Not Exactly A Flying Lesson - The Pre-Solo Ground Lesson

While a Flying Lesson #13 was scheduled for this afternoon, it was not to be.

Unfortunately, someone had smacked N73445 pretty good last night and it was in the shop getting some repairs done. I don't have the story on what happened but do hope to find out. In addition to N73455 now being out of service, N755PR was getting its 100 hour inspection done so there were too few planes for not enough pilots, and since I had N73455 booked I was one of those that got bumped.

My instructor decided that since there was no aircraft available but we were both present that it would be an opportune time to do some pre-solo ground work.

So we headed off into a room and we went over requirements for flight in terms of what I and the aircraft needed to have to be legal for a flight, what I could do with a student certificate, requirements for solo, airspace requirements, and requirements for an aircraft to be deemed airworthy.

Aviation is chock full of acronyms, and I got tested on quite a few.

For example an aircraft needs its ARROW documents to be legal to fly:

A - Airworthiness Certificate
R - Registration certificate
R - Radio Operating certificate (if you're going outside the US)
O - Operating Handbook
W - Weight and Balance

If you get ramp-checked and you don't have those in the plane, then Lucy, you have some 'splaining to do.

Another fun list is what the aircraft needs to be legal for day time VFR flight - TOMATO FLAMES

Tachometer
Oil pressure gauge
Manifold pressure gauge (for each altitude engine)
Airspeed indicator
Temperature gauge (for each liquid-cooled engine)
Oil temperature gauge (for each air-cooled engine)

Fuel gauge (for each tank)
Landing gear position indicator
Altimeter
Magnetic compass
ELT
Seat belts

While I had the ARROW acronym memorized I did stumble around in regards to the flaming tomato but got it worked out. I was also pretty decent on airspace requirements. He seemed quite satisfied with my answers and could tell I had been studying. After I bring him a few more written test practice exams with the scores Ive been getting, he's going to endorse my written so I can get it done and out of the way.

A lot of learning to fly takes place not in the air but on the ground, and this was a very necessary lesson to check my readiness for the written test and fulfill a pre-solo requirement.