like “too bad, suck it up, you ARE getting your CFI and you ARE going to like it” when there are other pathways to timebuild and get employment opportunities, even with the industry being as cyclical as it is right now.

Thank you.

EDIT: Edit: This was a harsh reality check for me. I’m going to suck it up and get my CFI. I want to prove to everybody that I have a hard work ethic and not skimp around the corners and try to weasel my way into a 91 or 135 gig. I want to become the best pilot I can possibly be. I’m extremely sorry if I came across as lazy, that isn’t what I want to be perceived as. This is why I wanted a different perspective, hence the post. I accept the criticism and will do better.

I have just started my training. I saw some simulators online. My main training plane will be a Cessna 172. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance

How does delay prioritization work exactly when e.g. sfo goes down to one runway? How much say does the airline have in juggling their own flights into slots?

Source of curiosity today is UA304 taking a rolling 2.5 hour atc delay due to conditions at sfo. Meanwhile, the next SFO-DEN flight, UA1300, gets their release five minutes before 304 and departs on time, ahead of the delayed flight with the same city pair/airline.

I work for an airline and am going to become a coordinator in some capacity this month, so not exactly a pilot.

I was given a pdf resource before training class called Study Guide for the Restricted Operator Certificate with Aeronautical Qualification (ROC-A). It’s 34 pages and from Industry Canada.

Is this the best resource for practicing the exam questions, or has that changed in recent years?: https://www.flighttrainers.ca/courses/roc-a-practice-exam/quizzes/roc-a-practice-exam/

I’m told it’s pretty straightforward and saw other posts about it but what can I expect doing this in 2025 specifically, and are you able to give me tips on what to focus on before we touch on this stuff in training? Any tips on what your test looked like or how to get a leg up is appreciated as I’ve heard about both written and oral aspects of this.

Hey, I live in Australia and start school in two days, I picked physics when subject selections first came out but I’m starting to think that I don’t want to do it however if it increases my chances into flight school I will do it. I also spoke to the head science teacher and he said only a small amount of the curriculum will be about aerodynamics etc. any advice on what I should do will be greatly appreciated thanks.

Does anyone know of any non flying FAA jobs? Ive been looking but it seems like most the job listings even for non flying jobs still want you to have 1500 flight hours. Im a 270ish hour pilot that finished all my ratings and cant get a flight job. However, aviation is all i have any experience at all in so im trying to find a decent non flying job in the industry. Also im a helicopter guy not fixed wing. Thank you for any insight or ideas and be safe.

Dual citizen here.

I understand that people come from all over the world to earn ratings in the US for the lower cost, but with all that is happening in this country among other reasons my partner and I need to go back to Canada.

I would love a bit of insight on major differences between flight school in both countries. I already see there is a ROC test in Canada that doesn’t seem to exist in the US, PPL is apparently out of pocket nation wide in Canada. Etc.

This might be a dumb question but I was looking at IAPs and wasn’t sure what this symbol is . None of the approaches I’ve flown have had it and I’ve never been told what is is .

I'm curious if anyone else has noticed differences or trends with DPE's from different regions or FSDO jurisdictions in terms of checkride difficulty? A few instructors I know from various flight schools in the socal area said they have all had a string of failures from several DPE's in the area, wheras the same cannot be said from the CFI's I know elsewhere.

From zero to CFII where I am now I have failed 3 checkrides all in socal and passed all the checkrides I took in the 3 other states. Not to say any of those were unfair, but I found it curious when I retook one of those checkrides in a different state having failed it in socal and passed with flying colors and with nearly identical answers. Again, all of my failures were fair, but some of the failures I've heard about from other instructors seem strange to say the least, and I'm curious if anyone else has noticed anything like this and if anyone knows if different FSDO's police their DPE's differently?

I’ve never run into this funny enough, but how would I interpolate the winds at 1,500ft if surface winds are variable at 5KT? At 3000ft winds are 180 @12KT.

I’m studying for my CFI check-ride and going over the basics of the four forces of flight. I ran into this problem:

When in slow flight at the MCA (the speed at which any further increase in AOA or decrease in airspeed causes a stall) if an aircraft turns, part of the vertical component of lift is allocated into the horizontal component of lift and the aircraft turns. At this point, the aircraft will begin descending as it does not have enough vertical lift to maintain level flight. If back pressure is increased to maintain level flight in the turn, the aircraft will reach its critical AOA, being unable to achieve an AOA that will support the HCL and VCL required due to the increase in load factor. Because stall speed increases with bank angle, the only way to counteract this would be to add thrust, increasing IAS. Correct? Or would the aircraft be able to maintain the same speed as it did in level slow flight because the thrust is acting as a component of lift?

I never really thought about this while actually doing slow flight, but now that I think about it, when I turn and add throttle the aircraft never increases airspeed but I am still able to maintain altitude. Am I just not noticing the increase in airspeed because it’s so negligible? Or is the increase in throttle more so acting as a component of lift?

i’m looking to see if i’m able to find private instruction to try to avoid going to a school and would preferably be able to do instruction out of GMU i don’t have my own plane or anything like that i would appreciate ANY connections thanks guys !!!

I've done an initial and recurrent 293 checkride for my operator and am extremely close to my ATP mins and CA upgrade. I've heard the checkrides are similar. Any credence to this?

Since rampfee.me is shut down, I am looking for a good (and/or crowdsourced) source where I can look up landing or ramp fees at airports. I know AOPA and Foreflight try to track and show those, but they aren't always current and available (some just have a phone number), and FBO websites aren't usually transparent. Any recommendations?

So, I like to mess around with ForeFlight and make flight plans for fun. One thing I enjoy doing is playing with cruise speeds to see how fast I could hypothetically get to certain destinations. For example, I made one of my “planes” an F-35 because, why not? I know the top speed of an F-35 is around 1,200 knots, so I put that as my cruise speed.

However, when I try to set it up in ForeFlight, I keep getting an error message saying, “Aircraft configuration not supported.” Even when I lower it to 500 knots I get the same error message.

Obviously, this isn’t for real flight planning—just something fun I do to kill time and explore crazy scenarios. Is there any way to bypass this or trick ForeFlight into letting me use speeds like that? Anyone else like to play around with ridiculous cruise speeds just for fun?

Thanks in advance for any tips or ideas!